23 Top Houston Home Stagers Share the Biggest Mistakes Homeowners Make When Preparing a Home For Sale
A beautifully staged home can be the difference between a quick sale for top price, and a home that just sits on the market. I firmly believe home staging helps houses sell faster as a staged home just feels more charming, more appealing and more inviting. It feels like home.
Many people don’t know much about home staging or what assistance a stager can provide. In case that is you wondering that, a home stager is a design professionals that helps you prepare your house for sale. They will walk through your house helping you declutter, hide personal items, and arrange furniture and decor in the most attractive way possible to help buyers fall in love with it. They are also great with selecting paint colors, providing advice on updates, home design and many of them even do home organization.
We almost always hire a professional home stager for our clients listing their house for sale because we know that it will help sell the house faster and for more money. And honestly, who wouldn’t want that?
Most staging appointments are for occupied homes and the home staging professional will only need to use your current items and decor. This can be incredibly cost effective. Some owners will need to rent furniture if their house is vacant or if they just need a few pieces to really make their house stand apart.
Home design and home staging are not my gifts, so I decided to ask the top 23 Houston home stagers to provide their experience with the #1 mistakes homeowners make when preparing their home for sale.
I know you will find their answers enlightening and their advice could possibly net you thousands more on the sale of your house…
Organic Home Staging
I would say the biggest mistake a homeowner makes when preparing their home for sale is believing it looks fine the way it is. It is difficult for them to put themselves in the shoes of the buyer, but they need to in order to prepare the home properly. They don’t want to put the time, cost and energy in presenting their home in order to attract the buyer. They can be short sighted when it comes to the necessary investment.
Just Organized by Taya
Choosing the wrong color when you are prepping your home for sale can be very costly, in terms of money and in losing the chance to make a great impression on buyers. For instance, the warm beige that was popular ten years ago would be a mistake. These days people are looking for cleaner, calmer colors like a grey beige, and neutral colors that won’t go out of style. (View Full Response)
Showhomes Houston
By far the most common issue we see in occupied homes is “too much stuff”. When preparing a home for market it’s important for Sellers to vigorously de-personalize the home so prospective buyers can envision themselves living there, and not as a guest in your home. If there are a lot of knick-knacks, décor items and art to look at, the buyer’s attention is distracted from the features and selling points of the home. We recommend packing away any family photos and any art or décor that makes a specific religious, cultural or political statement which might alienate some buyers. (View Full Response)
Home Staging for Houston
Hand’s down the biggest mistakes we see homeowners make when preparing their home for the market is:
- Lighten and Brighten. Dim, dated, and the old school fluorescent recess lights that take 10 mins to warm up need to be changed out. It’s a small expense and an easy fix that will make a huge impact on the overall ambiance of the home when you first enter.
- Neutralize the walls. The old saying, “neutral paint will take you to the bank” is so true. No one wants your rainbow and when potential buyers see a color they are not connecting to, the first thought they have is “I will have to spend money to fix that”. (View Full Response)
Gorgeous Digs, LLC
One of the biggest mistakes a homeowner overlooks is not de-cluttering. Packing up personal items, such as trophies, personal family photos, kids’ artwork and extra personal decor is a simple, cost effective way to de-personalize a home getting ready for market. We understand selling and moving is a very stressful and emotional time. (View Full Response)
Three Bears Home Staging®
I would say four of biggest stumbling blocks to home sale success I see homeowners make are:
- Leaving too much clutter/decor/furniture
- Neglecting simple maintenance and updates
- Thinking the home is worth more than it actually is or what the market will support
- Not using a professional photographer
Staging the Nest
The biggest mistake that homeowners can make when preparing to sell their home is to not properly disconnect emotionally from and assess their own home for buyers. Every single homeowner has an emotional connection to their home, whether that be from the hard work and effort they put into the updating it, the amount of time they have lived in the home and the memories they have created there, or the individual furnishings and decor in their home. Each of these can present their own challenges when putting the home on the market. When we consult with homeowners prior to selling, we always walk them through these steps. (View Full Response)
Debonair Home Staging & ReDesign LLC
I believe one of the biggest mistake’s homeowners make when preparing their home for sale is not hiring a Professional Home Stager. A Professional Home Stager will address everything from the curb to back fence, i.e. decluttering, repairs, recommending the right paint colors, design for selling, etc. A Professional Home Stager knows what today’s buyers are looking for and what’s trending and can help a homeowner save money and time when preparing their home for sale.
Midcity Decor
The biggest mistake sellers make when preparing their home for sale is their inability to see their home objectively. Consequently, buyers are not able to connect with the home. Seemingly small things to the current homeowner such as minor repairs, bold colors on the walls, family photos, even furniture arrangement, can throw buyers for a loop.
Stage the Way
I believe one of the top mistakes is too much stuff! Of course, repairs are extremely important, as well as updating. But sellers are not really interested in paying for updates at this point. Staging consultations are extremely important for owner occupied homes. The way you stage the house, and decorate the house is totally different. Once a home is put on the market, it becomes a house. It’s not their home anymore.
Impact Interiors LLC
One of the biggest mistake a home seller can make is putting the property on the market before it’s ready to sell. This can be a costly mistake which can result in hundreds or thousands of dollars. When a property is properly merchandised, marketed and priced appropriately for the area it often results in multiple offers above list price.
Sabrea Munz Interiors
I think the biggest mistake homeowners make when preparing their home for sale is staying too emotionally attached to their personal things that are in the home, and not packing those items away. They need to be willing to think of it as kind of a “product” now, and that it needs to appeal to all kinds of buyers.
Houston Accents Home Staging and Interiors
The biggest mistake homeowners make, in our opinion, is acting as their own home stagers, and not taking advantage of professional assistance. You only get one chance to make a great first impression. A good home stager can immediately spot the clutter, the awkward furniture arrangement and many things a homeowner can overlook. A well-staged home is neutralized, de-cluttered, with properly arranged furniture and tasteful accessories, to give a home a fresh, warm and inviting feeling.
Ready for Market Home Staging
The best way the homeowner can stand out from the competition is number one, not presenting an empty house. A house doesn’t stand out when it is not presented with any warmth. You want to stage a house in a neutral way, so everyone can envision themselves in the home but add pops of interest. Add interest either through color coordination throughout the home or adding staging props to draw attention to the architectural details of the property.
Jennifer’s Home Staging
Majority of homeowners make the biggest mistake of staying emotionally attached to their home while trying to sell their home. It’s a human nature for a homeowner to become emotionally attached to the place where they raised their family and created unforgettable moments with their friends and family. Once the homeowner makes the decision to sell their home however, they will have to emotionally detach themselves from their home. The homeowner must think clearly about their home as if they we’re seeing it through their buyers’ eyes for the very first time.
The Staging Team
In my experience, the biggest mistake homeowners make is to not bring in an objective third party to view the property before they even start preparing it for sale. When we live in our home and see it every day, we stop noticing all of the details. And it’s not just the bad stuff, we also stop seeing the strengths. I recently toured a home with an amazing view, but between the heavy curtains and the over-sized sectional sofa, you could barely see outside. The sellers later told me that the view is what drew them to the property, but that over time, they had stopped noticing it. Bringing in a third party, whether it be a professional home stager, your Realtor, or a brutally honest friend, is the best way for you to see your home through the eyes of prospective buyer.
House 2 Home Design Co
I would say that decluttering is a very large part of selling your home. It is always best to have someone with you that is not emotionally attached to any of your things. I also think that when going through your stuff, you should put things in different categories. Such as saving for the new house, items to donation and items to trash. If you’re buying things for the new house, use what you don’t need to stage your current home. I tell my clients to think of this as a vacation. You are going to an Air B&B, so pack your suitcase, and put everything else in storage. (View Full Response)
Stellar Staging Group
Homeowners tend to think that their personal collectibles, whether it is family photos or tea sets or sports memorabilia, and the like, will be attractive to the potential home buyers. This is not the case. The more we can de-clutter and remove items, which tie the home to the current homeowners, the better. The goal is to de-personalize the property and make it attractive to the target market, so the potential owner can see themselves in the home. (View Full Response)
WhyNotHomes.com
The biggest mistake is using dark, low light photos that don’t pop off the screen. When you display your property, you want to bring feelings of joy, happiness, and excitement! Remove all browns, blacks, and dim lit rooms and show whites, brightness and make sure your staging looks crisp.
Stylish Décor & More
Not making necessary repairs and de-cluttering are the top mistakes home owners make when putting their home on the market. When people are preparing to move this is the perfect time to de-clutter and start packing things they won’t be using until they move. People often love the way their home looks, so they don’t feel the need to freshen up the homes look, and this is key to a quick sell. (View Full Response)
Red Dot Home Services
The #1 mistake the homeowners make is not dressing up their home for sale. Staging the home is vital. Homeowners should hire a professional stager as studies show staged homes sell faster than non-staged homes. 81% of buyers find it easier to visualize the property as their future home when it’s staged. Selling an empty house makes buyers feel the same way: empty, cold and uninviting. (View Full Response)
Please contact any of these top Houston stagers if you are planning on selling your home. It is absolutely worth your time working with them to prepare your house for sale. Most of our clients have such a positive experience that they tell me they wish they had staged their house years ago to better enjoy it.
Home staging is just one part of the home selling process. Check out my Ultimate Guide to Selling Your House Fast (And How to Get the Most Money) if you are looking to move and want to make it as painless as possible. It covers the 10 steps you need to take to get your home sold fast and for the most money possible.
All the Best!
Paul Holub
Keller Williams Realty
