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Staging Ideas
Kitchen
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Baths
Bedroom
Family & Living
Home Office
   
Curb Appeal
Front Door
Patio & Balcony
Yard
Garage
Pool & Spa

 
Do I Paint the Garage ?

8 out of 9 times the answer is yes. Garages seldom get painted when the rest of the house does; the existing paint is often marked, scuffed and has  possible moisture stains.

Old stains of any type on the garage ceiling or wall will often trigger the buyers home inspector to make a comment about leaking plumbing or roof. These are not good selling points.
 
Put the boxes
 in the Garage
No No No
How many ways can you so NO!

Stacking boxes and extra things from the house into the garage says to the buyer:
 
This home is too small
 
Store them at a friends or rent a storage space for a short period of time. Renting temporary storage is the best money you can spend.
 

Does 15-20% of your home look cluttered?

Lost Opportunity

Sellers often overlook a tremendous opportunity to go one up on their competition and to make their home seem larger.  They fail to stage, create a fabulous floor,  and  properly prepare the home's garage as a strong selling feature of their home. They use their garage as a excess storage area, often moving excess items from inside the home to the garage.

 

What's the message?  There's not enough room in this house for people to have their normal stuff.  Ours probably won’t fit either - therefore, we better look for another house.


Creating a desirable garage

 

One of the most basic rules in staging is to eliminate clutter.  This does not mean moving it to the garage.  It means sending it to storage, giving it away or sending it to other places off of the property.

 

Ones the garage is completely clear, and I mean completely clear, of all boxes and stored items, you will want to give it a thorough cleaning. 

 

  • All cobwebs, leaves, dust and dirt swept out.

  • Grease and oils removed from the floor

 

  • Dispose of all of the extra parts left over from your many projects.  The ones that you were saving just in case you needed them.

 

  • Broken furniture, toys and seasonal items removed from the garage.

 

  • Bikes, trikes, basketball hoops and other sports paraphernalia sent the storage, unless used every day.

 

  • Inoperable cars or unused cars sent to the storage yard.  Including the antique one that you're going to restore.

Focal points and zing

 

Coffee cup and magazines

Have a coffee cup and saucer setting on a clear countertop next to a hobby type magazine. Like model airplanes or train magazine's. Your setting the stage for relaxation and enjoyment. Do not have visible or laying out on countertops fix-it items or projects, for this message is that the house has things that need to be repaired and reminds the buyer he may need to spend his time repairing things.  Wrong message.

 

Lighting

Most garages have very limited lighting, often only one or two lights. Adding several fluorescent fixtures can brighten a grudge up tremendously.

 

New paint. 

Nearly every garage would look crisp and fresher with a new coat of paint.  Remember, if there are stains, apply a high-grade sealer and primer over the stains before painting.  Low-cost project with high payback.

 

Be in the Top 1%, it’s easy

Paint or epoxy the garage floor, and you will be in the top 1% of the homes on the market when it comes to garage floors.  Now you're garage has become a showroom.

 

Garage doors that look a little tired, weathered, or old fashion.

 

New paint on a garage door and trim will add crispness and increased curb appeal.  Should your door look old-fashioned or be damaged them give serious thought to installing a new garage door.  Buyers will notice new garage doors and they definitely help provide a better first impression.

 

 

Double-check

 

  • Noisy and squeaky garage doors - lubricate tracks and hinges with penetrating oil.

 

  • Broken springs - replace all broken springs.

 

  • Sagging doors.  Tighten up the bottom tension bar or repair it.

 

  • General maintenance.  Adjust electric automatic openers, lubricate, clean and re-align electric I door sensors if needed, new batteries in handheld openers and damaged hardware parts replaced.