Staging your Yukon home for sale can be a great investment.  Before you get your first showing and even before the photographer arrives for listing photos, you will want to declutter and clean – but don’t make the mistake that this is enough to generate showing requests.

Once your house is officially on the market for sale you need to stop thinking of it as yours and start seeing it through the eyes of your potential buyers.   While you might use your master bedroom as a home gym – you could be painting the picture to potential buyers that there isn’t enough space in the home.

The cardinal rule of home staging is

‘how you live is not how you will sell’.

Hiring a professional to stage your home is advised in order to get a completely unbiased opinion, but if you can’t then follow these tips before you have your first showing and photos:

REMOVE PERSONAL ITEMS.

Remove personal items and distracting collections. This includes fridge photos and kid’s artwork, family photos and any collections that have gotten out of hand and look like clutter. Books are great, but not when they’re spilling out of cabinets, drawers and all over the floor. Get a head start and pack them for your impending move.

DECLUTTER.

Get rid of knick knacks, photos and anything that could be potentially distracting. If you have a hard time getting rid of things then grab a friend for a second opinion on what should go.

FRESHEN UP.

A pleasant smelling air freshener is great if you have pets, but don’t make it too overpowering. If you douse your home in Febreeze before someone comes to view it they might think you’re hiding something more sinister. Having a fresh floral or greenery arrangement is always advised and creates a welcoming environment.

ARRANGE FURNITURE.

Or rearrange if necessary. Remove pieces that are too big for the room or are making it seem too full. Less is definitely more when you think about staging. Pull furniture out from the walls and arrange it in conversation inducing groups, rather than prime TV viewing spots.

BRING IN THE LIGHT.

Make sure you pull back the blinds and curtains and let the natural light in. Clean your windows too. You’ll also want to make sure that your lighting is bright and inviting.

FIRST IMPRESSIONS.

Make your front entrance inviting. Sweep it up and declutter. Remove shoes, dead plants, broken pots and anything that looks tired and dated. The less clutter outside the better curb appeal your home will have. Make sure the outdoor lighting is bright and inviting.