Home Staging on a budget sounds a lot harder than it is. It doesn’t take thousands of dollars to stage a home unless there’s nothing in it. Even then you can stage on a budget you can afford.
I’ve sold 6 homes that I have owned in the past 14 years. Staging them myself and making a decent profit on all of them.
Not once has any money been lost.
Staging a Home will cost some money but it doesn’t have to be much.
In the next paragraphs, I will be going over different ways you can home stage on a budget. When I say budget I mean a sum of money that you can afford. So let’s start with that.
Figuring out what you can afford on Your Home Staging Budget.
What you can afford is what you are able to spend out of pocket right then. Sit down and look at your finances and see what you are able to put into your home. Taking out a loan or putting items on a credit card is not a good idea. That could jeopardize your credit score when you do try and qualify for your new house.
It is best to start preparing your house to sell months in advance. That way you won’t have to put one lump sum into it at once. Spread the budget over time. Remember DIY home staging makes for less of a budget. You are not paying for someone’s time.
Always stay within your budget limit.
If someone suggests a remodel budget. Do your homework first.
In my opinion, I wouldn’t do it unless I knew for sure that the remodel will increase the value of the house. Double check with a real estate agent to see if it will increase money in your pocket.
A lot of time whole remodels will increase the value of the home but the money won’t always come back to you. Paying off the loan you took out for the remodel and the increase in real estate agent fees will eat up the money quickly.
Example:
Total bathroom makeover may cost more than what the increase in value of a home is. There are a lot of other ways to increase the buyers’ interest in your home than major remodels.
Instead of a remodel think about doing some of these ideas in the post “How To Add Value To Your Home On A Budget”
Keep reading to see how to do Home Staging on a budget.
“This post contains affiliate links, which means I receive a small commission, at no extra cost to you, if you make a purchase using this link. Please see my disclosure for more details.”
Start staging by decluttering.
Decluttering is a budget-friendly way to stage a home. This doesn’t take any money. Start going through your items and get rid of things that you don’t need or want. If you have a lot of things like nic nacs, toys, clothes, etc. and you want to keep them think about packing them up. Put them someplace so they are ready for your new house.
Fewer items around show your house off.
Example:
If someone would open up a closet, clothes were stacked on the top shelves and the rod was filled tightly with clothes, this would send up a red flag. They would think this house doesn’t have enough closet space.
I’ve got an article about decluttering that gives great tips on how to declutter check it out here.
Freshly painted walls.
This is definitely a way to help sell your house. Everyone wants a freshly painted house. If you just painted in the last year or two you can probably just touch up the paint unless it is a color that doesn’t appeal to the masses.
No matter how old your house is if it has a fresh coat of paint on the walls it immediately looks more appealing.
Paint doesn’t have to cost much. Shop around and see what the cheapest paint is you can find. Stores will try and tell you that the more expensive paint is better. (Which sometimes it is. Save the money for the house you are moving into )
Stick to your budget and get the paint that you can afford. Most people will paint soon after they move in anyway.
DIY painting will help with your home staging budget. Put on some music and start rolling.
Example:
If you were to walk into a house and see fingerprints on the doors. Maybe even scuff marks and chips on the walls. This would send up red flags. Dollar signs would start flashing in your mind. The least you would be thinking is how dirty the house is. Painting makes the house look clean and refreshed.
Must have painting supplies
If you still have questions about home staging here is a great post “Home Staging Questions Answered”. Take a look at it to get some answers.
Rearrange furniture.
Too much furniture or furniture in the wrong areas is one of the main things that people overlook when they put their house up for sale.
Step back and take a look at the flow of your rooms. You want to make sure there is a traffic flow throughout your house. Fewer obstacles make the rooms look bigger. If someone keeps bumping into furniture subconsciously they will think, small rooms not enough space.
Example:
In the picture above it is a small enclosed area but there is an open traffic line that goes straight to the window. It draws the eye to the open outside.
Scale down large furniture
The same goes for large furniture. If the furniture is oversized you probably will want to scale it down or remove other items from that area. The key to this is making the rooms look bigger than they are. But it can go the other way too. There is a happy medium. Too little furniture makes it look cold and not livable.
Example:
In the picture above you might think of a big large room with lots of open space. But this can also portray a not-so-warming feeling. I would pull the furniture closer together to form a more intimate feeling with open spaces behind the furniture too. Not a dance floor in the middle.
Buying a smaller chair or changing that oversized couch out for a loveseat might need to be done. You can look at leasing furniture (I don’t recommend it) or purchase a piece that you would like for your next house. Don’t want to do that then look at thrift stores or yard sales. I’ve got a post for “Home Staging Decor On A Budget” As suggested in the post mentioned, I’ve bought inexpensive slipcovers to cover furniture and they have looked great.
Keep the cost to a minimum.
Closets
This is a spot that can go under the decluttering area but I believe it is important to have a paragraph on its own.
Everyone wants closet space. If you were to watch the real estate shows I bet on most of them you would hear” The closets are too small” or “Wow! look how big these closets are.” Closets or storage space are very important to everyone.
Don’t start panicking because you have little closets. You probably have more space than you think. Cleaning out all of your closets and storage areas is a must. This is where less is more. The less you have in these areas makes the buyer think that there is enough room to store their stuff.
I have some posts to help you out with decluttering also.
Keep your clothes ( minimum amount that you can live with for a bit) in the closet but clear the bottom floor and put a few decorative boxes on the shelves. This makes for a very appealing closet. Same with the linen closet or coat closets, one or two towels same with coat area, one or two coats. Don’t leave them empty you need to show what they can be used for and that there is space for those items.
This closet says I have room to store these items. Not look how full I am.
Hardware
When I say hardware what I mean is doorknobs, light switch covers, outlet covers, cabinet knobs, light fixtures, and even lightbulbs.
Hardware can make a house look old and tired. Think about houses that you have walked into and the switch plates are dirty or just plain out old.
Buy a large pack of outlet and light covers and change them all out. It will take you very little time but make a big impact. All you need is a screwdriver to change them out. I’m not meaning the whole switch or outlet just the covers. If the whole thing needs to be changed out hire someone that knows what they are doing.
The same goes with lights if the fixture needs to be changed out you probably need to hire someone but most of the time new globes will do the job or maybe just a good cleaning.
Update your lightbulbs to LED they will brighten your rooms right up.
Doorknobs need to match throughout the house. There needs to be asymmetry throughout. If you are a DIY’er you can tackle this one yourself. If not ask around I bet you know someone that can.
The front doorknob and lock also need to match each other and not be worn. This is what buyers see first. This leads me to the next paragraph.
Front door/Entry door
The front door and walkway are the first impression of your house.
Make it look good!
I can’t stress this enough. If the buyer doesn’t like what they see as they are walking up, they already have negative thoughts about your house. No matter what it looks like inside the first impression matters.
I’ve walked away from houses without going inside because of the exterior.
Paint that door a nice glossy color that goes with the outside and compliments the inside. If needed change out the knobs and locks. Clean up the outside area, trim the bushes and add some flowers.
This is the spot where the real estate agent is fiddling with the key box and giving the buyer time to decide about your house. Make it pop and say “Welcome Home!”
Remember to stay on your home staging budget as you go.
Accessories
Add some special touches to your home. New white towels in your bathroom, fresh flowers on a table, fruit in a basket on the kitchen counter. Make sure not to clutter up areas but adding these touches will make your home more welcoming.
Taking away accessories is necessary also. Personal items need to be put away. I talk about this in these posts.
Working on all of the above items will set you on the right track to selling your home.
Home Staging is worth the effort. Especially if you use these home staging on budget tips.
If you have any questions drop me an email at: co*****@th**********.com
Pin for Later
Here are some other articles that will help you get your house ready for sale. All of these articles will help you budget for home staging.
Check these out!
Home Staging/Staging Does Work
Staging a House Sells a House/Home Staging Makes You More Money
