Follow the "Four D's" of Home Staging and Sell Your Home Faster

Sponsored By CubeSmart

New Yorkers know space is hard to come by. CubeSmart helps create the room you need to live your life.

Created By BlankSlate

If you’re selling your home, you probably know what it’s like to be the potential buyer. You would go from one house or apartment to the next, trying to imagine what it would be like if you lived there.

This experience is why home staging is so important. Staging makes it easier for potential buyers to picture your home as their home. And for them to make that mental leap, you’re probably going to need to clear a lot of your stuff out of there.

Whether you decide to hire someone to stage your apartment or to do it yourself, you can get started by following the four D’s of staging.

Detach

Your first step is mental — it’s time to stop thinking of the house or apartment you’re selling as your home. You may have put a lot of love into this place, but soon someone else will be here, and you’ll be in your new home. Starting this transition early will not only make it easier to stage your home, but will make it less painful when it’s time to move.

Depersonalize

Remove any personal items that may distract potential buyers, including photographs, posters, trophies, and knickknacks. Anything that you display to express your personality and history should be stored for the time being. (One bonus to this approach is that your stuff will already be packed up and ready to go when it’s time for you to move.)

Declutter

We spend so much of our lives accumulating clutter and getting stressed out about it. You don’t want potential buyers to feel that sense of stress. You want them to feel the excitement of a space that is perfect for what’s in it. This means storing (or donating) the extra appliances on your counter, the personal effects all over your dresser and your bathroom, and the extra books cluttering your shelves.

Even your furniture should not be immune from the purge. Look at every room with a fresh eye and start removing anything that makes it look cramped. There’s no need to make any permanent decisions — you can always store extra furniture and decide whether it fits in your new place.

Details

After removing so much from the space, this is where you can have some fun. Buy some new throw pillows to add a pop of color to the room. Bring in fresh flowers and plants, refreshing the flowers often. You can even bring out your best plates and set the dining room table for a dinner party.

During the process of selling your home and moving into your new one, CubeSmart will be a tremendous help. With storage facilities ranging from 5′ x 5′ lockers to 10′ x 30′ rooms, you can store all your personal items and furniture during the staging and until it’s time to move. They have multiple locations in Brooklyn and the greater NYC area, and their helpful staff can connect you with partners at various moving companies.

Happy staging!