Home Staging Checklist

Staging your home is an important step in the selling process and can have a significant impact on how quickly and for what price your home sells. Creating a plan for staging your home is an essential part of the process.

General Checklist:

  • Reduce the number of family photos throughout your home.

  • Use scented items to create an inviting smell in your home. Bad odors can deter some buyers.

  • Clean all windows inside and out, ensuring they are functioning properly. If during the winter months, cleaning the inside of the windows should be sufficient.

  • Repair broken items in your house (doors, cracks, etc.). In most cases buyers will ask for broken items to be repaired.

  • Rearrange furniture or move furniture room to room to create more space and open area.

  • Vacuum all carpet and hard wood floors.

  • Scrub and clean tile and grout throughout your house.

  • Empty the garbage daily to reduce odors.

  • Repair all holes in walls.

Inside

Living Room, Family Room, Den:

  • Clear off all coffee tables and end tables. Keep decorative objects on the furniture restricted to groups of 1, 3, or 5 items.

  • Remove all ashtrays.

Dining Room:

  • Clear off dining table except for one nice centerpiece.

  • Remove extra leaves from tables to make the room look bigger.

  • Remove extra chairs from table if they crowd the table or fill up corners of the room. Four or six chairs are enough.

Kitchen:

  • Clear all unnecessary objects from the kitchen countertops leaving only a very few items you use on a daily basis.

  • Clear refrigerators of magnets, pictures, messages, etc.

  • Clean tile grout with bleach if needed.

  • Repair broken tile or loose corners on Formica counters.

  • Clean the stovetop and oven. Replace burner pans if they are badly stained. Clean all exhaust fans, filters and hoods.

  • Keep the kitchen sink clean and empty on a daily basis.

  • Keep all soaps, sponges and cleaning supplies out of sight under the sink.

  • Empty the garbage regularly to reduce odors.

  • Move cat and dog dishes so they don???t interfere with the buyer???s walk around the room.

Bedrooms:

  • Make beds daily.

  • Invest in a new bedspread if necessary.

  • Clear off bedside tables, dressers, etc. except for a very few necessary items.

  • Store extra books and magazines underneath the bed.

  • Keep closet doors closed. If you have a walk-in closet keep the floor clean and free of laundry and clutter.

Laundry Rooms:

  • Put soaps and supplies in cupboards.

  • Keep counters and sink clean and empty.

  • Make sure that light bulbs are working and have adequate wattage. Most laundry rooms are too dark.

Bathrooms:

  • Clear off all surfaces. Put toiletries in drawers or cabinets and only keep a few necessary items out in baskets or a tray.

  • Use a bottled hand soap or leave out a clean bar of soap.

  • Coordinate towels in one or two colors.

  • Clear all items out of shower stalls and tubs except for necessities.

  • Clean or replace the shower curtain.

  • Repair any cracking or peeling areas and clean any moldy areas. Paint if necessary.

  • Many tubs and showers need a fresh new bead of silicone caulking around the edges to make them look neat and clean.

  • Take all cloth toilet lid covers off and keep toilet lids closed.

  • Hide garbage can and cleaning supplies out of sight.

Closets:

  • Make sure you can open the door freely.

  • Arrange items to create a tidier appearance.

Outside of your home

The first impression when a buyer drives up to your home is critical.

Trim and House Paint:

  • Take a good look at the front door and trim. Does it need repainting or staining? Repainting the doors and trim to help make the house look crisp and in good condition is one of the least expensive things you can do to dress up a home.

Decks, Porches and Patios:

  • Sweep all walkways and patios, porches or decks.

  • Remove all moss.

  • Decks should be pressure-washed, stained or painted if needed.

  • Clear patios or decks of unnecessary items and arrange outdoor furniture.

Roofs:

  • Check gutters and roof for dry rot and moss. Be sure to clean gutters regularly.

Fences:

  • Repair broken fences and gates and paint if necessary.

Landscaping:

  • Prune bushes and trees.

  • Remove any dead plants, Weed all planting areas and put down fresh mulching material.

  • Keep your lawn freshly cut, edged and fertilized during the growing season.

General:

  • Go around the perimeter of the house and remove all garbage cans, discarded wood scraps, extra building materials, etc., to the garage or, if applicable, take them to the dump.

  • Remove all plastic storage containers, children???s toys and any unnecessary objects.

Garages:

  • Sweep out and organize. Keep storage in garage neat.

  • Arrange tools and place into tool chests or containers.