After weeks of planning, that property you’ve been preparing to sell is ready for your open house or private viewings.

There’s quite a bit to consider when reviewing your checklist of staging to-do items so you can sell with confidence. No matter if you’re selling the home on behalf of a family or flipping a house for personal profit, your listing may not yet be quite ready.

Staging — commonly referred to as the process of preparing a house for sale — is a critical part of the sales journey. Preparation activities typically include such considerations as improving curb appeal, cleaning, and minor decorating.

Assuming a property doesn’t need significant repairs, there are a plethora of options sellers should think about to maximize a house’s selling potential.

Here are five easy, last-minute staging ideas the can take your listing to the next level.

Improving Curb Appeal

Improving curb appeal may feel extraordinarily obvious, but you’d be surprised how overlooked, minor details will reduce a house’s selling potential. Curb appeal is essential because first impressions matter quite a bit in the realm of real estate.

The first thing a prospective buyer sees is the front yard, and you only have one shot to make sure it looks perfect.

Grass & other plant life — Maintaining a healthy lawn is a familiar pain point for almost any homeowner. On top of battling common grass diseases, pests, and brown patches, weeds like crabgrass can suffocate thin lawns with ease.

What is crabgrass exactly? It’s an annual weed which tends to pop up in the spring and summer months that can eventually take over when conditions are just right. Buyers who have maintained a lawn before can identify easily spot crabgrass, so you may have no other option than to kill these weeds quickly.

On top of the lawn itself, make sure to trim any other plant life (trees, bushes, shrubs, etc.) to help improve the overall curb appeal.

Power washing — If you can afford to rent an industrial style power washer, now is the time to do it. These machines can blast away an impressive amount of dirt and grime with pressurized, heated water. You’ll want to opt for a power washer over a pressure washer because heated water is more effective against tough stains on concrete.

Power wash the driveway and any other walkways surrounding the house. Exercise caution if using a power washer on the exterior of the house because these machines can cause some damage. 

Clean Every Room and Wall

At a minimum, every single room should be as clean as possible to entice buyers. Remember that what might seem small to you could turn off a potential sale, so it’s better to be safe than sorry.

Here are a few quick cleaning hacks you can try to achieve good results.

• For surface mold: Mold is not only gross, but it can also pose a potential health risk. When cleaning, you can quickly clean away surface mold from walls with a blend of one part water and one part bleach. If you’re more into natural cleaners, you could also try alternatives such as vinegar and sugar.
• Dingy glass shower doors: If the home you’re trying to sell has glass shower doors, soap scum isn’t appealing for prospective buyers to see. To effectively clean, use a blend of one part muriatic acid and ten parts water, and scrub with steel wool.
• (Pro tip) Mr. Clean Magic Erasers: More powerful than conventional sponges without being as abrasive as steel wool, the Mr. Clean Magic Eraser is an incredible cleaning tool to keep in your back pocket. Soap isn’t required and with just water, they’re powerful enough to clean tough stains like scuffs, markers, and crayons. At just over three dollars , they’re super cheap too.

Putting Extra Effort (and $) in Bathrooms

For first-time home sellers, you may be shocked to hear that bathrooms are what can make or break a sale. Put simply; the fact is that bathrooms sell homes.

While these tips may not be cheap or quick, putting extra effort into updating or renovating bathrooms will pay off handsomely.

• Mirrors and other small upgrades — These don’t have to be extremely lavish upgrades. Search for modern styled mirrors that you can easily mount to the wall. On top of that, you can easily replace old cabinets, light fittings, and towel bars.
• Replacing toilets, sinks, and other fixtures — Replacing these items are going to cost a bit, but they should result in a decent return. It will be worth it in the end, and buyers will take notice.

Paint and Stain Hacks

Applied strategically, it’s incredible how much of an impact a coat of paint can have on a home’s selling potential. But rather than focus solely on whole rooms or re-doing the exterior, here are few quick and simple ways fresh paint can make a big splash.

• Minor cover-ups: Instead of thinking about taking on a full-blown painting project, try to focus on minor cosmetic touch-ups. This can include areas where the paint is cracking or chipped. One humongous opportunity sellers can overlook are garage doors; slap on some fresh paint and prepare to be blown away at how much of a difference it can make.
• Painting over old tile: Replacing tile can end up being pretty expensive and labor-intensive. However, you may want to consider painting over old tile as a cheap and effective alternative. But don’t jump into painting quite yet since there’s a technique to painting over ceramic tile, and you want to make sure it looks great.
• Painting the fireplace: Some consider a fireplace to be a tremendous selling point, but there are times where these pieces are just an outdated eyesore. The simplest remedy is to apply some fresh paint to match the surrounding room or serve as a point of contrasting color.
• Don’t replace old kitchen cabinets: One of the first things people notice in the kitchen is the condition of the cabinets. Having to replace cabinets can be a deal breaker for buyers and end up being extremely costly for the seller. While replacing them will provide good returns for sellers, stripping and staining existing cabinets is far more cost-effective. It will achieve similar results from a visual aspect, but make sure to replace older hardware with more modern choices.

Final Thoughts

In the end, sellers have a lot more control over how successful they are when putting up a home for sale. Investing in things like paint, new appliances, and major repairs are never a bad idea, but these considerations should be approached logically. It all depends on surrounding home values and what buyers are willing to pay.

But with a little bit of extra effort and the right attack plan, you should have quite a few quick and economic options you can implement at any time. Whether you have several weeks or less than a day, don’t settle when trying to make your listing look its best.