Staged to Sold: The Interior Design Secrets That Maximize Home Value

When it comes to selling your home fast and for top dollar, professional home staging isn't just a luxury—it's a strategic investment that pays for itself. At Landhuis Residential, we've seen firsthand how the right interior design choices can transform a property from sitting on the market to generating multiple offers within days.

According to the National Association of Realtors, staged homes sell 88% faster and for 5-15% more than non-staged properties. Let's explore the interior design secrets that maximize home value and help you achieve a faster, more profitable sale.

Why Home Staging Works: The Psychology of Buyers

Home buyers make emotional decisions in the first 7-10 seconds of viewing a property. Professional staging creates an immediate positive impression by:

• Highlighting the home's best features and architectural details
• Creating a lifestyle vision that buyers can imagine themselves living
• Maximizing perceived space through strategic furniture placement
• Neutralizing personal taste to appeal to the broadest buyer demographic

The ROI of Home Staging: Numbers That Matter

Let's talk real estate investment returns. Professional staging typically costs 1-3% of the home's listing price, but the return on investment speaks for itself:

• Average staging cost: $1,500-$5,000
• Average increase in sale price: 5-15%
• Average time on market reduction: 50-88% faster sales

For a $400,000 home, spending $3,000 on staging could yield an additional $20,000-$60,000 in sale price. That's an ROI that no other home improvement project can match.

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If You Are Still Occupying Your Property, This Next Chapter Is For YOU!

The Three D’s

Disassociate, Depersonalize, Declutter

As home owners we get comfortable in our spaces, which we call home.  Some of us have been in our home for 10 plus years while others maybe a few years. No matter how long you’ve resided in your home, the personal items brought in can seem like its taking over, like a dog sleeping in the bed with its owner.  Allowed in but finds its way to take over the whole bed.  Now is the time to reclaim the space, declutter and show it really is bigger than what the eye can see.  This is the most important step to getting your house ready to sell.  A buyer wants to see the house not so much our personal items, so we have to disassociate from what we love and think about what they want.  So are you ready to roll up your sleeves and disassociate from your house while it gets depersonalized and decluttered?  You can do this, baby steps.

First of all before you take any steps, grab a pen and paper to make a list of items you notice needs to be cleaned or fixed. It's best to tackle one room at a time. 

KITCHEN:

Kitchens are one of the major rooms that buyers will see themselves in.  It is the heart of the home right?  Everyone has to eat and no one wants to feel like they are having to prepare or forage for food like a caveman.

Countertops- Clean them off. No bills, homework, food, appliances, dishes any item that says you are currently using the kitchen. This is where you really have to disassociate from your home by decluttering. It has to be cleaned like if you were walking into a hotel room.  Also look at the overall condition, fix any cracks or loose tiles.

Cabinets- Go ahead and grab a box for donations and other for packing up your items.  I found this to be a good time to donate, you really wouldn’t want to move these and store again when it’s just taking up space.   Your cabinets should be organized to show off the space so that it’s visually appealing for the buyer’s items.  Having a buyer open up a cabinet while having items falling out would be disastrous. Remember, objective is to declutter. Take those extra dishes, pots, pans, Tupperware, any object you can part with while the house is on the market.   Do you have a junk drawer that is out of control? Yep even that one should be cleaned out.

Pantry- Throw out old items that are expired or that you just don’t want to pack up and move with you. Baskets are great to use in this space.  Make it look neat and tidy. Go ahead and wipe down the shelves. If you have a small pantry then it’s really necessary to remove items to create a bigger space.

LIVING SPACES:

Dining Room/living room/kids space- Pack up those DVDs, books, toys, family photos, exercise equipment in the corner. Unused items that you didn’t know where to store or seasonal décor still out that’s out of season.  Piles of items in corners or out on shelves go ahead and remove.  Do you have kid’s toys hanging out in the rooms? There should be a manageable amount left out that can be thrown into a basket for out of sight.  Nothing like trying to get kids to clean up before a showing, so if you can keep to a small amount it will bring peace as you are trying to head out the door.  

Let’s talk furniture in a space. Sometimes a room can seem small just because of the amount of furniture or the size for the space. Do you have couches lined up against the walls, rows of chairs placed all throughout the room? Aim to provide a conversational area or a focal point within these rooms. Take out those chairs that are blocking the walkway. If your room is small limit only one couch and a coffee table. You might need to put extra furniture in the garage or get a storage unit while your house is on the market.  Less is more.  Remember you want to show off the space not your items within the room. Your goal is to make it inviting and appealing to look at.

While decluttering these rooms make note of the walls and floorings.  Are there stains on the carpets?  Is your wall’s color pallet custom to your style?  Buyers want to see a turnkey house not a fixer upper.  Most of us aren’t Chip and Joanna Gains who can see past your style and bring in their own. Neutral wall colors, clean floors, and furniture that doesn’t look worn out.