Can House Staging Help My Move?

You’ve done it - you’ve decided to take the plunge and put your home on the market! As exciting as selling your home and searching for something new can be, the process itself is quite a challenge. Keeping your home in presentable condition while your house is listed is easier said than done, especially if you have children or many personal belongings.

Rather than extend your home’s time on the market, getting your home to sell can happen sooner rather than later if you choose to stage your house. House staging allows buyers to see your home in a different light than they would if your home looks particularly lived in. However, many individuals question whether or not house staging helps them move when it's time to put their home on the market. That’s why today, we’re taking a closer look at staging a home for sale and if it can improve your overall moving experience.

What Is House Staging?

If this is your first time placing your home on the market, the term house staging might be a little unfamiliar. House staging is meant to showcase your home’s best features by decorating and rearranging the internal elements of the space. While you can’t reconfigure your kitchen’s layout, you can eliminate countertop objects, rearrange seating, or other improvements that give the room a different look.

House staging is incredibly valuable for families with children or many personal items that are best kept tucked away. It can reset the space to feel more comfortable and inviting to potential buyers, increasing the likelihood of them purchasing your home! With fresh decor and minimal furniture, they’re more likely to visualize themselves in your home instead of feeling like they’re stepping foot into someone else’s home.

Need inspiration to help sell your house? Our guide, 40 Things to Do to Sell Your House Fast, explains the ins and outs of how you can have your home sold in no time!

Benefits of House Staging During a Move

Staging a house for sale isn’t just beneficial for potential buyers - it’s also helpful for you and your family. Having a real estate agent and professional home stager help stage your home means it’s likely to sell faster, and you’ll have the opportunity to pack up your belongings ahead of the big move! Eliminating bulky items or personal effects saves you the stress of transporting all your belongings at once. You can jumpstart moving a few weeks ahead of schedule, so when it’s time to relocate, there’s less stress on the big day.

House staging is great for selling your home; however, you might be wondering what you’ll do with all your stuff once it’s packed up. As overwhelming as the moving process can be, the solution to keeping your belongings contained is simple-rent a self-storage unit!

Staging a house means you need a safe place to store your stuff - a damp basement or garage isn’t the best location for keeping your belongings. Instead of delaying how long it takes to sell your home, you can keep all your belongings in one universal location when choosing a self-storage unit! Plus, a self-storage unit gives you the option to choose how much protection you want for your stuff. You can select a climate-controlled, temperature-controlled, or humidity-controlled storage unit to help safeguard your stuff while it’s away from home, and never think twice about its integrity.

Staging your home doesn’t just make it more valuable and attractive to buyers - it helps begin your move and transition into a new home. If you’re considering staging your home, Bluebird Self Storage is always here to make your moving storage experience more enjoyable from start to finish.

Our storage facilities are located throughout Alberta, Ontario, Quebec, Nova Scotia, and New Brunswick. If you’re near Calgary, Toronto, Truro, Edmonton, Mississauga, or other cities throughout these provinces, we can help accommodate your storage needs in no time! Just explore our Storage Locator to find a Bluebird near you! Together, we can find the right size storage unit for your upcoming move!

Want more helpful moving tips and tricks? Check out our helpful guide, Can Self Storage Facilities Alleviate Moving Stress?

How to Start House Staging

Once you decide to stage your home, you might be wondering where to begin. Typically, a realtor or professional stager can help you determine which rooms need the most help. However, if this is something you’re doing yourself, there are three rooms to highlight - the master bedroom, dining room, and living room. The kitchen is always a huge attraction for buyers, but prepping this area takes far less time because there’s minimal to no furniture.

If you have the means to hire a professional home stager, they can be a great asset to helping your home sell. However, if you’re relying on yourself to get the job done, we have some tips that can help you stage your home in no time.

Bedroom Staging 

The master bedroom is an essential part of the home for many - it’s where they relax and feel more at home! Therefore, it’s essential to make this room the most comfortable and calming space in the house!

Start minimizing personal items and clutter on your dressers and nightstands. Seeing a clean surface generally makes people feel more at ease - not to mention, it keeps your personal photos and effects out of sight and out of mind! Instead, have a few books, candles, or even fresh flowers or small plants to warm up the space. These objects still feel more personal but won’t have potential buyers think of you when viewing the space. 

Also, open up the blinds to maximize natural light and remind potential buyers how many windows they’ll have in their potential master bedroom. If you don't have many windows, install a brand new light fixture or alternative lighting source. Be sure to change the sheets and make the bed so everything looks spotless and neat. This also makes the room look crisp, organized, and inviting.

Dining Room Staging 

The dining room might be the least used space in the house for some, but it’s where family meals and holidays are shared. The last thing you want is laundry, mail, or other personal items lying around! Make the dining space somewhere potential home buyers want to spend their time.

For starters, take a good clean sweep of the area, removing any household clutter from the dining room table. Once you're done, Pledge or Windex the dining table, buffet, dining room chairs, or any other furniture in the space. It's best to have a clean area to work with; plus, it makes staging a lot easier to manage.

Dining rooms can typically be darker, more attractive spaces but sometimes feel less approachable to prospective buyers. Not everyone loves dark colors, but you can play this up to your advantage! If you don’t already, having a balance of neutral colors complements any pop of color in the space. Curtains are a great starting point for toning down a dark color scheme and don’t have to be a high-cost investment (plus, they might be a great investment for your new house). If you have hardwood floors, an area rug is a great way to make the room more inviting and balance out the total space.

One of the hardest parts of staging a dining room is the table. While it’s essential to make the home feel inviting, the last thing you want is to have the table be bare. Some might set a formal dining table complete with fine china and silverware, but realistically, these items are some of the easiest to move and pack away ahead of time! They don’t take up much space, so it's up to you how formal you'd like the formal dining to be to potential buyers.

Instead of setting the table completely, we recommend finding one neutral table linen - a runner or table cloth - to have out. From there, keep decor to a minimum. A decorative tray, rows of candles, flowers, or even a combination of all three would be fine. Including one centerpiece draws in the eye but keeps your table from being too visually overwhelming. The next time people enter your dining room, they’ll feel at ease and can imagine themselves sharing holiday meals!

Living Room Staging

The living room is perhaps the most important space to stage in the home. Ultimately it’s where potential buyers will spend most of their time at home, unwinding after a long day. Making it feel comfortable, welcoming, and open is essential - however that can be a challenge depending on the layout of your space.

First and foremost, allow as much light into the room as possible. Don’t block off any windows with tall furniture such as an entertainment stand or TV. If you lack natural lighting, a floor lamp can make a world of difference. If the room is narrow, hanging mirrors will elongate the space and help spread light across the room.

Secondly, remove any additional furniture or clutter in the area. You want the space to feel open, and while oversized furniture might fit your style, it might not be another person’s ideal image. Pack away personal effects and additional seating that may overwhelm the room so it feels fresh and open.

If you have anything small like house plants, decorative trays, candles, or home decor books, arrange those to be on display on your coffee table or end table. Grouping together small decorative items helps draw the eye into central areas of the space without being too visually overwhelming.

Most importantly - keep your living room clutter-free! Toys, blankets, photos, and distinctive decor should be out of sight. Keeping things clean, neutral, and an overall blank slate is ideal before showing your home - and all those additional items can be stored away in a storage unit until you’re ready to move!

Need help deciding what to keep and what to donate? Our guide on Decluttering Your Home can make the decluttering process easier to navigate!

Top House Staging Tips Before Moving

As complex as moving can be, house staging doesn’t need to be overwhelming. It’s a great way to jumpstart the moving process and declutter your house before you have to pack everything. House staging shouldn’t be stressful if you take the time to prepare. If you’re just beginning your home selling journey, we’ve rounded up our best staging tips that can make staging a home for sale easier!

• Clean Everything
  It’s easy to miss spots on appliances, dust on furniture, and other small items on your list of chores. Before your home goes on the market, do a deep clean of your space, so it’s ready for showings! That includes windows, lights, and ceiling fans. These little details might seem insignificant, but they make a world of difference to buyers and their first impression of your home.

• Declutter Space
  With home staging, decluttering every inch of your house is essential! The last thing anyone wants is to see boxes of clutter or items left around the house. Purge anything you don’t use or love anymore, and store the rest!
  When it’s time to declutter, a self-storage unit is a perfect solution for storing your stuff. Potential buyers want to see the size of your closets, attic, and basement. Keeping your clutter or additional items at home will just draw attention away from your storage! Moving your extra things into a storage unit minimizes clutter at home and streamlines your moving process!

• Organize Highly Visual Areas
  Bookshelves, entertainment centers, and other staple pieces of furniture need to be organized and sorted before anyone enters your home. If they’re filled with clutter and family photos, remove everything and reorganize their appearance. Group books in small sections and complement them with a small vase or other decorative items.

• Remove Excessive Items
  Have an oversized chair or extra loveseat in your living room? Have additional linens stored in the closet? Clear these out, so you have plenty of additional space and highlight the best features of your home.

• Clear Personals and Valuables
  It’s difficult to visualize yourself in someone’s home if their personal belongings are everywhere. Instead of letting pictures and memorabilia sit out, pack them away and place them in a secure self-storage unit. They’ll have the security they need and be ready for you when it’s time to move.

• Keep Out Baskets and Bins
  If you have kids who leave things around the house, keep a few storage baskets and bins accessible for quick tidies before viewings! That way, the kids can still have fun, but there’s no clutter before the viewing.

House staging is a great way to help your home sell quickly, and it helps encourage you to begin the moving process sooner! However, don’t let the declutter overwhelm you. Just contact your local Bluebird storage facility to find the proper storage unit for your upcoming move!

Ready to jumpstart your move but aren’t sure which storage unit is best for your stuff? We have the solution you need - The Ultimate Packing & Storage Guide!