Ready to sell your Bergen County property? You may have heard that the New Jersey real estate market is cooling, but Bergen County remains ultra-hot. It's no wonder, as Bergen County is such a fantastic place to call home. A family-friendly, bustling community surrounds the residents here while keeping them close to big-city amenities. Home prices have been rising for months, with year-over-year increases of 4% or more. These increases make it a great time to list your Bergen County real estate. With so many gorgeous luxury homes on the market, you'll need to make sure that your property stands out when it's time to sell.
One of the best ways to do that is through innovative and strategic staging practices. By making intelligent staging choices, you can increase your home's value, attract more potential buyers, and get the desired maximum offer sooner. Staging is about so much more than fluffing the throw pillows and mopping the floor before a showing, though. Here are five advanced staging tips recommended by Taylor, and The Taylor Lucyk Group, you can put into practice when getting ready to list your home.
1. Eliminate Clutter
Clutter naturally accumulates in a home over time. Unfortunately, it can make your space feel unkempt and smaller than it really is. You'll want to go through your home room by room and eliminate as much clutter as possible. To do this, you'll want to remove everything you won't need access to for the next few months. Unneeded items might include most of your children's toys, most of your decor items, and piles of paperwork. You'll also want to remove some furniture to make the rooms feel more expansive and open.
Only leave behind:
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Beds and sofas can help potential buyers understand the scale of the room and visualize their furniture in the space
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Functional items such as dining tables, chairs, and televisions that you'll need over the coming weeks
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Decor items that fit into your staging scheme (more on that below)
The decluttering process is an excellent opportunity to start packing up your home in preparation for making a move to your new property. One of the hardest parts of the decluttering process will be taking the emotion out of your choices. You might love your shoe collection, but it could be making your storage space look crowded. Or your children might love those Lego sets, but it could be making their bedroom look smaller than it is. You'll need to critically analyze your space to identify the items that need to go so potential buyers can see more of the potential in the home.
2. Highlight Storage Spaces
While decluttering your living spaces, you'll want to be especially thorough in decluttering your storage spaces. Closets, cupboards, wardrobes, and basement storage areas should be as sparse as possible. Removing most of the items you store makes the storage space look much more extensive. Highlighting your storage space is particularly important in areas like walk-in closets. If clothing normally fills your closet to the brim, it can give a potential buyer the impression that there isn't enough storage for their things.
So while you are decluttering other areas, pack up most of the items in your storage spaces. Keep the clothing you'll need for the next few months and put the rest in storage. Pack things in your linen closets, pantry, and other storage areas. As a bonus, this process will prepare you very well to make the final move.
You'll want to stage whatever is left in your storage areas, too. Make sure your pantry shelves are wiped down and everything is nearly organized. Ensure that clothing left in the wardrobes is nicely hung or folded.
3. Show Off What's Special About Your Space
The luxury market in Bergen County is full of impressive homes, each with a unique personality and opulent touches. Make sure you highlight the things that make your Bergen County real estate agent for potential buyers.
Draw attention to these areas with staging and lighting. For example, maybe you have a gorgeous coffee bar in the primary bedroom suite. Make sure this area is staged for showings with attractive coffee cups and high-quality coffee and accessories. Or, if you have a gourmet kitchen, maybe you can leave out some beautiful fresh fruit or lovely flowers. These touches can draw a potential buyer's eye to the things you don't want them to miss.
After all, it can be overwhelming for potential buyers to walk through multiple luxurious properties in a single day. They often start to blend the details and forget which homes they liked. If you highlight the special touches in your home, they'll remember it later. That can make your home stand out in their mind and make them more eager to make an offer.
Talk to a professional real estate agent like Taylor Lucyk and his team of experts if you aren't sure what your home has that the one down the street doesn't. They have in-depth knowledge about what's currently on the market and what potential buyers look for in their next home.
4. Keep Decor Neutral
Neutral decor allows potential buyers to project their style onto the space, allowing them to imagine making the property their own. It's much more difficult to project their style onto an area that already has a bold sense of style.
To help them visualize making the property their own, you'll want to:
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Keep only decor pieces on display that fit into the neutral color scheme
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Opt for high-quality artwork that isn't overbearing
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Keep paint colors neutral, even if that means painting over feature walls or removing wallpaper
Highlighting the character of your home can be a benefit, so the goal is neutral, not dull. You shouldn't completely strip your space of all personality. Keep a few key decor pieces that highlight unique features of the room, for example. Maybe you have a featured painting in the entry hall that highlights the palatial dimensions of the space while also contributing a pop of color to the neutral decor scheme. That would be the perfect item to keep in place for a showing. When in doubt, consult with your real estate agent and The Taylor Lucyk Group about what key pieces can stay and what should go.
5. Hire the Pros When Needed
Staging can be a big job. It's a vital part of the home selling process and especially important in the luxury home market. Staging can increase your offers by up to 15%, and most real estate agents will agree that good staging can help sell a home much faster. Because it's so important, it's not a process you want to rush or do incorrectly.
Professional staging companies work closely with Taylor and his team. They will have them come in and help you create a space that's appealing to potential buyers. They can use your decor, supply decor and furniture from their stock, or use a mix of both to create the perfect staging in your space. It can save time, make money, and take a big item off your already-crowded to-do list. So don't be afraid to ask your real estate expert with The Taylor Lucyk Group for recommendations. They can help find you a reputable home staging company in the Bergen County area. They know and have worked with several great companies that they will recommend.
Need More Tips to Help You Sell Your Home?
The staging process is about maximizing the appeal of your home to potential buyers. That can increase your sales price and get you to the closing table sooner. Staging isn't the only thing you can do to help you get the most out of your Bergen County real estate. Working with the right real estate team can make all the difference. The Taylor Lucyk Group has sold more than $120 million of Bergen County property over the last year, putting us in the top 1% of the local real estate market. They know how to market these gorgeous luxury properties so they sell and sell quickly. If you are ready to sell your home, contact our team today and let's talk about how we can help you market your home to the right buyers and bring in the best possible sales price.
