9 Home Staging Tips You Can Try Without Hiring a Pro | Architectural Digest

Create a minimalist kitchen

A kitchen is often the heart of the home, but it shouldn’t look lived-in when you’re trying to sell it. Remove everything from the counters and the dining table, including food and appliances. But definitely display a bowl of lemons somewhere. “For some reason, lemons resonate with buyers,” Bensimon says. Another tip: Your kitchen will smell great for hours if you rub a cut lemon inside of the sink.

Define each space

Most people have a hard time visualizing, so make it easy for any buyer to define each space, Castano says. If you have a room that you use for storage but also as a guest room, for example, clean it out to give the space a singular purpose. If you want to sell it as a guest bedroom, remove any boxes, buy a clean-lined headboard, clean the nightstands, and add table lamps for mood lighting. These touches all make the room feel inviting to prospective buyers.

Decorate your couch with oversized pillows

Big pillows create volume in a room. But avoid throw pillows with loud patterns. Monochromatic shades such as green, pink, yellow, and orange work best. Home Goods offers a large selection of affordable pillows.

Remove personal photographs

Make sure your home is free of any family pictures or your kid’s artworks. “Potential buyers don’t want go down memory lane with you—they want to make it their own home,” Bensimon says. Remove those photos from walls and side tables, and replace them with coffee table books, candles, or landscape images.

Transform bedrooms into hotel rooms

Channel the vibe of your favorite hotel when you’re staging your bedroom, Bensimon says. That basically means less is more—and always use white sheets and pillows. “The white creates a clean aesthetic,” Bensimon says. “The most color you want is a single bright pillow.” Take the same idea to the bathrooms and select white towels. Also, remove anything from the countertops in your bathrooms such as cans of shaving cream, toothbrushes, and perfume bottles—they’re too distracting.

Don’t overstuff drawers and closets

Prospective buyers will open your drawers and closets. Declutter by moving as many items as you can to storage and folding your clothes neatly. Organize your clothing by type, and use one style and the same color of hanger throughout your closets. Consider adding peel-and-stick wallpaper to the back wall. Castano says that it adds a layer of luxury without a high price tag.