After working with a homeowner to prepare their home for sale, we often hear from them how much they wish that they had brought us in sooner, before they decided to sell the house, so that they could have enjoyed some of the changes that we helped them to make! They especially love learning some of our home staging tricks and hacks, so we’re sharing a few of our favourite low-cost tips for your home, to help you to live better, regardless of whether or not you’re selling.
1. Zip tie your lamp cords (and other cables)
In staging, few things are worse than seeing a long dangling cord behind a table. Using a zip tie to cinch these helps to clean them up and keep them out of the sightline. Wind up any extra slack in the cable or cord that is not needed and fasten with a tie (we often use a reusable Velcro tape in place of a zip tie). You may opt to bundle the cord close to the tabletop and tie, or tie the cord to the table leg at the top and bottom, bundling the cord at the base.
Cables and chargers can quickly turn into a mess of cords as well. You can tame them by grouping computer or tv cables together with a zip tie in a few spots to keep them from getting tangled. Take it a step further by labelling your cords (close to the plug) so that you can easily unplug the right device, without having to do any serious detective work to find the one that you need to disconnect. There are a variety of cord labelling systems available for sale, but it doesn’t need to be fancy – you can these create with any labels or tape that you have in your household already.
2. Use baskets to hide cables
It’s not a fancy trick, but it can be incredibly effective. Hide routers, cables, and other messes using baskets. Consider adding a shelf under your desk to get the cords and cables off of the floor and place the basket on this shelf. NOTE: some items (such as routers) need room to vent, so be sure to account for and allow for this for your safety.
3. Hide your everyday toiletries in plain sight
Hat boxes are an attractive way to hide everyday toiletries, and come in sizes large enough to fit your lotions and sprays easily! This will help to keep them organized, and within easy reach, without cluttering your counters.
4. Avoid splitting plaster with painters’ tape or masking tape
Simply place a small piece of tape (approximately ½”) where you want to place your picture hook or nail before hammering. This will prevent the wall from splitting when you puncture it with the nail.
5. Give your bedding a freshly-steamed look without a steamer
Easily remove creases and freshen up the look of your linens with a simple spray bottle. Keep an empty spray bottle handy, fill it with hot water, and spray the bed with a light mist. After a few minutes, use your hand to smooth the creases for a crisp, clean look. This is an easy daily trick that takes just a few minutes.
6. Give your furniture a quick refresh
Furniture touch-up markers are sold in a variety of shades and colours and can hide the wear and tear of your well-loved furnishings. While it may not seem like the most glamorous solution, this little trick is a go-to for any home stager and works great for giving furniture a quick refresh from nicks and scratches. When you’re selling your home, although you are generally not selling your furnishings with it, minimizing the wear of your furnishings will illustrate pride of ownership in your home.
7. Get a custom closet on a budget
Hang all similar colours together with matching hangers and add baskets to your shelves. Use space-saving hangers for best results – your closet will look, and feel, much more organized and spacious! Plus, the re-organizing will give you a chance to provide your closet with a much-needed purge.
8. Fix it with paint
From a brass-trimmed fireplace to an outdated backsplash, or perhaps an outdated piece of furniture, there’s a paint for that! Depending on the item that you are painting, it could provide a temporary facelift or a permanent transition. Be sure to talk to your paint experts to ensure that you are using the best product for the job.
Voted Top 75 Most Influential People In Real Estate Staging by the Real Estate Staging Association, Beyond The Stage Homes CEO Shauna Lynn Simon is an award-winning entrepreneur, home staging industry influencer, residential designer, business coach and author.
