Common Staging Mistakes

When selling your home, we all know that staging is key. Certain factors make a listing more desirable to buyers, like cohesive color palettes and tidiness. Because the kitchen is the heart of the home, these staging “rules” ring especially true. If you’re wanting to sell your home as quickly as possible and for top dollar, avoid these common kitchen staging errors. 

Clutter

The biggest turn-off for buyers is clutter, and no other surface in a house attracts clutter more so than kitchen counters. Buyers want to see their potential work-space in all its glory. Store or throw away dish drying racks, stacks of mail, or other odds and ends. Some appliances can stay, though, especially high-end or boutique items like Kitchenaid stand mixers or espresso machines. Keeping any extra appliances out like toasters can make a buyer think there might not be enough storage space for their own items. 

Lighting

Believe it or not, kitchen lighting always ranks highly on things important to buyers. You spend a lot of time in the kitchen, after all, so you want to be able to see what you’re doing. Dark corners draw attention and not necessarily in a good way. Ensure all bulbs are replaced, consider soft lamp light or sconces for ambiance, or install LED strip lighting under cabinets for unique appeal. 

Floor Covering

While most rooms in a home benefit from area rugs, the kitchen is not one of them. Spacious kitchens are a huge selling point and area rugs actually serve to chop up a space, making them seem smaller. Not only are rugs in the kitchen more prone to food mess, therefore being harder to clean, but they can serve to make the space seem cluttered. Additionally, if you’ve recently made any flooring updates or upgrades, covering them with a rug hides from what could be a moneymaker. 

Lastly, spring for a professional deep clean before your open house. Kitchens are breeding grounds for grease, grime, and fingerprints. Over time, you may not even realize how much build-up there is on your stovetop, drawer pulls, or cabinet faces. Bringing in the pros will leave your kitchen bright, shiny, and free from any lingering food smells.