Everyone knows to stage the key areas of a home, but few sellers go the extra mile to stage the laundry area, the attic or the basement. As a seller in a struggling market you should not leave any stone unturned, or miss a single opportunity to impress on the buyer how well your home lives. Often times it is the "extra spaces" that tip the scales. I personally would love to have a space for a craft room/sewing room and my husband would love to have a work out area, not to mention the extra storage. Paying careful to those extra spaces means adding functional square feet in the buyer's eyes. Leaving those spaces dusty and cob web ridden is a huge mistake.
Start with a good declutter. Pack away those things that are on the floor and eating up the visual space. Clean and clear all horizontal spaces, empty out the area so you can see what you have to work with. Store, donate or sell items. If you have a lot of items to store look into off site storage.
Ok, the space is empty and clean. What condition is the floor in? Do you need to paint, add an area rug or install laminate flooring ? How about the walls? A nice neutral paint can go a long way. In basements be sure to pick a cheery and light reflective color. Don't forget art, it really takes the space up a notch and sets the tone.
How is the storage? Add shelving if needed, organized storage is a big plus. And don't forget the ceiling, lighting is important, especially in places like attics and basements that are normally dark and creepy. Any scary views? Put up blinds or curtains, just make sure that you don't block out the light.
Staging the laundry room is easy. Get baskets to put all the products in, add in a rack to hold the iron and the ironing board. Ikea is a great place to shop for organizational items that can create a laundry center affordably.
The basement can be anything you want. You can add a craft table or add a mirror on the wall, an exercise ball and yoga mat, a small table with bottles of water and towels. If the area is big enough you can do both, be sure to have some good lighting, art and plants.
Yes it is work, but if you want to put your very best foot forward and get rave reviews from buyers it is time well spent. You want to give the buyer every reason to pick your property by helping it stand out with a bright and clean laundry area, lots of storage space in a well lit attic and a basement space that can be fulfill the buyer's dream of a craft room, sewing space or work out area.
