If you’re preparing to sell your home in St. Louis, you may be considering staging as an option. Maybe your move-in date to your new home requires you to have your furniture moved early, or perhaps you simply want to give your house a facelift to put its best foot forward for potential buyers. Whatever the case, staging can be a great option for many sellers, but there are some mistakes that can certainly backfire. If you do decide to stage your home, here’s how to avoid making some of these mistakes yourself:

Don’t Hesitate to Ask for Help

If you feel like your home needs the boost of staging to sell, but aren’t sure where to begin, bringing in the professionals may not be a bad idea. For those who love interior design and are confident in their decorating, staging yourself can be fine. But if you want to create the most effective set-up for a sale, hiring someone who does that for a living can help you get the end result you want. Selling your home and moving can be a busy time for many, and having some assistance in this area can ensure the job is done well without adding more stress to your plate.

Don’t Remove All Personality

The idea of creating a blank canvas for buyers to imagine themselves in the space is a great idea, but it shouldn’t be taken too far. When staging is done in a way that doesn’t look authentic, it can come off as feeling cold, and that can be just as much of a turn-off for potential buyers as having too many family photos on the walls. Even if you’re staging with new furniture, it should still feel like a welcoming, inviting, livable space.

Don’t Skimp on Paint

Updating the furniture and decor is often the focus of staging, but combine that with a fresh coat of paint, and you can quickly bring your home to a new level. A new coat of paint can instantly freshen up a room and make a place feel cleaner and brighter. That new paint smell can also help potential buyers to feel that the space has been recently upgraded.

Don’t Go Overly Trendy

Especially if you’re interested in interior design, it can be tempting to take staging as an opportunity to embrace the latest trend. While bringing in some elements of a popular style isn’t always a bad idea, some people can easily go overboard. It’s important to remember that trends don’t appeal to everyone, and staging in a more general way can help your home appeal to the greatest number of buyers.

What are your thoughts on staging? Is it something you’d invest in? Have you seen a staged house before? Was it well done? I’d love to hear your thoughts!