Home staging is the latest buzzword in the real estate market and among private property investors. For those new to the term, home staging or home styling is the process of preparing and presenting your home for sale by improving and/or enhancing its interior features and unique assets. 

According to the National Association of Realtors, staging minimizes the negatives while accentuating the positives of a property, and helps to make the best initial impression on buyers. It helps highlight the potential of a place and lets homeowners justify the desired value of a home. 

While staging effectively adds value, it doesn’t have to be costly in and of itself. You don’t have to dig a hole in your wallet to style and remodel your property. Thankfully, there are myriad ways to stage your home without incurring a significant financial burden.

Don’t know where to start? Here’s how to do it.

How to Stage Your Home for Free

Begin with Deep Cleaning and Decluttering

The foremost step is probably the least glamorous: cleaning up all the clutter that has accumulated in your home in order to properly showcase its features. Remove all the extra stuff, clean out overflowing closets, and clear countertops to make your home appear more spacious.

By doing so, buyers can effortlessly imagine themselves setting up their stuff and belongings. Of course, don’t forget to declutter your cupboards, drawers, and even your kitchen counters. Make sure that the remaining areas of your house and other items are both clean and well organized…yes, even that sneaker or comic book collection. 

Aside from this, you can add minor fixtures and cosmetic touches, such as decorating your indoor spaces with floral plants or your walls with tasteful paintings. Don’t forget to opt for deep cleaning of any tough-to-clean spaces, which will eliminate any dirt and grime. 

Decorate with Natural Items

Bring buyers into a soothing environment. Decorating with natural items such as fresh or dried flowers, twigs, wood, paintings, wreaths and other handmade or craft items is an excellent way to add warmth to your space. Natural features are not only more appealing, but also way more cost-effective.

Innovate with Furniture Setting 

Generic-looking furniture or typical interior layouts lack the creativity a home needs to make a memorable first impression.  

Instead of using the same setting, try to mix and match color schemes for your living and dining areas. Avoid cramping furniture into rooms. Instead, try adjusting pieces, placing them into different rooms to make each space look larger or multifunctional. 

Update Kitchen Look with Darker Shade

The on-trend search for dark kitchens with a black or navy blue color theme and matte finishes can change the entire look of the kitchen. Over time, one of the most in-demand styles that have come up in modern kitchens is a darker shade of blue.

Whether it’s the floor, counters, cabinets, or walls, try incorporating this hue in different aspects of your kitchen. No doubt, blue and all its shades add a cool and calm feel to your kitchen. No matter which tone you opt for—whether deep space blue or Thai sapphire—will add a luxurious and dramatic flair to your kitchen without having to break the bank.

You’ve made it to the end, and now, you’re armed with knowledge that can have a major impact on one of the biggest investments of your life. (Yes!) Implement these low-cost ideas today, and you can both improve the look of your property on a tight budget and increase its sale value.