The Staging Blind Spot Every Seller Has

It is easy to walk through a home before listing and notice everything except the things that have become part of the routine. Mail stays on the counter, magnets cover the fridge, and a treadmill slowly takes over the dining room.

After living somewhere for years, people stop seeing what they look at every day.

That is the Staging Blind Spot, and it affects every seller.

Buyers walk in with fresh eyes. They see clutter as a lack of space, personal items as someone else's home, and a room with two jobs as a room that does neither well. None of it has to cost much to fix. You just have to see it first.

Here is how to see your home the way buyers will:

Walk In Like a Stranger. Go out the front door, come back in, and pretend you are touring the home for the first time. Write down everything your eye lands on.

Every Room Gets One Job. A dining room is for dining. An office is for working. When a room tries to do two things, buyers cannot picture either one.

Less Stuff, More Space. Pack away half of what is in your closets and cabinets. Buyers open doors, and full storage tells them the home is too small.

The market is fair, but it is not forgiving. Buyers pay for what they can picture, so make it easy for them to picture themselves.

Next week, I am going to share the "Tax Day Question" every homeowner should ask before listing.