When it comes time to sell your Northern Virginia home, staging is a valuable investment.  Research shows that a home that has been staged sells faster and for a better price than one that is not.  You don't necessarily have to spend a bunch of money to get great results.  Here are some ways you can use the five sense to stage your home to sell:

Sight - Keep it clean.  Remove any clutter.  Replace personal items with simple, classic touches.  The goal is to allow the buyer to see themselves inhabiting your Northern Virginia home.

Smell - While a home should look clean, it shouldn't smell like cleaning products.  Use air fresheners with a clean, fresh smell.  Avoid overly-perfumed, flowery or strong scents.  Pet owners should remove their animals and get the carpets completely cleaned.  Smokers should also wash all drapes and steam clean the furniture and carpets thoroughly.  Pet and smoke odors are the hardest to get rid of.

Hearing - Playing light, comforting music can help set an inviting mood for potential buyers looking at your Northern Virginia property.  Keep the noisy pets out of hearing range whenever possible.  Sometimes, silence really is golden.

Taste - Offer buyers fresh baked cookies or finger foods to eat while they are looking at your home.  This will also help get them relaxed enough to see themselves in the space.

Touch - Make all repairs, both major and minor, before showing your home to potential buyers.  A creaky gate, a shower door that doesn't close properly and a loose doorknob make buyers wonder what else may be wrong with the house and how much it will cost them.

Using the five senses to stage your home to sell is a good strategy.  If you need help selling your Northern Virginia home, I'm just a call (703-669-0099) or an email away.

Gene Mock, your Northern Virginia and South Carolina real estate specialist