Illustration for article titled Update Your Home Using Staging TechniquesPhoto: Liatris (Shutterstock)

Once you’ve gone through the sale of your home, the chances are that the interior will be staged when potential buyers need to check out the place. The idea behind the staging is to remove all traces of your personality, style or identity in order to make it easier for those interested to imagine how they live there. So a lot of whites, off-whites and light gray tones.

There are some people who never really have to stage anything when they decide to sell it because they prefer a strict, minimalist style of decoration. But for those of us who dwell in what could easily be mistaken for what Inside is a Victorian curio shop– or just enjoying colors and patterns (which may or may not intentionally collide) – the staging is a pretty big change.

But what if we told you that people in both categories (as well as in the middle) could use some common staging techniques to do a quick update on the house while maintaining their personal style? Well, that’s basically the gist of the article. Here are some examples, courtesy of Sarah Yang and Katie Holdefehr from an article they wrote for Real Simple.

Illustration for article titled Update Your Home Using Staging Techniques

Deep cleansing

Before showing your home to potential buyers, be sure to clean it thoroughly first (either by yourself or by hiring someone else to do it if you can afford it). You deserve to live in a clean home just for yourself, and not because you are trying to sell it to someone else.

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Get new curtains

At one point, heavy curtains were all the rage, but that made the place feel like a room in a Holiday Inn from the mid-1990s. When setting up your home, you’ll want to add new, airy (probably white) curtains to make a room feel brighter and larger. Might do that for you too.

Reorganize bookshelves

It can be tempting to use every inch of a bookcase to pack as many books as possible. And while this works for storage purposes, it might not be the most aesthetically pleasing. If this is your goal, you may want to reorganize yourself. Here’s what Christina Salaway from Elf two elf design told Very easily::

“Completely remove 25 percent of your books and rearrange the remaining books so that some books are vertical and others are horizontally. Put some trinkets on the bookcase to act as accents and bookends. This adds character and personality to the room while also brightening up your bookshelves. “

Illustration for article titled Update Your Home Using Staging Techniques

Replace this carpet

Throw blankets are great, but they can look a little worse after a while. They are one of the first things in a staging situation. So treat yourself to an upgrade to a new carpet.

Hang up a mirror

If you are setting up a room with little natural light, Experts like Salaway Suggest hanging a mirror to lighten it up a bit. And if you’re not someone who appreciates wall decor but still wants something, a mirror is a good generic option.