Home staging can be challenging, particularly if you are new to the process. It requires an understanding of market trends, sales expertise, and at times, renovations and new furniture.

Effective staging can make or break a home's sale and is usually best accomplished with the help of industry experts, however your own sense of what works for your space is always important! To help you get started, our friends at The Everset -- a leader in designer furniture rentals with full-service staging offerings -- provided a helpful checklist for anyone getting ready to prepare their home for the market.

Give Your Home a Paint 'Facelift'

One of the easiest and most cost-effective ways to give your home a facelift is with paint. It is fast, relatively affordable, and makes a huge impact. We always recommend Benjamin Moore Chantilly Lace, because it brightens the space and provides a clean canvas for potential buyers to envision what their future home could look like. If you plan on staging your home, a white backdrop will always produce the best results.

Lighting, Lighting, and More lighting!

Lighting is a great bang for your buck. Remove the dark shades, put in some brighter bulbs, add some extra floor lamps—anything to get more light. Layered lighting from multiple sources (e.g. overhead lights, floor lamps and table lamps) will add depth and create a balanced atmosphere. Don’t forget to open your blinds or window treatments all the way to let your home shine!

Keep it Fresh and Clean

Limit or remove any personal items on display. If possible put away the family pictures and other memorabilia. Ideally, there should be nothing in the apartment except furniture and some simple decorative items. This includes your junk drawers. Prospective buyers may open cabinets and drawers, so it is important to have them empty or well organized. Finally, give your home a thorough cleaning, especially your bathroom(s).

Choose the Right Rug

Rugs that are too large or too small distort the proportions of a room, and busy patterns can be off-putting to potential buyer. A lush, neutral colored rug is both chic and easy to incorporate into a variety of styles and color schemes. We prefer medium pile rugs (7mm – 13mm) made with natural fibers. In the living room, your rug should be large enough to fit at least the front two legs of your sofa and accent chair(s). In the bedroom, it should be large enough to cover the front two-thirds of your bed and extend 2 to 3 feet on either side.

Brighten Your Bedroom

Make sure all beds are neatly made and duvets are pressed. Having a well-appointed bed with nice linens makes a big difference. We recommend keeping it simple with crisp white bedding and neutral throw pillows.