Finished or unfinished, the basement in a home requires a little attention when you are planning to sell your home.  Often storage spaces, catch all rooms for furniture pieces that have nowhere else to go in the house, or children’s play areas, basements can serve a useful purpose in our everyday lives, but you may need to reexamine the space when it is time to put your home on the market.  Here are some common mistakes to avoid when you are staging a basement.

Unfinished basements

Skipping the deep clean

While the space may not be finished, this doesn’t mean that sellers should avoid cleaning it.  The cardinal rule in any staging project is to clean.  Vacuum up the cobwebs, sweep the floor, and let some fresh air into the space if possible.  Remove any items that are broken but being stored in the basement like old furniture, televisions, or mattresses. If you aren’t planning on taking the item with you to your new home, then now is the time to let it go.

Keeping boxes everywhere

While packing up a home, homeowners may use the basement as storage.  If doing so, make sure to neatly stack the boxes in the unfinished basement instead of scattering them around the space.  When buyers tour your home, the goal is for them to be able to easily move around the basement and appreciate the space it offers; stacks of boxes everywhere make it hard to visualize the space as anything but its current use.

Neglecting to Add Light

In an unfinished basement you may not be able to paint the walls a bright neutral color to bring some light into the space, but that doesn’t mean the room needs to have a dark horror movie lack of brightness.  Switch up the lightbulbs in any preexisting fixtures to a brighter hue.  Add some lighting to the ceiling if all you’ve got is a lightbulb.  You could even place a couple floor lamps near the washing machine or other areas of the room.

Finished Basements

Not giving the space an identity

Finished basements often serve as a family room, work out space, or even a playroom for young children.  When staging a basement that is multi-purpose, give the buyers some ideas about the functionality of the room by providing some zones within the space.  For example, use a rug under a table and chairs to designate the craft space in the room while identifying the workout area with foam matts and a mirror on the wall.

Decorating with all the leftovers from your home

As our design tastes evolve we can be left with the remnants of things that used to be our style.  Naturally, these decor pieces along with furniture pieces can make their way into the basement and the room becomes a mash up of styles.  When it comes time for staging a basement, remove all these mismatched pieces to create a simplified cohesive look.  You can hide the worn stained sofa by adding a new inexpensive cover to it.  Remember to treat staging a basement that is finished like any other room in your home.

Letting in the light and the view

Most basements need as much natural lighting as they can get; however the view from the small windows or window wells isn’t always the prettiest.  Adding some sheer curtains to windows or blinds will still allow light into the space but will soften the view to the outside.  Curtains will also make the space feel more complete and livable.