Staging While Packing: The Smart Way

Homes are often left unsold before you make your way to your new home.

But how do you deal with staging a home so that it gives a more homey feel to the new owners, all while packing and moving out on your own?

In today’s article, we’ll go into how to strike a balance between packing and staging so you can maximize your timing as best as possible.

When it comes to moving, pre-planning is essential. When it comes to choosing a moving company or deciding to DIY, having a plan will help create the best course of action to keep your home perfectly staged until the moment you leave.

Having a staged home can expedite the process so that future owners can envision themselves inside of the home. If you’re trying to sell your home while there are a million boxes everywhere, then it may not create a suitable vibe of letting the buyers envision themselves living there.

Look into getting moving quotes from North American full-service movers or booking a truck for the day of. This will give you ample time to arrange all of the supplies needed to move, and will also let you strategically plan how to stage while packing efficiently.

The rooms that won’t be viewed often can be packed almost in full. Think storage rooms, garages, and attics, where prospective buyers likely won’t spend much time or mind any mess. Get these rooms packed as soon as possible to avoid having to do it later.

The kitchen and the dining room are likely going to be some of the last rooms you’ll pack fully. As time gets closer to the moving day, you can continue to pack more and more of your belongings. But don’t remove too much to avoid making the home feel empty. If possible, you can keep some knick-knacks around until moving day.

During this time, you can sort all of your belongings into “toss,” “donate,” or “keep” piles. Label everything to make it easier come moving time. While packing, remember to keep everything on the surface looking orderly so your home continues to have a streamlined look, even while packing.

As you continue working toward the day of the move, always be mindful that buyers may show up to take a look at the house. If your home is being checked out regularly, it may make more sense to offload the packing toward nighttime to offset having to make it look like you aren’t packing.

Leave as much furniture as you can but, if necessary, start to disassemble any furniture that would be a burden to handle during the big moving day. You can stow away this furniture in the garage or storage room to make your home look orderly.

As moving day approaches, the home may look a little less lively as you remove more belongings, but the key is to keep it staged enough to make your home look attractive until you’re ready to move out.

Not everyone will be looking to move into a furnished home, but one of the best ways to make staging easier while packing is to simply sell the home with all the furniture included. This way, you can move out while leaving any furniture behind.

Although you may lose out on some costs that you put down on the furniture, you won’t have to move it later, which means more money in your pocket. You may also reclaim some money when you sell the home with the furniture included.

The problem is, however, that you may have a buyer who intends to buy the home unfurnished, which would then require you to sell or remove the furniture. You can keep it in storage while you figure out the plan moving forward.

With proper planning, you’ll be able to stage your home up until the last minute. However, this is only possible with proper planning and a good timeline. Without a pre-planning phase, you’ll get lost in the details and may overlook some crucial elements of staging while packing.

Always vet any moving company you plan to work with and maintain communication with your realtor about potential visits from interested buyers. Consider selling the home as-is to simplify the process and avoid the hassle of moving furniture, ultimately saving you time and stress.