This is our little 345 sqf studio apartment. When we got married, we moved into my husband’s apartment, which at that time was unfinished and looked more like a construction site. We were both students, money was tight, and for years we renovated and improved the place with almost no budget.
Over time, it truly became our home. But by 2017, with two small kids and a third on the way, it had become too small for us. It was already difficult to fit in all the beds, and the apartment that had once felt cozy started to feel cramped. It was time to sell our beloved home in order to fund the next chapter—our new house.
Fixing What We Had Put Off
In the weeks leading up to selling, we focused on repairing small things that had been left undone for years. It’s funny how one repair always leads to another. For example, I started by patching the screw holes in the walls left from old pictures. Once patched, I had to sand them, and of course, freshly smoothed spots begged for paint. But after painting one area, the rest of the wall looked tired, so I ended up repainting two or three entire walls, including the front door and some window reveals.
We also fixed things we had lived with far too long: outlets that hadn’t worked in eight years (which meant we had been using seven extension cords daily), the unconnected range hood above the stove, and a few missing trims. Suddenly, our apartment felt more polished than it had in years.
That’s the irony of preparing a home for sale—you finally fix all the things you learned to live with, and then it’s almost too nice to leave behind.
Staging on a Budget
I didn’t want to spend more money than necessary, but I knew how much impact a clean home and a little staging could make. I bought some flowers, which I moved from one photo frame to another, and a single decorative bowl for the coffee table. That was it. Simple details, but they made the place look fresh and welcoming.
Since our likely buyer wasn’t going to be a family with two kids, we also rearranged the furniture. We moved the children’s beds out and styled the rooms as if a single person or a couple lived there. It made the space look much larger and easier for potential buyers to imagine themselves in it.
Photographing the Apartment
Taking the photos turned into a two-day project. At first, I thought we’d just click a few pictures room by room, but every shot meant moving furniture, hiding toys, and adjusting small details so the space looked uncluttered. We even used a reflector for light in some shots, and when the sun refused to cooperate, we woke up at 6 a.m. the next day to catch the soft morning light in the kitchen.
It was exhausting but worth it. Good photos make all the difference when selling, especially for a small space like ours.
Ready for the Next Chapter
Finally, with the walls freshened up, repairs done, and the apartment beautifully staged and photographed, the listing was live. After so many years in this little studio, it was bittersweet to say goodbye. But preparing it for sale taught me something valuable: small details matter, and creating a welcoming, clean, and inviting atmosphere can completely change how a home feels—not just for buyers, but for those who lived there too.
