Every one has heard of staging. There are so many real estate shows on TV these days, it’s hard not to hear the word. And almost all of them say that staging will get your home sold quickly, for money than you thought possible etc. I’m waiting to hear them say that staging a home will save your marriage, cure cancer and bring your dog back to life.
Do you get the impression that I am not a big fan of staging? The answer is yes – and no.
If you follow what some of these “experts” say, your house won’t be a home, it will be a furniture and decoration showroom. But – staging does have a place in the real estate market.
When you are staging a home, you want to make it appeal to the widest possible range of buyers. And you try to not offend any of those possible buyers. Here’s an example.
Let’s say that you are trying to sell your home. Personally, you are a hunter. And it gives you satisfaction to show off your prowess. You have deer heads hanging on the wall. You have pictures everywhere showing the trophies you have bagged.
If an animal lover walks in he or she may be appalled by the displays you cherish, and walk out. Others may just not like them very much. Granted, a few will think it’s great. But I believe you’ll scare off more buyers than you will attract.
This is just an example, but when we list a home we ask the sellers to “Remove All Traces of You”.
Depersonalizing a home is the most basic home staging. From there we go deeper into the practice. Buyers are willing to pay more for a house if they can picture themselves in the home. If you remove “you” from the house, they can easier picture themselves and their possessions in the home. And this can result in a quicker sale for more money.
But you don’t need to stage the entire house, just the key rooms.
Start with the living room. Try to remove the large sofa and replace with a smaller on. Remove as much furniture as you can – it will make the room look bigger. If possible, avoid having all furniture against a wall. It tells buyers that the room is lacking in size.
The kitchen is next. Clear off the counters. Pack away all the small appliances and decorations. Remove pictures and magnets from the refrigerator. If possible, remove dishes, pots and pans from the cabinets. Decrease the items in the pantry. Overfilled cabinets say that there is not enough space.
The same goes for the master bedroom. Pack up anything that is not necessary. Make sure the bed is made and attractive. And remember – feng shui says the foot of the bed should face the door. Make sure the room is set up like that of possible.
In the dining room have the table set with minimal settings. Again, less is more.
Clean out the closets and pack up whatever you can live without. The same goes for the garage. If you need to, move boxes to a relative’s or friend’s home for storage. Think about renting a storage unit. The neater and less cluttered you can make the hoe, the quicker it will sell.
And above all – KEEP IT CLEAN!
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