Staging to sell !

Selling a home is more than a mere business transaction,  it is a very personal endeavor.   Our homes are crammed with everything that makes us from our personality to the way we live.   Having strangers come through our homes when we are in the middle of dinner and  have to get out quickly with animals and kids in tow, and have them to pick apart a detail that was already listed on the MLS is very disheartening.

Here are some ideas to help you stage your home to sell !

1. De-clutter, de-clutter, de-clutter.   It is not enough to give some clothes to goodwill and call it a day. You have to empty your closets and pack everything you won't need until the next season.   I will go a step further and say you need to see the floor and the back of your closet.   It will seem to a buyer that there is plenty of room.   Countertops in kitchens and bathrooms need to be very bare.   Finally, take everything off your fridge. You will see how clean it looks and is easy on the eye.

2. Rooms with purpose.   Does the room have a purpose?   What furniture can be eliminated to make the room feel more spacious? Buyers won't be able to picture themselves in your home if there is too much to look at.

3. De-personalize.  This is hard for everyone. Pull down every family photo replace with artwork instead. If you need help in this, ask a friend, a realtor, or a designer who can come in to rearrange what you have to best display your home.

Today's installation was for a long time client who has a beautiful home. We did this guest room a couple years ago and it is staged. However, this room did not have a closet and so we needed a new purpose for this room. Since we have other rooms staged as bedrooms, we decided to make this one into a home office. The before picture shows an absolutely beautiful headboard and bedding ensemble that we moved to the master suite to update that area.

Next, we took two secretary desks that were currently being used for nightstands in her master, added a bookcase from the kitchen to not only balance the wall, but clear more space in the kitchen.  All the accessories were found in the house and rearranged making sure that each room still has a clear design view. 

The kitchen table came from the master and we put all the other chairs in basement.   The drawers will be cleared out and put back.   While this room was for my client's open house, she still told me she is definitely going to use this room ..... today!