Home staging 101
Numerous home-staging consultants operate for a compelling reason: staged homes have a quicker selling pace. The key lies in effective home staging, allowing potential buyers to envision themselves in the space, rather than focusing on your current occupancy. Professional staging consultants achieve this by adhering to straightforward principles.
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Survey your home thoroughly. Envision it with just half of its current belongings. In fact, certain consultants strive to eliminate at least two-thirds of items from a home. This approach aims to bring forth a room's inherent features, such as size, flooring, and architectural details, ensuring that potential buyers are not distracted by your assortment of personal treasures. The more floor space there is the larger the room will appear.
Keep it Generic
Make your home feel like home to any potential Buyers by eliminating any elements that reveal the property's ownership. This way, potential buyers won't have to mentally disassociate your presence before envisioning themselves in the space. Start by removing personal items like family photos on the mantelpiece and notes on the fridge. De-personalize so the Buyer can mentally "move in".
Lighten it Up!
Uncover your doors and windows, give them a thorough cleaning, and avoid obstructing them! Even if you haven't utilized that side door for years, it might be an important feature to a potential Buyer. If there are any issues with it, address and fix them. Ensuring windows are clean and keeping curtains tied back allows more natural light to illuminate your home, which makes the home look warmer and more inviting.
All the Family Members
Pets are family members to us but many potential buyers would rather not encounter pet hairs or detect the scent of a pet. If feasible, consider finding temporary accommodation for your pet for the time the home is on the market. Schedule a steam cleaning for your carpets to eliminate any lingering odors. Additionally, be sure to discreetly tuck away pet beds, litter boxes, and food dishes before showings or Open Houses. We can discuss this further.
Storage is a Selling Feature
Examine your closets and cupboards closely. What impression would they leave on a potential buyer? Are they overflowing or do they offer sufficient space for your belongings? Take a moment to organize your items, clean the shelves, and ventilate your cupboards. Streamlining the clutter will be advantageous for you; even if buyers don't openly acknowledge it, they're likely to take a glance inside. Need help with this...just ask us.
Your 4th Sense
People engage all their senses when assessing a property, so it's crucial to ensure a pleasant scent experience. Refrain from cooking aromatic foods with ingredients like garlic or onions prior to showings or your open house. Place fabric softener sheets in areas where shoes and sports equipment are stored. If you need to quickly eliminate an unpleasant smell, open all interior doors and if you can bake a batch of ready-to-bake chocolate chip cookies. Don't over use scents to cover anything up as many Buyers are sensitive to scents and it can give the impression that something is being covered up. We will advise you on this.
Furniture Placement by Design
Experts in home staging understand that the most effective way to highlight a room is by selecting a single focal point. This focal point could be a window, fireplace, or a unique piece of furniture—aiming to capture attention and guide it around the room. That's why it's crucial to minimize clutter and excess furniture; the goal is to prevent potential buyers from being distracted during their inspection of the floors, molding, and the overall size and shape of the room. It's at this moment that they envision how their belongings will fit and function in the space.
Staging Tips
Position yourself at the entrance of a room and observe what captures your attention first. If it happens to be something you'd rather potential buyers not fixate on, such as a textured ceiling or overly bold sponge-painting, your best strategy is to place a visually appealing accessory near the room's entrance. This technique, commonly employed on home-staging shows, involves using items like a bowl of green apples or a vase of fresh flowers to divert attention from an undesirable feature during that crucial moment of forming a first impression.
When you have been in your home for several years some time dedicated to home staging can ensure that your property is ready to attract potential buyers. The Ladies will provide "Soft Staging" for you at no cost or advise and recommend more extensive staging options and service providers. Let's discuss!