Home staging is the art of preparing homes for sale so that their best features are showcased and any problem areas are minimized. It is not just about decorating – in most cases it’s about un-decorating. A successful staging is accomplished through a combination of home “editing”, de-cluttering, organizing, and the rearrangement of furnishings, artwork, lighting, area rugs and accessories.

Here are five basic guidelines for preparing a house for sale:

  1. Create curb appeal
  2. Clean everything
  3. Eliminate clutter – use a POD for storage of excess furnishings
  4. Neutralize/De-Personalize – remove cultural and religious items
  5. Highlight the focal point and architecture of each space

 

The areas that are most critical to the sale of ANY home are:

  1. Curbside (from the street or curb to the front door)
  2. Entry/Foyer
  3. Kitchen
  4. Master Bedroom
  5. Master Bathroom
  6. Powder Rooms and other Bathrooms
  7. Family Room
  8. Living Room
  9. Dining Room

 

Quick Fixes:

  1. Check your property from the outside in.  Repaint your front door (if necessary), replace rusty doorbells, porch lights or door hardware. Get a new welcome mat. If weather permits, display greenery or flowers at the entrance.
  2. Make rooms appear larger by removing excess furniture. Group seating so that it appears “conversational”.
  3. Remove hanging objects, sickly plants, items on window sills and ledges, and remove personal photographs.
  4. In each room, bring the focus back to the natural focal point. Remove televisions and recliners if they are unattractive or compete with the focal point of the room.
  5. If the view outside a window is unpleasant, use curtains and a beautiful floral arrangement and lamp on a small table in front of the window.
  6. Replace worn bedding with fresh bedding and replace worn towels in all bathrooms with fresh towels.
  7. Upgrade the wattage in rooms with poor lighting.
  8. Eliminate dried flower arrangements, remove dust from silk plants and clean ceiling fans and switch plates.
  9. Make closets appear only ½ to 2/3 full.
  10. Remove scatter rugs, replace shower curtain (if worn), keep toilet seats down, and remove cleaning supplies.