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| Seller Secrets Video Series: Staging Your Home |
| Staging Your Home is Critical |
Top 10 Benefits of Home Staging
- Faster sales cycle
- Distinct marketing advantage
- Attract a broader range of buyers
- Buyers and agents know home is well prepared
- Appraisers view staged homes as well maintained
- Professional image
- Higher sales price
- Great listing tool
- Stress free preparation for seller
- Gain referral & repeat business for agents
Myth 1: Staging is Decorating…
Fact: Staging is NOT Decorating or Design! Decorating or Design is personalizing and Staging is De-Personalizing and preparing a house for the un-known Buyer.
Myth 2: Staging Costs Too Much…
Fact: Staging is an INVESTMENT in getting a house sold and the investment in Staging is always less than a price reduction.
Myth 3: All I need Are Lights, Flower & Music…
Fact: Lights, Flowers and Music are great for Showing a house, but that is not Staging. Staging requires an objective and professional assessment of a house’s strengths and challenge areas, and solutions to help Buyers fall in love with what they see. This requires more than just flowers and music to achieve—it required an Action Plan!
Myth 4: I Can Just Watch One of Those Shows…
Fact: The shows on HGTV and similar channels give Sellers the idea that they need to do something to their house to prepare it for sale, but Sellers cannot truly be objective in a house they have been living in and need a 3rd party independent opinion to get it properly Staged.
Our Preferred Home Stager:
Home Staging Tips
Karen Lawlor, ASP
Staging Solutions LLC
Ellicott City, MD 21043
Phone: 443.472.1188
[email protected]
Staging Solutions LLC
Ellicott City, MD 21043
Phone: 443.472.1188
[email protected]
Greta Dietrich, our team’s administrative assistant is an accredited staging professional real estate agent. She will be able to give you various tips and pointers on staging your home. Our team may recommend that you stage your home. You may receive some simple guidance from Greta, or we may put you in touch with our preferred Accredited Staging Professional, Karen Lawlor, who will work with you in staging your home more in depth.
Home Staging Tips
A Welcoming Entrance
The outside of your home is the first thing guests see. A coat of glossy paint in a cheerful fresh color, a polished knocker and a custom updated light fixture (or sparkling clean existing one) will set the tone for a well-maintained home. A new welcome mat and seasonal potted plants are inexpensive ways to welcome potential buyers into their new home.
Control the Clutter
If you haven't used it in 3 months, pack it away. If you haven't used it in a year, it's time to throw it out. Less is more when it comes to home staging. Buyers need to see that there is plenty of space, and the home is not bursting at the seams. It's usually a good idea to rent a storage unit when preparing your home for resale. Whatever you can live without in the next few months needs to be put in storage.
Furniture Arrangement
It is crucial for the traffic to flow smoothly within and around rooms. Furniture should be repositioned into cozy conversational groups. Creating a focal point (without it being the TV) provides a quaint and comfortable feel to a room.
Create a Vignette
Buyers only know what they see. Sometimes it may be difficult to imagine the perfect use of an empty space. The simple addition of a comfortable armchair, a small table, and a lamp in an unused nook will transform the space into a cozy reading spot.
Let there be Light
Nothing cheers up a room better than natural light. Shades should always be up to illuminate a room. Proper lighting is crucial throughout the home. All lights should be in working order and on if possible. Rooms radiating with warmth and glow, create a dramatic effect for buyers. Dimmer switches are a simple and inexpensive upgrade to add to each light fixture. This allows you to create the perfect ambiance throughout the day.
The Power of Paint
Painting is the most cost effective and easiest way to give an old room a new look. These days, the definition of "neutral" extends way beyond beige–from warm tans and honeys to soft blue-greens. Don't shy away from darker colors. A deep tone on the walls can make the space feel more intimate, dramatic, or cozy. The great thing about paint is, if you don't like it, just paint right over it.
Accessorize
After your furniture is thoughtfully arranged and the room is dappled with color, it's time to accessorize for the finishing touches! When it comes to eye-pleasing accessorizing, 1, 3 and 5 items are the magic numbers. And rather than setting your trio of accessories out in a row, imagine a triangle and place one object at each point. Scale is important too. In your grouping of three, be sure to vary items by height and width, with the largest at the back and the smallest in front.
Depersonalize
By reducing family photos and collections, you can help create that model home feel. Buyers need to be able to visualize their belongings in your space. All personal hygiene and grooming products should be hidden. No toothbrushes, hairbrushes, or used soap should be in sight.
Neutralize
A staged home needs to appeal to the masses. Creating a scene that will appeal to the majority of people despite individual taste in styles, colors or cosmetic appeal can be tricky. This is where your staging professional can help on an individual basis.
Bring the Outdoors In
Nature can freshen up an otherwise stale environment with colorful flowers, invigorating greens, or rustic twigs and branches. Seasonal arrangements will accentuate the tone of the season. Summer blooms add splashes of cheerful color, blazing fall foliage warms up your decor on chilly autumn days, and holly branches accentuated with berries look smashing in the winter.
