Top 5 Tips for Effective Home Staging

Top 5 Tips for Effective Home Staging 

By Karly Howell

Staging a home is one of the most important steps in a quick sale. With the abundance of design shows on TV today, many sellers think that staging only includes furniture and that it costs a lot of money, but neither is true. Here are 5 easy, low-cost tips to help prepare your home for sale.    

1)    DECLUTTER!

You think your cookie jar collection and prized comic book memorabilia are great, but your potential buyer doesn’t necessarily share the same opinion. The focus needs to be on your house and not on the objects inside or around it. Too much clutter is distracting, and potential buyers may miss the special features of the home with all the visual periphery. Two ideas to help cut down clutter are 1) rent a short term storage unit in which to place all the extras or 2) start packing early and place unneeded items away in a basement or closet.

2)    Clean-up

The house should shine both inside and out and look newly cleaned. Pay special attention to wood trim, ceiling fans, and windows. Again, you want to highlight the selling features of the house. If it’s noticeably dirty or there a foul odor coming from the pantry, buyers won’t stay long. Make it feel welcoming and fresh - think about your last experience in a nicer hotel. You’ll want to create the same experience in your home. Avoid using any heavy scented sprays that could be bothersome to your potential buyers.  

3)    Depersonalize

Take the time to remove family photos, monograms, or name decorations. Potential buyers want to imagine their family in the home and where their pictures and items will be placed. Help to create this experience by tucking away all personal things. Also, depersonalize to protect your privacy since strangers will be in your home.  In addition, objects that are considered controversial or offensive need to be removed too. Items that fall into this category are taxidermy, provocative images, and symbols associated with notorious groups/ideas.  

4)    Appropriate furniture

Furniture is a great benefit in staging a home because it helps potential home owners plan for their own furniture in a room. A few rules to follow: make sure the scale of the furniture is appropriate for the room size. A small kitchen table is not suitable in an oversized dining room. On the flip side, avoid placing oversized furniture, like a large sectional sofa in a small living room. It can make the space feel more confined and less functional. Too much furniture can become an obstacle to. It’s better to have nothing in the room then to have the wrong size pieces. It’s also important to make sure the furniture is appropriate for the location it’s placed in. Don’t place beds in living spaces, offices in dining rooms etc.

5)    Highlight special features

This seems obvious but sometimes is a missed opportunity. Special features can include anything that is visually appealing, helpful, cost effective, or just plain cool.  

Draw attention to these elements by showcasing them. If you have built-ins or architectural niches, place attractive, decorative items there and keep it neat. If there’s an uninviting concrete slab patio, show it’s functionality by creating a small seating area with potted plants and decorative accents. Work with what you have and draw out the positive attributes.

For professional staging advice, contact Karly Howell Design for a complimentary home consultation.  karlyhowelldesign@gmail.com

 For more advice for selling your home, contact The Mary Ellen Vanaken Team - Keller Williams Realty - North Atlanta. 5780 Windward Parkway, Suite 100, Alpharetta, GA 30005 www.northatlantaluxury.com

 Top 5 Tips for Effective Home Staging