Staging home creates good first impression
Q:
I am putting my home on the market, and the real estate broker has suggested that I hire an interior designer to give me some advice on how to stage my home.
Apparently, staging helps set your home apart from others on the market. I hate to pay out money I really don’t have. Do you have any tips for me on how to make my home look more attractive?
A:
So-called “staging experts” are all the rage now as sellers try to make their homes look as appealing as possible to buyers. I’m sure an interior designer could give you lots of good tips and advice in this regard. I’m not an interior designer, but I’d be happy to give you some practical pointers.
The first thing you need to do is divorce yourself from your home. Look at your home with a critical eye. I know this is your home and you have a lot of memories and emotion tied up in it.
But it won’t be your home any longer. It is simply an asset that you are trying to sell for the highest possible price. Take out personal touches. Edit out your own personal design tastes.
Look at your home as if you were entering it for the first time. Look for flaws, clutter, paintings, furnishings that have significance only for you.
Once you have determined where your home needs improving, figure out the cost benefit of each. Not everyone should invest in fancy upgrades.
How much you spend to upgrade and improve your home should be determined by how much your home is worth.
As a rule, capital improvements (new kitchen, bath, roof, etc.) add value to your home. Cosmetic improvements (cleaning the rugs, painting, planting some flowers) add to your home’s salability. I assume the latter is your goal.
Listen to your real estate agent and what s/he recommends. Remember, first impressions are critical. Outside, pay attention to the entrance. Keep the lawn trimmed, add some pots of fresh flowers, paint the front door, wash the windows.
Inside, you may also want to paint the entryway and add a mirror if it’s small or dark. If your front door enters directly into the living room without a foyer, add furniture – a bench or small table where you can put your keys or mail on arriving home to create the sense you are walking into a small oasis. A vase of fresh flowers adds color and a bright welcoming touch.
Clean, clean, clean! Hire a cleaning service if you must. Wash windows, mirrors, paintings. Dust. Pick up clutter, toys, old mail, catalogs, etc. Look around critically.
Consider small repairs and painting touchups – a water stain on the ceiling, for example, missing radiator covers, a cracked window. Bunches of fresh mint or rosemary can freshen air naturally.
Clean out closets. This will make your closets look bigger (and save you packing these things when you move). Ditto for extra furniture. Most people have too much furniture.
Take out at least half of it and put it in storage or lend it to a friend. This will make your rooms look bigger, less cluttered and more inviting.
Remove valuables and furnishings you don’t want to part with, such as vintage light fixtures, antiques, etc. Do the same with artwork and other personal items.
Paint bold colored walls a more natural color, such as light gray, which is neutral but more interesting than just plain white. Replace unique window treatments with plain, simple curtains or drapes.
Staging doesn’t have to be expensive. Just a few things can make a big difference.
