Staging Tips

There are so many little tips that have come to mind as we write these pages. Some fit nicely into the text pages we've written in Steps 2 and 3. Others are random thoughts and ideas we'd like to pass on to you -- in no particular order.

The black leather sofa can either be a great staging piece or it can be hindrance. If you have an urban loft, a black leather sofa is appropriate. It says hip, urban, sleek, modern. Keep in mind that the eye will be drawn to something big and black. If you have a loft with high ceilings, a black sofa will ground the space. That's good. The architecture and volume of the space can support a heavy piece like that. If, however, you have a quaint suburban bungalow with average to smaller rooms, you don't want that big black leather sofa to steal the show away from the details in the home you are trying desparately to get your buyer's eyes on. A neutral sofa in a warm beige will work better in this case.
Dark spaces can sometimes be helped by changing the wattage and type of light bulb in the fixture. A 65 watt halogen flood bulb is brighter than a 75 watt incandescent bulb, for example, if you have recessed can lighting in your home.
Pets. We love animals of all kinds. Some people don't. When you are selling a home, you are selling a product. It's business. No dogs, cats, birds, reptiles, fish or other creatures should be in the home (or yard, or garage) when it is being shown. Neutralizing the home decor to appeal to the widest segment of buyers also means that we cannot risk offending the occasional buyer who does not like animals or is allergic to their dander. We wish this weren't so, but it is just a fact of selling. No pets.
Sometimes turning a bedroom back into a bedroom is difficult - especially if you haven't got an extra bed. Buying a new frame and mattress is expensive. Two options we've used: 1. inflatable mattresses stacked one on top of another and just dressed so you can't tell that it isn't a real box spring and mattress, and 2. mattress boxes to simulate real mattresses. Either will work if you dress the bed properly.
We have talked a lot about art and how you can integrate the colors in the art with the color palette of the room. Don't forget, however, the power of black and white photography or pen and ink drawings in your bag of tricks. Sometimes, a simple black and white artpiece in a strong black frame can put a "punctuation mark" on a space.
Ask yourself what a buyer is expecting to see in the home you are staging. If the home is Victorian, then stage it with vintage details in mind. One or two antiques would be good, but guard against too much Victorian charm and clutter. A modern home should not have vintage decor. An arts and crafts style should should pay homage to the period in the staging choices.
Similarly, think about who the buyer is. In many cases, the buyer will be younger than the current homeowner. You need to make staging selections that are appealing to that younger demographic. If the furnishings are more than 20 years old, then they won't appeal to today's younger buyer and the space will come off as old fashioned, out of date and tired looking.
If you have recently purchased new appliances, try putting the owner's manuals in the empty appliance for showings. It emphasizes that the appliances are new and mimics the experience of looking at new appliances at a big box store or appliance center.
We try and use plain white textured shower curtains when and if possible. However, if a bath is very white (sterile-looking) or very beige (off the shelf beige tile everywhere!), then we will try and find another option for a shower curtain. Check out the drapery section (even the sale aisle) at your nearest home store. You might be able to find a drapery panel that will work very well as a shower curtain and lend an "upgraded" look to the bath.

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Home Staging Ideas.