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Staging Basics

Staging is the new catch phrase for faster sales

Today, especially when the real estate market is contracting, it is important to take advantage of every trick in the book to get your home sold as fast as possible and for top dollar.

One of those tricks is called staging.

Staging is the processing of making your house seem bigger, brighter, cleaner and ideal dwelling for almost any prospect that inspects your property.

Staging is not designed to make your house more livable for you and your family. In fact, it is a bit of hardship to live in a staged house during the selling process.

Decorated homes tend to show off the furniture, art and accessories that are in the room. Staged homes show off the architecture, features and benefits of the room.

You and your family will literally be out of your comfort zone. Everything that makes your house your home will for the most part be gone. But remember: this is only temporary. Believe me, having your house on the market is a real drag anyway. Your agent will give you short notice that a "hot prospect" wants to see it RIGHT NOW! Not when you're comfortable, but now. So anything that shortens that "on the market" time will be worth it, even if it means a little more temporary discomfort.

Where to place a picture on the wall

Most art in a home is simply hung too high to be visually pleasing. When art is too high it creates a disjointed feeling in the room. If there is nothing to anchor the art to a given space (such as a hallway or entry way) the center of the art should be approximately 60” from the floor. If there is something to anchor the art to (chair rail, piece of furniture, etc) the art should be approximately 6-9” above that anchoring line. You will find that the room will flow much better by following these guidelines.

Understanding clutter

We talk a lot about removing clutter from the house, but what is clutter? Clutter are the things we've collected, purchased and inherited over the years. Most of us feel comfortable with our clutter. Most visitors feel uncomfortable with our clutter, no matter what they say or how much they praise you for how you've "decorated your home!" Don't fall into this trap thinking that all of your clutter makes for a very inviting home-- it doesn't, except for you.

Even though you're still paying the bills, this house is no longer your home. You are making a transition from one house to another home. Once you're in your new home, if you want to re-clutter your life, feel free. But for right now, it's time to get rid of all that excess baggage.

Clutter is:

Too many of anything: furniture, books, magazines; comforters, quilts, or throws; collections of dolls, collections of anything; clothes in the closet, shoes in the closet, under the bed, in the corner; too many accessories; too many decorator pillows; too many kitchen appliances on the counters; piled papers in the home office; too many wall decorations; and, lastly, family pictures.

What buyers are looking for

Buyers are fairly precise in what they want in a new home. They may not mention it in their list of things they're looking for, but deep down, when they visit a house for sale they will be psychologically looking for

• Light and bright open rooms

• Clean rooms, including floors, walls, ceilings and windows

• They want fresh, uncluttered rooms that they can see themselves enjoying in their own privacy without having to work for months and months to achieve

STAGING TIP:
Hide the wastebaskets. Clean them thoroughly, and then put them out of sight.

Read more:

• 8 Steps to Staging

• Having a Successful Garage Sale