One of the best kept secrets among top selling real estate agents, and the most successful home builders in the country, is that staged homes sell faster and for more money.
So what is a staged home? A staged home is one where the interior elements of the home, such as furniture, paint and accessories, are well considered, and arranged or postitioned in a manner to highlight the best features of the home, while offering the most desirable look and feel that buyers want.
Just as you would ?set the stage? to create a mood for a scene in a play, you?ll ?set the stage? at home to create the look and feel your audience, potential buyers, are looking for.
Staging a lived in home versus a newly built home usually involves removing many items from the home. Moving, or even taking furniture out altogether for the sake of appearance and flow are typical when staging a home.
Most of us move to a new home because we want and need more space. One thing that can make a room seem smaller than it actually is, is clutter. Removing clutter is a must. To make the most of the space you have, you must de-clutter.
Too many personal items, such as collectibles and multiple family photos, can be a distraction to a buyer. You want potential buyers to concentrate more on the features of the house itself, not what?s in the house. Buyers need to be able to visualize themselves in the home.
De-personalize: A house full of your personal pictures and your favorite gone with the wind collectibles might make a you feel warm and fuzzy all over, but odds are pretty good that they're merely a distraction to a potential buyer. When you're selling a home, your home needs to appeal to the greatest number of buyers possible and that's hard to do if your home is over personalized.
Moving or removing furniture: Sometimes all it takes is just ?angling? a sofa a little differently to really open up a room, make it look larger, and give it a better ?flow?. Also consider removing some furniture if that?s what it takes to make a room look and feel more comfortable.
Highlight the positive aspects of each individual room. Give each room a purpose and focal point. In the living room for example, draw the eye to the fireplace or mantle by angling furniture toward the fireplace. Place only three or five items on the mantle. Group smaller items, such as candles, together in odd numbers to look best.
In a bedroom, you might have a chair in a corner with an afghan draped over the back, a reading light behind it, and a book on the seat cushion.
A great kitchen can literally ?seal the deal? for many buyers. Buyers love to see lots of clean, clutter free counter space. Give them what they want. Remove all but necessary items. The fewer items you have on a counter, the more spacious it appears. Do the same in the cabinets and pantry. The kitchen should be clean, uncluttered, organized, and well lit.
In bathrooms, it?s much the same. Buyers are impressed with clean, uncluttered, organized rooms. Get rid of the messy soap dishes and all the bottles of shampoo and conditioner. Hang a new shower curtain along with a few new towels. Maybe even put a couple of candles out by the bathtub.
In the dining room, set the stage as you would for an elegant dinner party. Put out your best place settings, a bottle of wine, a couple of nice wine glasses ... and of course, a couple of candles. Make it romantic and memorable.
Fresh cut flowers, or a bowl of fresh fruit will help add color and fragrance in the kitchen or dining room.
And just before your ?Open House?, go ahead and put a batch of pre-made cookies or brownies in the oven. It's easy and memorable to buyers. Do you remember wonderful brownies and cookies smell right out of the oven?
What's the best way to get some ?staging? inspiration? Visit a few of the decorated model homes near where you live. The designers and decorators that ?stage? model homes are paid to know ?what?s hot and what?s not?. Use their expertise to help you ?set the stage? at your home!
Michael Hart is a former real estate agent, a private real estate investor, author of numerous articles and reports on the subject of real estate, including ?Top 10 Tips To Sell Your Home By Owner?. He is also a Senior Mortgage Consultant with Anderson Lending Group, inc. based in Peachtree City, GA. He can be contacted at 678-318-3542 or on the net at http://www.InternetLoanCenter.com
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