Saturday, October 20, 2012

Staging Your Home To Sell

 

 

As I told you the other day, I'm packing up and moving from the suburbs back to my hometown...the Hollywood/Studio City area...not exactly sure where I will end up yet.   
 
So in order to get going with my big plan I need to sell my house.  Towards that end, I've been clearing out and purging stuff (even more than I usually do).  Another thing I've been doing is staging my home.  Staging your home for sale is all the rage...everyone is doing it.  Sometimes I think it looks kinda fake, like when the dining room table is set for a full meal.  No one really has their table set all the time (do they?).  
However, if it's done right, staging can be very effective. 
It's all about creating a feeling of a certain lifestyle.  The scene you set should show the potential buyers what a lovely life they will have if only they will buy
THIS home.

 
 
You want them to be able to picture themselves having breakfast or a cup of coffee in your kitchen.
 
 
Of course you love your family photos & memories but pack 'em up.  Don't remind the buyer that another family lives here, you want them to picture themselves living here.  A good replacement for photos is a stack of books. 
Looks clean and organized. 
 
You're going for uncluttered, so even if you have to pack up some of your clothes, it's worth it to show that your closets are spacious...plenty of room.  I didn't have to do that...I don't have that many clothes anyway!
 
 

I won't bore you with pictures of my  bathroom cabinets, but trust me, they are clean & tidy.  Buyers look everywhere.  Snoopymcsnoopersons!


It's all about creating a feeling...they think if they buy your house, they too will live a neat and tidy lifestyle.

Seriously, I even slightly staged my refrigerator. Don't laugh..they will look in there.  If your fridge is dirty or messy, it will help if it's cleaned up.

 
 
If possible, keep lots of fresh flowers around the house when you are selling.  If that's not practical, live plants are a good option but I happen to think fake plants are worse than no plants.  What do you think?
 
Staging is really about common sense.  Think about what you would like to see when looking at a home. 
Clean, uncluttered, well-maintained, neutral.
But if you need help, there are plenty of talented peeps out there who will do it for you.  Seems like it would be a fun job.

So come on over for a glass of wine in the backyard and picture yourself living here.

It's lovely I promise.
 
Thanks for visiting!
 
~Karen~
 
 

8 comments:

  1. Nothing like a good excuse to clean up and purge (although somehow I think you are probably always super clean and organized!)! Love your new adventure - can't wait to read more!

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    1. Thank you Sherri! That's a great compliment coming from you :)

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  2. Karen,
    good luck with your move! I could not agree more with getting your home organized so that it shows beautifully. Buyers look everywhere and yes including the refrigerator. I do the same and I find it part of the process of leaving one home behind and moving onto another. I actually enjoy it. I even find out who will be seeing the house and put out a snack for the family or couple so that they feel at home when they are imagining living in "this" house. I try to time fresh baked cookies right out of the oven before they arrive. I'll leave water bottles, little bottles of apple juice and goldfish crackers, an assortment of snacks in little bowls on a silver platter with cocktail napkins. People seem to love it and we've always sold our homes very quickly. Maybe it helps?? Your home looks beautiful!
    annie

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    1. Annie, thank you for your comment and your kind words! What fabulous ideas...I'm going to try the snacks and water bottles, that is so fun. And freshed baked cookies is a great idea. I'm sold :)

      I watched as you sold your CA house (it was gorgeous!) and I'm trying to follow your lead of enjoying the process. So far, so good. Thanks again!

      Karen

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  3. Maybe I should sell my house...then I would have an excuse to purge and clean it all out! Somehow I just can't get motivated until I have a deadline :) The pictures look great!

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  4. Hi Karen! You are most certainly right about portraying a certain lifestyle to make the buyers feel at home. “Clutter” is my middle name, in fact I even hired a professional just to do this for me. I really like everything to go smoothly and I think that hiring experts would save me from this. It looks really clean and modern. Putting fresh flowers to create ambiance in a room was a good move! Your suburban home looks lovely, by the way. Hope to see your new place!

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  5. "Staging is really about common sense." It’s all about simply keeping your house clean and making sure that everything is in good condition. Make sure to highlight the best part of your house to impress your potential buyers. Be creative and have fun while preparing your house to sell.

    -City Block Team

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  6. “...if it's done right, staging can be very effective.” - Certainly! How long it takes to sell your house highly depends on how you stage your home! First impression is a huge factor here! So you have to dress your home to impress your buyers. And remember to make your buyers feel that it is already their home.
    Alayna Swan @ Amazing Space NYC

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