The Game-Plan: Home Staging Advice

​Staging is essential. I don’t mean hiring a professional stager and spending thousands on new furniture from said stager (though this might be more effective in getting the home sold at a higher price). But sellers don’t want to, or might not have that much money to spend, in addition to the cosmetic work they might do. Also, frankly, sellers are skeptical to spend ANY money at this stage of the transaction. I would rather spend that money on the cosmetic updates that are necessary. 

What do I mean by staging advice? I have taken classes, and listened to many staging consultations, giving advice for what to do prior to listing. This includes helping choose what colors to paint with, where to move things, and ultimately, the de-cluttering and cleaning necessary to get it sold. 

Here are some great tips for staging:

• Read about cosmetic fixes for a good deal of staging advice that would be necessary in lieu of these tips;
  
• Remove all personal photos from walls, and replace with inexpensive art;
• Living/family room should have an area rug if floors are hardwood; this rug should be on the light side (preferably white if you have no kids). If necessary, clean the existing rug. It should be located halfway under the sofa, with a living room table in the middle, unless the room is exceptionally small;
  
• No beds should be against a wall, unless absolutely necessary, or if the room is exceptionally small. Beds should ALWAYS be presented ideally, so get new comforter, sheets, and pillows if necessary;
• Fireplace should be the center of the room, if there is one; all furniture should face it, unless some unexpected circumstance would prevent it;
• Odors can make or break a sale; This is the number one cause of dissatisfaction with a home. If it smells, what else could be wrong with the home? Have a family member, your Realtor, or someone that is unbiased give a smell test, especially if you smoke or have pets. Immediately figure a solution to this, by putting kitty litter outside, replacing big dog beds with new ones, replacing carpets or rugs, replacing curtains that attract odors, or ceasing to smoke inside the home. Get air fresheners in every room, air out the home on a mildly cool day (or multiple days). If it is serious, hire a professional cleaning company to wash walls, floors, and anything else that might contribute;
• Remove all religion-specific items. I know you might be religious, and against something like this, but it is important that there are no specific items of any kind in the home. This could apply to sports teams, and specific affiliations, such as Boston Red Sox posters in the NYC area, or other major rivalries. These both may seem silly, but if someone is passionate, there is no reason to give them a bad association with the home;
• Make sure all lights and light-bulbs work. If the home is vacant, there should be a lamp placed in each room, at a minimum;

This list is concise, including the most important aspects of staging, but not all-inclusive. There are hundreds of tips for listing a home optimally, so if you would like a full staging list, leave a comment or go to the contact form and ask!

​Note: Consultation with a stager is a service offered by my go-to stager in CT. She charges $275, and sometimes I use this as a tool to get a listing. In other words, I offer to pay to have her come give a written consultation prior to listing, for things that can be done to improve value. This gives the stager the opportunity to come in and meet the client, and establish expertise, but also to give the best suggestions to improve sales price. 

It is amazing what a seller (or Realtor) can do to a home without spending much money. Put on your buyer hat and get started on these immediately!

This article is one of several about Listing Real Estate - The Game-Plan.
The next topic in our Game-Plan is De-Clutter and Clean.