The Differences Between Effective and Ineffective Home Staging!

Do you know the difference between a “good” and “bad” home staging? Unfortunately, many sellers and investors do not, and they end up wasting money on poorly done stagings that fail to achieve the desired goal of maximizing their home’s value and offers.

Here are some common mistakes that diminish the quality of the staging or — worse — fail to improve the home’s value at all: Sell my home in Tallahassee

1) Too many pieces of furniture, furniture that is too large, or out-of-date styles, patterns, and colors. Crowded and unattractive rooms defeat the whole point of staging to sell — making rooms look larger and more appealing to buyers so they can better imagine living in and enjoying the home.

2) Art that is hung too high or is way too small or the wrong color for the room or wall. Small art ends up looking like clutter in photos. Art should dramatize and enhance a room.

3) Poor accessorizing using out-dated items, small items, too many different colors, or the wrong number or size of items, which tends to make a room look unbalanced and messy to buyers. Alternatively too much white in a room with no contrast to add interest will not emotionally appeal to buyers.

4) Too-small area rugs that look like scatter rugs under coffee tables or dining tables — the legs of tables and all the chairs should sit comfortably within the outside margins of area rugs. For living rooms, the rugs should meet up with sofa and chair legs or go completely underneath furniture.

5) Lack of lighting which makes rooms look visually colder. It’s surprising how many homes lack table and/or floor lamps that both serve to dress up the space as accessories and most importantly, light up rooms to make them look better! A common saying in staging is “light and bright sells”!

6) Heavy or frilly/fussy window treatments. I generally suggest removing these to both reflect current trends and lighten up rooms. The one exception to this is leaving panel drapes if the colors are neutral or at least work well with the colors in the room and are kept to the side to let in as much light as possible.

7) Too-small or out-dated accessories (like cute plaques, roosters, and dish towels in kitchens, tiny soaps or florals in bathrooms).

8) Small plants plopped in corners of rooms. Greenery — faux or real — is great to add warmth and fill in empty corners, but the plants or trees need to be large to make a design statement in the space and not look silly.

A good home stager has:

1) A solid knowledge of furniture and accessory scale and number of pieces appropriate to each room that will help buyers visualize the best use and maximize the space at the same time.

2) A good design eye for colors — what colors play well together and in what amounts, the best color scheme that works with existing items and finishes in the house but also that will appeal to buyers, keeping in mind not only trends but the geographic area and seasons. For example, warmer or deeper colors in accessories like orange, red, navy, dark gray, bronze work better in colder months. Lighter greens, blues, teals, yellows are great summer colors IF They work with what’s in the home already.

3) Knowledge of design trends. An effective home stager needs to know the “hot” colors, furniture styles to use in vacant homes (transitional for many areas, more modern styles for many cities), and trends in accessories and bedding.

4) Experience in knowing how and where to hang art as well as the appropriate sizes for each room and wall, and the best colors to use in each room to achieve the desired emotional response.

5) Education in home staging (and ideally interior design as well), and membership in a staging association like RESA (the Real Estate Staging Association).

5 Ways Staging A House Helps Get It Sold

Although most people would agree, the better the first impression, the better the chance of transforming a potential buyer, to a serious one, many homeowners fail to realize, or are unwilling or unable to accept, their cherished home, where they have spent much time, may need some tweaks, in order for others to see it in its best light! Sometimes, only some minor adjustments might be needed, while at other times, there may be a need to stage the entire place! I recommend a homeowner discuss this, in detail, with a professional, trusted, real estate professional, who might offer insight based on experience, expertise, and understanding the marketplace. While staging may help in many ways, this article will touch upon 5 ways, doing so, may make a significant difference, in getting your home sold.

1. Exterior/ curb appeal: The staging process is used, as an attempt to lure potential buyers, to take a big – picture, type of look! However, this must begin on the exterior, because unless you get the buyer inside, nothing can happen. How can you spruce up the exterior and add to the curb appeal, without spending huge sums of money? Start by driving up your block to the house, and objectively consider what you see. Is it a turn – on, turn – off, or a neutral experience. You want to avoid turning off a potential buyer because of some negative distraction. Remember, it’s often about one’s first impressions! Look at sidewalks, driveways, plants, lawn, doors (including screen and exterior), and clutter. Touch up the paint where it is needed. Make the lawn more presentable. Trim bushes so they are controllable and more attractive. Power – wash the exterior and fix obvious faults or distractions. Get the buyer to come in, without already having ruled your home, out!

2. First impression: You only get one chance to make a first impression! Walk in your front door. Does the door squeak, or is there something wrong with the storm door? Are they any negative odors? If so, identify and eliminate them! How does the paint, etc look? Is it clean and neat, or dirty, ugly or an eyesore? How about clutter? Have you eliminated it? Does your furniture, as it is presently configured, help or hinder the overall sales appeal? Sometimes, you and your real estate professional might be able to make minor tweaks, and address the issues. However, there are times when the services of a qualified, recommended, professional home stager, are called for!

3. De – clutter: Wouldn’t you get a negative feeling and/ or impression, if you looked at a cluttered, messy house?

4. The right furnishings: Do the size and proportions of your furniture, fixtures and furnishings, enhance or take away from the allure of the house? The goal is to use staging to make things more attractive, etc!

5. Overall impressions: I represented a homeowner as a listing agent, for a very nice house, but for several reasons, it was challenging to show it off, in its best light. After having the whole house, professionally staged, the house sold in the next weekend! Make the best overall impression possible!

Home staging might be the greatest tool, in marketing and selling a house. Homeowners should discuss its usage, in detail, with their selected real estate professional!