Sell Your Home Fast: 21 Staging Tips

cgmarketing I wonder if Laura would be so kind as to reveal the paint colour she chose for images 3, 5, 6, 7, 9 and18

Laura Gaskill Hi cgmarketing - each of these photos comes from a different Houzz source. Try clicking through to each image you have a question about to approach the homeowner or professional directly. Hope that helps!

Madison Modern Home Laura, you've hit all the right points here. I like how you showed photos that have neutral backdrops, but also feature those pops of color, which add so much life to a room.

scarbowcow I'm reading through this and thinking, 'This is how I want my (future) home to look for ME and for MY GUESTS. Forget about doing all of this for future buyers. I'd like to have all of this for me, because I think you've described what a lovely, restful, inviting home is like. I'm bookmarking the whole article to review on that hoped-for day when I have my own place to decorate.

mrwritesf I'm with scarbowcow...I'd certainly love all of this in a home I owned, even if it does make the place look like it's stuck back in 1955 (you forgot to make sure there are cookies baking during home tours). However, as a condo dweller, only a few tips apply (floors, clutter, general cleanliness, patio/balcony [though I don't have one in my unit]). Curb appeal, porch, gardens, etc. aren't within an owner's direct control although general maintenance of a building/complex speaks for itself. Good surrogates would be amenities such as garage parking, roof deck, pool, hot tub, fitness room, theater, club room/demo kitchen and community grill/BBQ.

geezee26 These are mostly all great ideas and just plan common sense. But, I don't think opening your closet is a good idea. Most people don't have a very neat closet or wouldn't want people to see their personal stuff.

tradess2012 Most of the points made here are not that new, but still make sense....and then you have potential buyers who complain about the HOA fees being to high.

catsandroses I'm a Realtor and all the above points ring true.. despite what one may hope, buyers DO look in all closet and all drawers. the stager I work with says that 50% of surfaces like bookshelves should be empty and all drawers (kitchen, etc) be 30% empty. keep all closet neat and don't forget the linen closet, sheets, towels, etc. should be neatly folded, get all excess toiletries, etc, out of the space and one extra set of sheets and towels per bedroom.. that's it! also, you are moving.. box or remove anything of sentimental or monetary value as well as all meds.. you don't know who is wandering through at an open house.. and children love to pick up small stuff.. I had a client who was loathe to put away her Baccarat collection of small glass animals until I told her that Johnny was wandering through the house carrying her $100+ glass bunny. when I sell my house I am planning on renting a storage area to get the excess out and hopefully will donate much of in the process. these suggestions make an enormous difference in the time on market for a home.

Carol Taylor Most times simply removing one piece of furniture from a room makes it appear larger.

tsudhonimh "If you don't want to invest in refinishing floors, the strategic placement of area rugs can go a long way."

NOTE TO SELF: Look under ALL area rugs to see what they seller is hiding.

flameworker I had an awkward space--tiny room at the bottom of basement stairs, 1960's type paneling with no windows with my husband's guitar collection mounted on the walls.
I used a fairly bright yellow paint on the paneling, painted the ceiling demi-gloss white to capture any reflected light, removed the guitars. Next, I placed an overstuffed red chair with ottoman, a floor lamp and a tiny table. Pretty sparse, but then I draped a fluffy throw over the chair, placed a book and an open box of chocolates on the ottoman and a wine glass on the table.

Realtors left notes telling me how much they enjoyed showing my home.

P.S.--One more hint: A silent home has no "heart". I left a cd on loop setting with very soft sweet harp music on for showings. My realtor said she normally advises against music, but in this case she thought it really created a nice ambiance.

marthaelena A big turn down for me and many people I know is the odors of a house.
It is not only pet odors. If you have musty or mildew odors (sometimes is just plain old house smell), there are many sites online that will give you suggestions on getting rid of it or minimizing it. I know of a product that the previous owner of my house used to eliminate some odors and it works wonders.

On the other hand, the yellow flowers work best in the front entry according to some experts, and I agree. There is something about the yellow color that is inviting and makes you cheery.

Casart Coverings Moving is difficult both physically and emotionally. Your pictures make it so much easier to visualize all the results of hard work and how we'd want our home to look like on a daily basis. Great post and comments too. I've heard that if you bake bread or cookies (and then leave out for open house visitors), this can replace any unpleasant odors with that "welcome home" experience for potential buyers.

richdeco I agree with most of the advice but I'm also a Stager. Walking into the backs of furniture is never a good thing. You need to open up the room to make it inviting. No backs of sofas or chairs in the line of sight.

colleenrock Great points Laura. With the exception to time, most of these points are not costly. As an agent in Northeast Ohio, given the increased inventory in homes for sale, a question I ask homeowners is "what makes your home unforgettable?" Depending on the home's particular competition, this could be anything from sparkling clean to uniquely utilized space, to an exquisitely designed kitchen or bath.

Seattle Staged To Sell Hi Laura. What a wonderful blog and you really do emphasis all the points that I try to make to my clients. Sometimes is is hard for homeowners to follow such advice, since they are STILL attached to their homes.
As a professional home stager, I often find myself educating my clients that when they are selling their home is not about them anymore, it is about the potential home buyers. Once the home sellers come to truly understand this, then they'll be able to create the life style for their home for the next home owner through home staging.
This is a funny blog that I wrote about a home owner that just could not get detached.
Thanks again for writing this rich content wonderful blog about home staging.
http://www.seattlestagedtosell.com/2011/10/19/i-opened-the-door-and-my-heart-sank/

Sauveteur We are moving to Normandy, which means that this apartment in Limours will so be for rent, after nearly 6 years of living here. Well, that is what we thought anyway. We had to give 90 days notice and we understood that during that 90 days people would come in an tour our apartment while we were still living here. It's the standard arrangement here. In anticipation I spent the 6 weeks prior to giving our notice doing exactly those things you listed and more. Then, 2 weeks ago we gave our notice. A realitor and owners came by and viewed the apartment. The next day the owners phoned to tell us that they wanted another realitor to come by and that this realitor would be selling, not renting, the apartment. Just two days after the realitor and photographers came by the realitor set up an appointment to show our apartment. It was a happy coincidence that my orchids and african violets were in full bloom. The morning of the visit I went to the green grocer, as is my standard habit, and purchased fresh vegetables. After soaking them in water and cleaning them, I placed them in a bowl near the stove along with the soup pot where I would prepare the soup for dinner in about 4-5 hours. Because I had plans that afternoon, after the showing, I set the table too. Basically, I did nothing that I don't normally do on that day except for the 6 weeks prior I had cleaned and prepared. Well, except that I spent an extra 10-20 minutes reinforcing the dog's training to 'sit' 'stay' 'come'. The prospective buyers came and spent about an hour looking through the apartment, which is only alittle over 650 sq ft. I sat on the sofa and read until they came to sit by me and chat.

The apartment is sold and only going through the legalities now. One tour -> one sale. No more tourists in my home! What was left out in the article:

Make sure that every light bulb works.
Do not place any scented plants anywhere in your house for tours.
Do not use candles, especially scented candles.
Anything small and valuable needs to be removed and stored away.
Keep personal photos to a minimum.
Open the drapes, even just a bit in every room.
Turn on all the lights before the doorbell rings.
Greet your guest, take their coats and purses while you chat and hang them where outer wear is usually hung.
Don't allow the dog to leave your side or it's bed.
If you have a cat, make sure that the cat box is not visible or smellable and that canned cat food is not seen or smelled.
Empty and line all trash recepticles.
Have a hot pot of tea or coffee available and offer it to them.
Don't hover over your guests, because that is what they are: guests who may want to live their lives where you have lived yours.

pattimay Looking at photo 11 reminded me - To those selling your homes, when showing don't forget to take down, hide, put away, or take with you your valuables. Whether costly or sentimental.

nellson After staging and selling two properties in three years, my husband and I realized how wonderful it was to live in the uncluttered space. We just bought a third house in a new city and we plan to keep it up. This article was a great reminder on how to create that ambiance while we are in the middle of renovating. Thanks Laura.

tradess2012 Fantastic comments especially about the yellow flowers....but I do use citrus type of tart candles hidden. The extra towels, great idea....shopping today, and yes, noticed the open drawers in the bathrooms a lot....jeez....at least close them (note to buyers)....valuable are long gone into my safe....

Staging Diva Home Staging Training Excellent home staging tips here and I love the photos you've chosen to illustrate them! Especially like that for "Style your dining room table" you didn't include the advice to use place settings. I often find this distracts from the room itself. Great article!

Lanie Brown Re-posting for my Sellers. Thank you for presenting common-sense tips very brightly.

Tracie Most of these are great except for number #14. Baths with pedestal sinks are a major turn-off for me when house hunting. They have no counter or storage space. I'd rather see a vanity that hugs the wall or the corner.

bpetrohan Women generally HATE pedestal sinks.

All Things Home Organizing™ by Gayle Grace Really great ideas here...decluttering every space, especially closets, cabinets and pantries and actually "staging" those areas is a bonus.

pamban Beautiful work! I am a lover of nature myself and often wish I could live close to it instead of in a city! I love coffee stumps and collect them whenever I can. Congrads! home interiors in chennai

frenchdecor I thought I know about staging practically everything, however great illustrations and some tips (fine details) I consider with gratitude.

Casa La Bella Ltd Fantastic recommendations! Preparing your home to sell is like any Fortune 500 company packaging and marketing their product. Remember the five senses and strive to appeal to each at any showing or open house: (music, lighting, scents, soft fabrics and refreshments). It is all about creating a connection between the seller and the consumer.

Live fully and beautifully,
Laurie

pattimay Lighting, yes. Music, nice. Refreshments, nice. Soft fabric, nice. But smells - oh mercy, people please no candles, sprays or smelly chips in a bowl! Those of us that have immune issues, are sensitive to smells, and then come down with a 3 day migraine please a clean house always smells fine. If not, figure out where the smell is coming from and eliminate it rather than mask it. Your potential buyer will thank you, otherwise they may walk in and turn around and walk back out and miss a great find.

Ann Navarro These are very helpful for all homeowners who want to put their houses for sale. This is especially true if you want to put it on real private agencies. Thanks for this info!

http://www.realprivate.com.au

Lanie Brown A licensed real estate agent will bring value to the transaction. So you market your home yourself and a buyer makes an offer. Then what? Who completes the contract? What disclosures and other addenda are legally required? Who is responsible for transaction management? Who cooperates with the appraiser? My clients are aware of the hiccups in the process and agree with the value a REALTOR® brings to the closing table. http://www.pinkbrickrealty.com

francescopittore Thanks Laura! This article looks like the Vademecum for staging a house.

Ann Navarro These are great tips in selling a home quickly. Also, find a real agent that can make the job much easier. You can opt for Potts Point Real Estate Agents and be amazed on how they work.

http://www.rwebay.com.au