Staging vs. Decorating: What's the Difference?

the_misfit I'm torn on this one. I understand the logic of appealing to a broader spectrum of buyers (though I don't intend to bother, whenever I sell my house - it will already appeal mainly to old-house people, might as well go for broke). But I truly, passionately loathe beige. There are some colors that are offensive - the color on my dining room walls (matched to the former owners' turmeric, but looked like, ahem, indigestion); bubble gum pink bedrooms. But unless the color really is offensive, I find anything better than beige, even a color I wouldn't have chosen. Perhaps the rest of America has a love affair with beige; that would solve the mystery, I suppose. But unless that's the case, I must believe you can depersonalize without erasing ALL personality. For example, I've rarely seen a hotel lobby with beige curtains, beige carpet, beige walls, AND beige upholstery. If they can do it...

smoore I'm torn on this too. We purchased our last home because when we walked in it felt like you were on the set of Family Ties (family mementos and pics everywhere). We knew it was the perfect family home because it looked like a family home and not a hotel lobby. A home with "personality" is much more interesting than a home with builder grade white cabinets and standard grey/beige walls. To each his own though. I'm still of the opinion that a clean, organized, clutter free home is the most important thing and you can depersonalize all you want but it's the bones and layout and soul of a home that gets a buyer.

Diamondflame I'm with Kristie on this one. You want to appeal to a broader set of buyers who would most likely want to personalize their own homes after the purchase. Staging or depersonalizing it helps them to visualize the probability of making the space their own. I have walked into sellers' homes that were too homely/ personalized and it felt as though I was intruding, that the owners were not prepared to sell their home yet. It's not a good feeling.

MistiK Design Studio Yes, there is a big difference between home staging and decorating for your own taste and enjoyment!

The purpose of home staging is to prepare your home for sale. diamondflame is right on this one: sometimes too homey has the opposite affect on potential buyers. As a professional home stager, I can tell you the hardest part of working with a new client is telling them to depersonalize their home!

The key to remember is: it's not your house anymore! You want to sell to someone who wants to make it their home and you need to emotionaly detach and prep the "canvas" so to speak, for another artist's brush.

Having said that, I will add... beige is NOT a colour in my vocabulary! There are thousands of gorgeous colours out there the will neutralize your house for a successful sale... and they're not beige!

Karen Heffernan I staged my house when selling it last year. I bought some new accessories (tablecloth, throw pillows, new towels, etc) and decluttered. In a market where neighboring houses sat on the market an average of 6 months, I sold it in 4 days. I'm a believer.

akadams Professionals: In your experience, does an empty home sell more quickly than a staged home?

Kristie Barnett, The Decorologist The reason why staged homes sell better than empty homes is because it's difficult for most people to accurately estimate the size of a room without the context of furnishings. For example, without a bed in a bedroom a would-be buyer often isn't sure if their bedroom suite will fit in a given space. And as strange as it seems, buyers will walk away if they think their current furniture won't fit in a room. Most people just can't visualize beyond what they are shown when touring homes for sale.

zombieknit I agree with the_misfit re too neutral colors. I have seen a lot of show homes in the last few years and the one that stands out featured a girl's bedroom with 3 white walls, one black wall and a black ceiling. The bedhead was striped black and white velvet with red roses. It was dramatic and I (and many others) loved it (and remembered it). It reminds me a little of the guest bedroom in the article.

annndrea Besides declutter, I think depersonalizing is a big part of getting your home ready to sell. Recently my husband and were house shopping and came across a master bedroom that include artistic nudes of the lady of the house. Sure she and her husband might love them as decoration, but when it comes to selling, replace them with flowers or landscapes or just about anything else!

Capital Home Staging & Design I have noticed a few non-believers posting and I love that they are questioning this as staging IS for the potential buyer and we do need to make it appeal to more people than yourself but a TRUE home stager will be able to address a home in a way so it appeals to more buyers AND has an emotional connection. Staging is about marketing a home properly, packaging it so it appeals to a TARGET buyer (not just any buyer) when you target your stagings the homes sell much faster than if you set it up for just anyone!

The_misfit mentiones that he/she despises beige! well i do too, BUT it's not about us at that point, it's about the buyer and making a home 'liveable' before a buyer views the home. It's been proven time and time again that homes with bold colours, or inappropriately placed or used colours costs home sellers thousands of dollars in lost. Even a home I purchase that was painted a lilac purple through out and the sellers had to give me $10,000 off the asking price because I would have to IMMEDIATELY paint it prior to moving in (not to mention it was sitting on the HOT market for 6 months with no action because buyers hated the colours) and that is a cost no buyer is willing to absorb. So, when you paint a home beige or more neutral then it allows buyers to take their time to select the colours they want for their home and save a budget for painting to customize it for themself. In my business I love using colour as much as I can but it must be used through accessories that are removed after the sale. And for the kids room -KEEP THEM IN FUN COLOURS :) the only time i say paint a kids room is if it doesnt suit the next potential buyer.

Do you know why beige appeals to more people than just a colour? well colour envokes different emotions for different people Red for example to me is a passionate fun colour and others will see red and feel angry and depressed. Green can make people feel relaxed and at peace or sick and lonley. Beige is essentially all colours (except black of course) mixed together so when a it is viewed the colours they internaly desire are pulled out more than the ones they dont like. So when a blatent colour is on the wall their is no working around it with buyers they either love it or hate it and if you want to sell quickly you need to open up the possibilty of buyers falling in love faster with something the majority will choose.

Now for @Smoor you are COMPLETEY correct, actually many stagers now of days are staging the "old" way by making it sterile, clean, and bright. This is NOT how they should be staging now of days. Each home has it's own personality and it's own potential buyer and a proper stager will research WHO they anticipate is to buy the property. Essentially who will buy the home based on research and set it up accordingly, for a young hip downtown condo i wouldnt stage it for a retirement couple to take a peek because that's not our client. So as you can see staging is about appealing to more people but it HAS to be the right person. If a home doesnt have personality its going to sit longer! Keep (some) photos, keep some toys, keep some kid coloured bedrooms -ONLY if you know a kid will be potentially moving in.

So all in all I love the article we do NOT decorate as a stager and we do make it a little more neutral so it appeals to buyers BUT we DO have to ensure we are keeping personality for the proper buyer. This is why my company's days on market average is only 15. WE KNOW WHAT SELLS :)

Happy selling everyone and great points! are you not happy to see that the way people stage is dramatically changing.

Cheers
Kristy

Design Solutions I loved this article! It provides great information not only to home owners that believe their "style is the way" and wondering why their house is still on the market, but is valuable for RE agents since many give the direction to clear and de-clutter but the house still does not appeal to buyers completely missing the mark. Capitol Home Staging and Designs made excellent points about color and how to stage.
If you have hired a professional Stager they should be creating a look in the house that does have personality, speaks to a broad range of buyers, and allows the best features of a home stand out.

Kristie Barnett, The Decorologist Great comments from everyone! You won't see effective Home Stagers using lots of "builder beige" anymore - I actually use more "super neutrals," that is, neutrals with a hint of on-trend color, then I add well-liked accent colors on selected ceilings (especially dining rooms), backs of bookcases, and powder rooms. This article is somewhat general in what I recommend, but every home is different - the colors I choose varies with the style of each home and the fixed elements that cannot or will not be changed. There isn't one "go-to" color or formula for every house - which is why hiring a staging pro is important and will actually MAKE you money.

Reflections Interior Designs Great article Kristie. As a former realtor, I can say you are spot on with your tips and suggestions.
I love how you took so much information and made it clear and concise!

lorigascoyne Great article Kristie! I think you are right on the mark with this one. Having sold many houses myself, I believe staging has made a dramatic difference. I forwarded this to a real estate friend so that she can use it to help sellers understand what "staging" is all about, and the importance of staging when selling a home. Thanks for a terrific article.

Kristie Barnett, The Decorologist Lori,
Thank you so much for sharing the article!

Andrea May Hunter/Gatherer Kristie, thank you for featuring my work in this informative article. I also want to say that I agree that a judiciously staged home will sell quicker than an empty one or one that hasn't had a professional editing job. Well done!

portpiro No question staging works. I went for an eclectic mix of new and old which is less sterile and appeals to a wide market. A home stager wanted $8000 to stage my house. Instead I moved out or sold some furniture and spent $3000 on new furniture and accessories. Got a great price for the house and got to keep the new stuff. A win win situation.

susandanelski Yes, I followed this line of thinking when selling my home and it sold in 2 weeks! The book "Dress Your House for Success" helped me achieve this.

tradess2012 Wow....$8K to stage a home? That's totally insane, but anyow,how do you find a good professional stager? I found that a lot of people claim to be one, but its very questionable.

Trish Cleary I think staging a property is an excellent idea for both parties. As a seller you want the best possible price for your home, and remember it was your home so it can be quiet hard to hear negative comments and watch people view your home. So by packing away a lot of personal items you intend to move with you and declutter things you no longer require off to a charity shop, this will prepare you emotionally for the first step in moving. A very high amount of people find it hard visualising so you really have to set the scene for them, by changing your colour scheme to a warm neutral scheme they don't get distracted by colour , and can concentrate on viewing the property. By decluttering before hand the viewer won't get caught up in what they don't like in your personal taste and instead imagine where they will hang their favourite photos etc.
I would definitely recommend staging.
Trish Cleary (Ireland)

JAN MOYER Nobody said it had to be beige ladies! But the MINUTE you decide to list your home for sale, it is no longer "your" home. It is simply a potential home for someone else, and you don't know who that someone may be. I often get calls from clients for whom I designed in the past.. and we "un-decorate" a bit when they list! We scale back some of THEIR personality, and create more ambiguous vignettes that have a broader appeal. Don't confuse" you hate beige", "or I bought it, so will another..." with laziness. This is not seven or eight years ago in the real estate market. In many areas, it is mostly a buyers market.You want the best price, and the widest appeal. Or you don't ! Your home is only worth what someone will pay. What do you want that number to be?

nancyferro When I watch shows on HGTV where they are looking at particular homes for sale I'll never understand why there are so many comments on the owners personal taste. In looking for a home I would imagine how my belongs would work in any given area of the house. I'm not there to comment on someone's personal taste, I'm there looking at a potential home. I'm looking at the bones of the house!

Sauveteur There's a difference between staging and decorating. An immediate example is that when I'm decorating I tend to place personalized items about in the house. As an example, family photos, nicknacks my children have bought for me, my favorite bathrobe hangs in the bathroom and an afgan a friend made me years ago is draped on my office chair even though it doesn't coordinate with any decorating theme I now have. When I entertain, I remove and store items that are too personal, family photos, bathrobes, certain nicknacks, and that afgan. When staging I am leathal. Everything must look emotionally neutral. I only give homage to 'personal' in the very broadest sense. If there are photos then they are photos of events. If there is a bathrobe it is brand new and neutral. There are only artistic arrangements of interestingly shaped and related items; all the nicknacks have gone. Even the lighting is changed. Lower amps for private rooms, medium amps for rooms where entertaining is done, high amps for work-task related rooms.

Sterling Property Services Thank you for a great article! As a professional stager, I agree in principle with most of what you're saying, but have a problem with some of the examples. Bold geometric patterns aren't sufficiently neutral to attract a wide audience and the ones shown are too strong, so I wouldn't recommend using them for staging. At the same time, I do believe in using a pop of color as in the first picture with orange accents, as opposed to the bland and rather boring staged version. The reason is that using color makes for much better images for marketing materials, especially the on-line photos where over 95% of buyers will see the house for the first time.

As for the difference between staging and decorating, think of it this way: Decorating is all about you and what you like to live with. It's adding on to the bare bones of the house with your personal style. Staging is all about pleasing prospective buyers, and requires editing down your personal style to showcase the features of the house, while making it look as spacious as possible, warm and inviting. Color is one of your most effective tools when you sell, so be sure your paint colors are well-coordinated with the permanent elements, such as flooring, counter tops, stone, tile, etc.

For more information on smart home selling, visit my web site where you'll find back issues of my "Smart Selling" column under the topics:
Smart Selling Principles
How to Prepare Your House for Sale
How to Price and Market Your House

http://www.sterlingpropertyservice.com/staging-redesign/smart-selling

Thanks again. Many people will find this information helpful.

Michele Nowak tradess2012- To find a good, professional home stager, make sure they are accredited/certified in home staging, insured, and provide good references from realtors and homeowners they have worked with before. Ask to see a portfolio of their work. I am a professional home stager in Raleigh, NC, but I have connections with other stagers around the country. If you would like to send me an email (michele@stagingnc.com) I may be able to refer you to a stager in your area. Many times, it just takes a consultation from a home stager who will give you recommendations on how to stage each room in your home using what you already have.
Kristie, this is a great article, and right on the mark!

elenitasan Get rid of clutter? Absolutely. Total cleanliness? of course! No serious cooking before a client comes in is important too cause smells matter. But beige walls and get rid of family photographs? I don't think so! I've sold a few and bought a few houses through the years and was able, like you will be able, to determine how your house looks best. If the people who come to see it have ZERO imagination, well, then there's not much you can do about that! Neatness and fresh flowers, pleasant or NO aromas...and a touch up of paint where needed will definitely do the trick.

Rooms in Bloom Home Staging & Design Inc. Great article with lots of excellent differentiation between staging and decorating or interior design. We consult on homes every day where the home owners have a hard time initially understanding that they need to invest both time and money in their home if they hope to sell it for what its worth. As we mention in our home staging blog, we often tell home owners that they should expect to invest about 1% of the list value of their home in making the property saleable. This includes all fix ups, smart upgrades, paint and professional showcasing.

Where do you start if you want to list your home for sale? As there is a glut of home stagers its essential to find a professional who has the experience, talent and resources to help you properly showcase your home for sale. This means the home owner needs to invest some time in researching all the available home staging companies in their area, looking critically at the websites (there had better be one or the stager isn't a pro) and at the stager's portfolio. As the portfolio is representative of the calibre of work they do, it is essential to really like the work they do. We even go one step farther and say - are the photos professionally done? If they are, that means the stager is a true professional, ensuring that their work is properly showcased as well. Call the stagers you are interested in, talk to them and get a feel for how they work and if they are a good fit for you. Your home is the single biggest asset you have so selecting the right stager ensures you leave your home in the hands of a professional who can handle the job and help you present your home so its appearance justifies its list price.

astraea Am I the last of the buyers who focuses on the "bones" of a home listing .. room size, age & condition of structure, mechanicals & appliances? I focus on flow, window & door placement, and wall space. Who cares about furniture that's leaving with the current owner, except to notice how things fit in the rooms? And unless a house is painted within a year of being put on the market, a new owner will probably put a fresh coat on .. even if they like the existing color! Once furniture's removed, you notice all the little marks & dirty spots. It drives me nuts when buyers on TV shows (and probably in real life) get so hung up on the current owner's decorating style; who cares .. they're LEAVING! And don't get me started, about buyers who enthusiastically plop on someone's bed with their shoes on, because it looks "cozy"! Interestingly, the previous owner of my home had 4 rooms painted in really dark colors, including 2 kids' bedrooms with whole-wall sports murals .. and their realtor didn't get them to "neutralize" anything. My painter had some fun covering royal blue walls! I'd just strongly suggest that sellers declutter, depersonalize, CLEAN, and neutralize.

Selfridge Design There are unlimited neutrals that are not beige. Most paint manufacturer's fandecks include a "neutrals" section that provides neutral tones in every color hue. Check out Sherwin Williams Fundimentally Neutral collection.

Domani Drapery and Design I think you nailed it on the head when you said "staging is selling a Lifestyle not your OWN style. I think there is a big difference between decorating and staging. I do believe that if your paint colors are on trend and are not too personal, it can make a nice impression.

Mona I agree that once buyers walk in the door, they start calculating what they have to spend to fix it. While painting is considered to be an easy fix, if this is a large house, it is not so easy and paint is not cheap. We were told by four realtors that our house sold quickly and close to asking price because it was staged beautifully. Other houses in the neighbourhood are still sitting on the market.

designergirl13 As an experienced interior designer and home stager, I find that I try to create spaces that optimize the space...as that is what we are selling. We are selling the structure...and the concept of how the space would feel ideally furnished to maximize that space.
The colour scheme and textures are the jewelry...That is what is eye catching- and what should not be the " why you buy"...

You buy into the idea that you can see yourself residing in that space. Buyer beware. If you cannot see yourself living in the space for reasons of location, schools, price etc. no matter how much you are intoxicated by it...
Do not purchase on the "dream" purchase on the realities...as it is your future and happiness comes from more that a paint colour...as that is all that will remain after the homes is empty.

Hire an interior designer or decorator for a colour consultation- we will give your existing space or your new space a whole new concept to bring it to life.
We make your houses into your homes...

PS I have not used beige in over a decade and I rarely use taupe...zzzzzz.

tbinteriors62 I am an interior decorator, who loves to add color to clients homes. Color is not a problem if the accessories and furnishings are well placed and clutter free. Many of the examples listed have color, perhaps not on the walls, but in the drapery. Do not be afraid of color, but be careful of the color pallette. If questionable color is present, then by all meanse, neutralize it so the potential buyer can accept it. Staging is a great idea to maximize a well conceived asking price.

evelinasnell Staging your home to sell is very smart. For those non-believers, think about what you come away with from the homes you are looking at to buy when you are in the market to buy. I'm sure you are looking for an organized, clean home that you can visualize becoming yours - if you go into a home and leave thinking "oh my gosh, I'll have to strip 5 rooms of awful wallpaper and we couldn't even see the details of any room because of the clutter" - you aren't seeing the house becoming yours. You are seeing all of the work ahead of you. Spend time de-cluttering first and then step back as a potential buyer to see how your home would look to someone else - or better yet, have a friend come through and make suggestions. Selling your home becomes business people - who wouldn't want to make a sale!

sclawson Remember that most buyers these days do their shopping first on the internet. If they don't like what they see there, they probably won't visit. Along with that, choose a realtor who will do an expert job at presenting your home on the internet. LOOK at the other listings and the quality of the photos. The photos our realtor had taken could have been in a glossy magazine. Think about what will photograph best in your home--CLEAN and CLUTTER-FREE. It doesn't have to be bland. My house had sage green woodwork throughout against pale yellow walls. Certainly not bland, but also relatively neutral and appropriate to the colonial architecture of the house. It sold to the 3rd couple who looked at it! We had already pared down the furniture and personal stuff, and the realtor had us remove a couple more furniture pieces. Interestingly, they had us remove an island from the kitchen, which my husband had built, because they thought it made the kitchen look small. However, they photographed it with and without the island and ended up using the photograph with because it made a better vignette--more welcoming! We stored the island in the garage, and the people who bought the house made their offer contingent on us leaving that island!!

The point is NOT to get emotional. The advice about using your prep time to detach from your house and get ready to move on is good advice. I lived in that house 20+ years and thought I would be emotional about leaving it, event hough it was a 2-story and I couldn't do the stairs anymore. But I don't even think about it now. It's only a few miles away, and I haven't been by it in months because I'm focused on renovating our condo.

Judith Harlow I think you clearly explained the difference between staging and decorating. I'm an interior designer who does both and liked your example of the desk area under the stairs.

safbham I believe staging can help a home sell.... however, if the home has architectural flaws or location or property flaws, the best staging in the world won't help it sell.
A property across the street from my home was professionally staged... it was on the market for over 1 yr.. It was finally rented then returned to market. It's primary flaw was no back yard to speak of, just a side yard of minimal proportions. It's main color: Beige. A color I also have great disdain for as the walls look perpetually dirty and it darkens the house. So many realtors will mention when a color of something will "hide the dirt" as if that were a positive thing. My sister's home was on the market for 8 months. At which point I helped to stage it... It sold in 6 weeks. The techniques above were pretty much what I did. Fairly common sense when you think about it.

Joy Smith I agree there is a difference between staging and decorating. Most people are living in their homes while they are selling them so I have a problem with making my home look like a model house. I think we have been conditioned through TV shows that existing homes are to be a buyers dream home without any effort from the buyer. I've loved buying the imperfect house and making it my own home not ask someone else to do it for me. But now we have to work our homes over twice, once so that it's our home and the second time because somebody can't see past a cosmetic flaw like paint color.

I do believe that clutter and over furnished rooms are killers in selling a home.
So when the time comes to sell my home I will be editing and cleaning not necessarily re-styling.

Margaret Eaton Our family has moved frequently for my husband's job. I have bought houses that are "decorated" - and I use the term loosely - because I can divorce the clutter and bad taste from the layout and other features.
In every case I have made offers well under asking price because the houses have sat on the market for a long time simply because previous potential buyers could not get past the decor.
When I sell, I make sure that rooms look bright, spacious and clean with minimal furniture and accessories. Even in the poor market of the last few years we have had quick turnaround.
In my opinion, the biggest hurdle in selling is the seller's mindset. Once you decide to sell you must realize that it is no longer "your" home. It is now temporary housing until you move into "your" new place.
Once you understand that concept it is much easier to disentangle your emotions and stage for buyers.

bfergie I agree with the few on here that have said they were able to see past the "indiscretions" of the current owner and see the bones, condition, texture of the home overall. Regardless of what is or is not on the walls, in the rooms, I will redo it to whatever suits me. I bought an old farmhouse with busy wallpaper everywhere, combined with hunter green paint, and the bathroom....well, let's say it was a little disastrous but large and adequate. I found the house to have a warmth I was looking for and although I didn't have the money to come in and gut it and start from scratch, I did go in and make enough changes, slowly, over time to make it mine. But the bones of the house and the warmth I felt while in there has always been there and will remain.
People on the design shows can't see past their noses sometimes, or think they have to have what is the latest...talk about generic!
And if I ever decide to sell my home, I am not going to want to spend money on a stager and make my "home" into a generic house.

pegnden I have a small home staging business and I often tell clients home staging is sometimes about "undecorating" a house to remove distractions. You want buyers to see the bones of a house, not your things, however beautiful they may be. That doesn't mean homes need to be a blanket of beige. I have used navy blue, chocolate brown, slate, aqua. More important that wall color, a home needs to be clutter free, depersonalized and spotlessly clean.

mcd53 Hire a professional stager....please. Clean your home, declutter your home and paint anything that is not neutral that you may have fallen in love with over the years. Just stand back and take a good look at your home, most people are smart enough to do this without paying someone to do it for them. You may call that staging, I call it getting ready to be put on the market. No pink, no cornflower blues. They have limited appeal. But clean, clean, clean...nothing will replace that.

kennedytarheel why didn't you show a normal home instead of all expensive ones?

kjev Funny how people can't visualize if their furniture will fit -- it's called a measuring tape! But I totally believe this. And I have staged my home when I was selling it. When I was buying a new home I had the measurements of my current bedroom and the measurements of my furniture with me.

gloriaward Staging is for 'go' - Decorating is for 'show'. Furnished builder model homes give lots of for-sale-now-staging.

happiness10 PEOPEL GET WITH THE TIMES,... PEACEFUL, SOOTHING, CALMING, DO these words mean anything, your home should be your sancturary. ALL THE CRAZINESS AND COLOR HAPPEN outside the home. get with your inner self. if you want color throw on a tee SHIRT.... PROFESSTIONAL TASTEMAKER/ STYLE INNOVATOR. I hope this HELPS.

gkgk I am confused on whether to hire the services of an interior decorator, a redesigner or a home stager. I am looking to update my home and want to use a lot of my existing furniture. We do not plan to sell but over time with the family growing up our home has made many transitions of function and aesthetics. We have several good pieces and themes but nothing ties together. Some of my questions are 1. how a re-design works; 2. does a re-design expert have all the resources to carry out the project? 3. how does one decide on whether to hire an interior decorator or a re-designer?

latvywife this is wonderful advice! I get to stage once in a while, and I know that it is hard when a client does not understand about the neutralizing of their home - they tend to get defensive about their taste - you have to be part psychologist/UN negotiator~people, don't take the staging of your home personally! It is time to let go of the home emotionally at the point when you put it on the market.

mamadama I have enjoyed all the professional comments on the difference between decorating and staging. I have been a decorating hobbist since high school and feel the photos with this article show beautifully the number one item buyers are looking for, peace. No one is looking to buy chaos. To me the calm colors and decluttered spaces spell sanctuary not boring. And the silly comments on those design shows are on purpose, those shows are staged.

defever I'm definitely a believer of staging. I've sold 3 houses...all in 2 days or less. I left a few family photos and some of my "stuff". I removed excess furniture (so buyers could envision their own furniture in the rooms), and I strategically placed bouquets of flowers. A little pot pourri of cinnamon on the stove helped buyers think of baking in the kitchen. I have lived on a boat for over 10 years and will be moving into our new house within the month. My motto is "I can't cope with taupe!" I've painted the interior great room a warm butter yellow and the master bedroom is medium sage green. Friends walk in to check on progress and always comment on the colors -- no beige in site for this girl!

elizajane Great article and great comments! I have bought and sold several homes and staged them myself with the help of books, articles and magazine pictures. If you are comfortable with this it can save you money and if not I believe that a professional stager can help. My thought on all of this is that first of all beige is not the only neutral colour out there in fact neutrals come in all colours. And yes some people might be able to walk into a home and instantly see themselves there no matter what the decor is and how much clutter there is but the truth is most people cannot. When I buy a home I look for homes that haven't been staged because I know the price will be more negotiable because they will be on the market longer and appeal to less people. So yes, I'm looking at the bones of the house and capitalizing on the opportunity to get a great deal. You don't need to spend a fortune and you don't need to completely depersonalize your home to see a higher return on your INVESTMENT. Think of it this way.....You can stage your home and sell it quickly and for more money because it appeals to more people or you can keep it the way it is and wait for the first person to come along who has the same taste as you and be happy with whatever you get no matter how long it takes. Would you treat any of your other investments this way. My thought is..... the more I make on this house... the more I have to spend on the next one....or new furniture....or a trip.

trasgorshek This is where I am torn, I think the line is finer then we think. For instance when I walk in the new homes out here they have been staged but decorated as well. They have specific flows about them. The builders do use well known decorators to asist and the homes do sell. They are not generic but jazzed up, some with even black walls.

To me, bones and architectural detail are much more important but I understand that you only get one first impression and the majority of buyers can't see past decor they don't like. So, I believe it doesn't have to be stale but it does have to be current. I'm constantly working on our townhouse updating it even though it was new when we bought it. It was just blahhhh, everything was builder grade. But when I tile, add wainscoting or put in hard wood floors I'm constantly asking myself "will this selection be okay when we go to sell or will it hurt us?". Even though it is our home and we have no plans to sell anytime soon, I still have to think about this because these are things that are much more expensive to change. We lost money on our home due to when we purchased so we have to upgrade in hopes to get our money out of it.

So, I guess what I'm saying is, yes I 100% believe in home staging but I think what is more important are the architectural details, things that add value to your home. Then, after that, decorate to appeal! Maybe not to the masses but to your target market. Keep it fresh and current. Not everyone is traditional and not everyone modern. What I'm seeing, that works, is more transitional with bold splashes. So, yes, I will go ahead and paint the three walls in the loft a dark grey/ almost black above the white chair rail height wainscoting I plan to install. But, then again, if we don't sell for another 10 years and the paint is outdated then I will repaint but the wainscoting will forever be classic and that's where the initial investment went. Painting is easy and way less expensive to change.

lflarson So, if you are updating your home, for your personal use, and want to keep it simple & clean and choose a currently appealing color for walls, keep your existing furniture, etc....what's best? A decorator or a stager? I need someone who will be able to make tradeoffs to keep cost reasonable while freshening up the interior of a house. Why would I want/need a decorator instead of a stager? FYI, I'm not big on family photos & personal items around the house anyway.

Thanks for thoughts & ideas!

olldroo I'm afraid I find staged homes send out a very strong message "buyer beware". I always thought staging was to distract buyers from all the faults and shoddy workmanship, it definitely applies to the staged homes I have seen. I agree with smoore, a home that looks like a home and is warm and homely is more appealing and I have also read readers say that many staged room photos are actually off-putting if they don't feel their furnishings are as grand or will achieve the same effect. It is very hard to cater for everyone, so sellers do need to do their homework as to what works in their area.

The need for staging would also depend on the location of the home, the desirability of the area and the availability of homes in that area. I live in an area of $1m - $1.5m homes, highly sought after and rarely are there more than 4 homes on the market at any one time, so a dog kennel readily sells. Most of the homes were built in the 60s and 70s and many need immediate renovation and updating, which buyers are prepared to spend $100k - $200k doing, some are even immediately bulldozed for newer, larger and more modern homes. Presentation is still important to cater for all buyers but the most important thing is cleanliness, freshness, no water problems and absence of clutter, basically buyers want to see the bones of the house and know what problems they have to face and are not impressed with superficial cover ups.

Some of the generalisations in these articles worry me a little also. Many people obviously use this website for help as they have little or no decorating ability and to talk specific colours can sometimes be quite disastrous if the aspect and lighting in the room is not taken into account - many people take things literally. Some rooms need colour to cool the room in summer or warm it in winter.

Definitely furnished homes give buyers an immediate indication of how furniture fits and traffic flow, something a lot of people can't visualise without professional help.

Melissa Udd I am a professional decorator and stager. I would like to echo the previous sentiments about the sale of your home being a business transaction. You have decided to sell your home, and it has been the place where you and perhaps your family have had meals and holidays together, and will remain a part of your family's story. It has also likely been the largest financial commitment you have made. Now it is time time to get the absolute MOST MONEY THAT YOU CAN for your HOUSE. Getting top dollar is a combination of :
1. Preparing your home to attract the largest possible pool of buyers
2. Getting those buyers to come look at your home in person (staged homes look more appealing in photos)
3. Having the buyers feel emotionally connected to your house and visualizing themselves and their family making their own memories there. (not seeing specific evidence of your life there)

Staging addresses all 3 of these objectives. I would like to acknowledge the commentors here that have said they were able to see the bones of houses and look past the personal style of the sellers. I absolutely believe that some people have that ability and "can-do" attitude when it comes to re-painting and minor renovations. And you are Houzz readers so I would assume that you have higher than average interest in design and real estate, in general. I would guess that you probably also got pretty good deals on your real estate purchases because you had the ability to look at the bones, etc. But- when you are the seller in this business transaction, why risk losing the opportunity to catch a wider pool of buyers and get top dollar- perhaps even creating bidding wars. That is still happening, even in his market, and in my experience, it is the emotional connection of the buyers that can cause them to bid over asking price.

ikwewe I love how a staged home looks, but how to live there over a period of time, especially with kids?

We recently bought a house that had stood empty but furnished for over five years after the prior owner passed away. It was dark and gloomy and the bed and pillows that he had been using on the sofa were still there. Kind of creepy. It was relatively clean, fortunately. I hated the house on sight, but husband insisted on it because it had good bones. Yep, it does.

Once we rearranged the mid-century furniture and got rid of the bedding, the shag carpet and added some brighter art work, it glowed! The whole personality of the house changed. I have not personalized it much yet, I love it so much in its staged and uncluttered state.

Melissa Udd Lflarson- I would recommend a decorator for your situation. Staging really does apply to a selling situation specifically, and is intended to create a look with broad appeal. A designer or decorator will listen to you and your needs and desires for your house, and assist you with the purchase of furnishings and accessories, as well as selecting paint colors, etc. the idea is to create a look that makes you, specifically feel good about your home environment.

judybath The difference is between selling and not selling your house, or at least the time it will take and the price. My brother who is a realtor came in to the last house I had for sale and said 'you need to get rid of half your stuff'. At first I thought he was nuts but when I stepped back and looked at it he was right. I had about twice as much furniture as looked good in the space and the house looked cramped and tiny. I had good reasons for all the furniture as we have a big family who come to my house to gather but for a new owner they want to see the house and be able to move around in it. However, I did have one bathroom that was retro pink, newly redone with pink California tile, a new pink tub and toilet but white walls and counter top and the buyer loved it as much as I did!

In the Seattle market the home buyers are young so traditional and cluttered does not work. Sleek and modern is what sells even if the house is traditional so stage and keep your personal decorating for your next house.

ellielascari I love neutrals, including beige! I prefer a neutral background (walls, upholstery) with subtle punches of color. To me, "staged" means clean and uncluttered, so I want to live in a "staged" home. I have personal items, photographs of family, art on the walls, potted plants, but I keep it simple and to a minimum. It also makes it sooooo much easier to keep clean, and being a Libra, I guess I can't help but require organization in all areas of life.
EllieL.

yayayinny As a former real estate broker, the difference is, in most cases, amazing. It gives a refreshing look at the home while showing the actual space with somewhat universal appeal. It makes all the difference, even if buyers and sellers don't like to admit it.

Helene Carlsen I like this article because i do believe that a lot of people who sell their homes are not able to see it from a strangers and buyers perspective. Its important to remember that you are not buying your home again, but someone else is buying a house to make into their own home.

John Salisbury Absolutely there is a difference. I think you have stated it well here. Staging is a marketing tool for the home....intent on keeping as many potential buyers as possible focused on all of the best features of the home and getting them to that place ( as you have said) they are envisioning themselves already living there. Decorating is for displaying the people that live in the space....or at least a glimpse of the personality and style of the people who live there.

zuitzy Wow Kristie...Staging vs. Decorating...you really know how to stir 'em up...LOL!!

I'm with Kristie...staging is important and you'll never convince those who don't agree. It doesn't mean pulling personality out of a home, it just means broadening the appeal to a larger market. Plenty of excellent points have been made so I won't repeat, but I'd love to chime in on the issue of whether a furnished space or an empty space sells more easily. My vote is for furnished.

My favorite example is when I sold my house "too soon" and had nowhere to live while looking for my next home. My friend let me camp out in his little bungalow that had been sitting empty and on the market, since his divorce 2 years earlier. When I peeked in the windows of this 900 sq.ft. 2BR/1BA I thought there was NO WAY I would be able to fit or arrange furniture in a way that wouldn't look like a college dorm room. Boy was I wrong! I moved in a dining set, full-size sofa and easy chair, occasional tables, armoire, 2 queen beds, dressers and night stands. It was adorable and I loved the place!

When it was time to move into my new home I made arrangements with my friend to paint over the crazy colored walls and trim and pressure wash the house so the paint looked new. I was scaling back in my own life, so I had extra furniture, lamps and pictures available for staging. I added a couple of well-dressed queen-sized aero beds and changed out the window coverings. My friend was able to sell that adorable little place in 3 weeks. I didn't do much, but I'm giving full credit to those little changes and having furniture in place so a potential buyer could get a better idea of scale. I think this is especially important in smaller homes/rooms.

As I commented in Kristie's previous article on this topic, most folks who are in the market to buy a house do not have the eye for design or even the interest in design that most houzz.com readers share. We do this for fun, but not everyone enjoys fantasizing about paint colors. They know a pretty house when they see it but they have no idea how to make it look like that.

mrsben I personally feel, Interior Decorating targets individual taste, whereas Staging targets the masses. Similar to what you are pointing out, however not to discredit the latter occupation I feel sometimes it can be over stated.

For example, as mentioned in my comment of your previous article, I have sold three homes on my own within a matter of days and I am not even in Real Estate. I namely focused on 'the bones' of the home themselves plus followed some basic guidelines but what I failed to mention at that time is that two were just about empty and the last one (which I didn't get a chance to even list) was completely bare. Secondly, my son who is a professional Fashion Designer has had the opportunity to stage several model homes from top to bottom and surprisingly enough the last one he did; the Developer used the Livingroom he staged for their main add campaign. That being, the only space that truly suggested the presence of children (real inhabitants) via the accessories he added which in return made it a more personable space.

In conclusion, I am not arguing that there is not a need for Staging but I do feel much depends on circumstance. I do have the highest respect in what you do and you did make some excellent points.

Marlene Bohanan I am torn, too. I have a house that is over 130 years old with many style specific elements that I just love. One is hand stenciled walls in the hall - both up and downstairs,a luscious coral venitian plastered bedroom wall and a beautiful rag rolled yellow bathroom that reminds me of spring. What happens if I paint over these elements and I don't sell my house. I'm left with a boring, bland house with not much character!

abigailthecat Great article. You are trying to sell your home, not your personal style.

Distinct Designs - Jeanette Pierce, ASID I think in theory that there is a difference between decorating and staging a home. But, with that in mind I think that a professionally designed home wouldn't need to be staged before putting it on the market. If, this said home is overdone then that could be a different case.

In regard to your photo of the desk in the area under the stairs, if there isn't clutter and "stuff" everywhere then I don't think the pictures need to be taken off of the wall.

I have lived in 7 homes in the past 26 years and have never staged my home to place it on the market. I also live without clutter and believe that one should keep up what needs to be done in your home. Hire a professional if needed, so you aren't paying someone to stage your house and make it look its best as you are selling and moving out. BUT if this is not the case for you and you need to sell then hire a professional. Presentation is everything.

Stage One Services Very eloquently put...completely agree!

taureg How about moving this discussion to a more neutral place? I know people who have very successful retail businesses. What they sell is what sells well. It often bears no relationship to the things they want in their life. The difference between the two can be huge.

That's the argument here. Sell what the market likes, not what you do.

And, as someone who helps friends decorate their places, I can tell you that most people are not particularly visual, so you need to lead them. And (here's where I get into trouble), many sellers are not particularly visual either, so their apartments are cluttered and not necessarily as well designed as they believe (I am thinking of my brother here). So even if you are not willing to stage it to the level suggested here, go as far as you can.

And remember - the lower the price of the house, the less money most buyers will put into it to renovate.

wandm This is a good article with useful ideas. Although, in my opinion, staging is most helpful for someone who either doesn't have a very good sense of style or doesn't recognize that their style is overdone or limited in appeal. I like transitional style, something that doesn't feel too specific to a theme or time. And while I've heard for years that you should depersonalize your house to sell, I think that it's actually the junk that is the problem. For example, a few nice family photos, preferably not studio, in quality mats/frames does not make it difficult for a person to visualize themselves in the house. In fact, if you have photos of the family engaging in activities, enjoying life, it can be appealing. But when you see row after row of the kids' school portraits, in $5 frames down the hallway...well, I don't think that looks good even if they are my own kids. Every closet and cupboard should be tidy, organized and immaculate. Beige walls don't excite me much, but that's exactly what I did to sell my last two homes, with wide freshly painted glossy white baseboards and mouldings, it's easy to have a few pops of color from flowers or pillows. And thankfully there are some more interesting beige colors these days than when I bought my first house!

Just my 2 bucks...inflation and all. ;-)

housecrazylady Staging a home just makes sense. It's silly to be resentful because you need to depersonalize and clean up to make a house more presentable and more likely to sell. And it isn't necessarily conditioning that we have had--it's just that what one person thinks is "homey" another thinks is "homely." So, you certainly don't have to do it, and you may think it's ridiculous to make your house look like a "model" home for someone else, but why wouldn't you want to do what works? And it does work. It's great that some commenters can see the flow, functionality, etc of a house without staging, but others are distracted by furniture setup and geegaws and too much memorabilia. When I look at homes, I am not necessarily attracted to houses that look like mine (I have lots of knickknacks), but rather to houses that are a little more stylish and hotel-y looking. That's because I can see the real house without looking through the current homeowner's eyes. Then I can begin to picture how I would want it to look if I lived there. It's really no mystery. Just like buying a car, no one wants a dirty interior or someone else's left behind bumper stickers, zebra seat covers or whatever. Therefore, you can either take it as a personal insult that you need to present your home in the BEST light possible, or you can get busy and try to sell your house using what works. And I disagree that staging won't help very flawed houses--the house mentioned by one commenter was obviously overpriced.

crivera0202 I've spent the last 3 years looking at homes online and I can very much agree with the idea that you get your house ready for the widest possible audience before you even take pictures to post in a listing. You can tell that a house has been staged, but that's not a bad thing, not like seeing the ones with the screaming paint colors and jumble of belongings strewn everywhere. I'm now in the process of readying my own house for sale, and while I appreciate the odds and ends we've collected over the years, only a few of them will remain in view once the place is on the market.

Blissfully Designed Home Staging The value of a home dramatically increases or decreases depending on the color that is present through out the house! As a professional Home Stager, I have many examples of DOM (Days On Market) that prove color and choice of decor have a dramatic influence on the over all value of the home and time the home stays on the market.
Many home owners and Realtors don't really understand the impact that having a fully staged home makes to the length of time a home will sit without even a consideration of an offer simply because they don't think it makes a difference if a laundry room still has the 1980's wood paneling on the walls. Or a formal living room is painted a green that went out with Pocahontas's colors of the wind. Simple negligence can cost a seller not just thousands of dollars, but sometimes hundreds of thousands of dollars!
It's not just color that makes a difference to a home, its distinction that sells a home to the right buyer. The home needs it true character brought out, not the home owners personal taste. That's what will always sell a home! The home itself, if it's properly presented! A home is really no different than we are! If we are always buying the latest styles of clothing to keep up to date, why wouldn't we expect that people would want to see the same thing in our home?
Blissfully Designed Home Staging always says:
You only have one chance to make the right first impression!

zuitzy BTW...we're not professionals, but cleaning up, painting and arranging fewer pieces in our house (based on some basic staging advice that we had learned from helpful articles like this), went a long way toward selling our home fast in a terrible market.

georgia55 Another great article Kristie and I agree completely.

I find it interesting that the supporters comments seem to be a lot who have sold recently while our friends who don't support it seem not to have sold recently at least they didn't mention it.

I do believe staging helps to sell homes more quickly but the most important tip is the removal of clutter. Not just for selling but for your enjoyment of a space. Try it in a room that is bothering you or you just aren't enjoying it as much as another. Remove as much clutter as possible and see how you feel. I suggest the kitchen first. Remove the clutter from counter tops and the front of the fridge and see just how much better the space looks and feels.

It is a constant battle to keep clutter to a minimum but it is worth it in spades for peace of mind and enjoyment. Not to mention that a clutter free space is so much easier to keep clean.

Your New Home LLC This article really does a nice job explaining a concept that is subtle but so important in a buyers' market. Having a sense of personal style is wonderful and it's even more wonderful when a buyer shares it with you. However... if you want to dramatically improve the odds of selling quickly at a good price (in a buyers' market), it is always smart to stage a home objectively so that the buyer feels they can inject their own personal style.

Certainly there are a lot of homes sold that are not staged and the buyer fell in love with the previous owners' personal style. But don't bet the farm on that strategy. We see hundreds of tastefully decorated houses sit on the market unsold because buyers don't want to unwind the owners' personalized look because the decor was very well done but too personal.

Jennifer Johnson Wow so many comments!

Staging is VERY different from decorating. But some people seem to be commenting on a third type which is when you have a "show house" as in for a new development. You can go more crazy with the colors since people know that they will not get that exact house, but one that is just like it only not painted all those colors.

The bottom line is that in all the permanent features, you should neutralize, neutralize, neutralize, but in the accessories, you have some room to show some on-trend color accents or fun items, as long as they aren't too personal.

Great article!

nancyferro I agree with Jennifer! My kitchen,sunroom,family room& living room are all various shades of beige designed so that everything flows together. My dining room is a beautiful shade of green. I use lots of color in accent pieces like my pillows and such. It has a beachy feel which is exactly what I wanted. There is nothing I dislike more in a house than when every room is a different color!! Makes it too choppy!!

Diane L I've moved many times. The most important thing I look for in a house is that it is clean and in good repair. I usually would prefer to buy a new house or a older one that is empty of all furnishings. I look into closets and cabinets. If they are a mess and dirty I forgo the house.

Kathryn Tegreene Yes there is a difference. They are opposites. Staging is meant to appeal to the masses and decorating is about customizing the space to your individual preferences and lifestyle.

JAN MOYER RE AN EARLIER COMMENT

It would be VERY nice if professionally decorated homes didn't require a " ready for sale freshening" but they very often do. I can go back into my clients homes a year later and am astounded at the "bibelots' that have made their way in! Aurrrgggh!!!! More is not "more" my dear! That which you see every day, you cease to really "see". I think one of the best exercises ( prior to listing) is to go outdoors, take a clip board and pad. Now pretend you have NEVER been there before. Write down all the things that strike you as a tad tired, or that look less than welcoming and cared for. Approach each entry point in this manner. Stand in your mud entrance..., your front hall, and do the same for each and every room. It is harder than you think. The scrawny plant with two yellow leaves from mommy's hospital stay? OUT! Things like that. Some stuff is easy and is just the glossed over "I have no clue what that is or how it got there" stuff. Other things will be harder.,, scuffed doors in the garage, cobwebs, the basket with the xmas cards in JULY.... It is amazing how quickly even the most sensationally current house can begin to go a tad stale, when you stop SEEING. What you don't see... is what the buyer WILL.

safbham One must be a little discerning when staging a home.... coffee cups set out and dining tables set for guests is a bit overboard and too much of a clue to buyers that you are trying hard to get their offer. One thing sellers need to bear in mind is to put valuables away .... less is more.... and don't set up your house as if you are expecting guests to arrive. Fresh towels and soaps... (I would put them out and put them away after showings) uncluttered counters rooms and closets.... fresh flowers or cuttings from the yard... spritzed surfaces... and hide all personal items away from possible viewings.. fridge and freezer and cupboards clean and organized... front entry clean.... can go a long way towards enticing buyers. and .. I used to bake pillsbury cinnamon rolls then turn off the oven early to scent the house... vanilla boiled in a little water in a tea kettle works too.. just be sure to take it away before a showing.

sarapnp This may sound odd - but I fantasize about leaving my job as a Nurse Practitioner and learning the business of staging. Staging seems like the perfect melding of creativity and function - and fun as well! I inadvertently did some staging when my husband and I rented a small, 60+ year old ranch home while our house was under renovation. We were able to rent the house (on the pricey San Francisco peninsula) for only $500 a month because the house was on the market. Leaving the house on weekends for the Open House was the quid pro quo for such affordable rent. The house was small; an average sized sofa would look out of scale in the tiny livingroom. Because we were there temporarily, we moved in only a love seat, a cocktail table and a TV. We also brought in our dining room set and our bedroom set. The unintended consequence of so little furniture: the small, cramped house looked beautiful and balanced! We'd be getting ready to vacate for a Sunday open house and we'd overheard perspective buyers exclaiming "wow this place is gorgeous!" I wanted to say "it's not -really!" But I held my tongue. Upshot: the place sold in two weeks and we had to find a new place to live! I always wondered: what went through the new buyers' minds when they tried to arrange their normal-sized furniture in that minuscule livingroom? Buyer's regret, perhaps?

mcd53 I should have spoke to my kids before I opened my mouth. Our son is looking at a staged condo and loves it. One daughter wants to walk in the home and be able to decide where she wants her things, the uncluttered looked. She has one child, one on the way. And our oldest daughter would love for them to leave everything so she wouldn't have to do anything but move in. I guess you have to really be able to read your clients. I'm just thankful they have jobs and with a little help are able to get something,, they want and need...now. If you use your head you can have a home owner payment half of what you rent for
now. So sorry, now that I have three completely different options calling me all the time.

Sheila Zeller Interiors Definitely! Staging is marketing, and decorating is not! And it's crucial to know the difference. Great article, Kristie!!!

astraea Unless you can rent pieces bought for staging, or your stager provides them as part of the service, what do you do a) with your own furniture all the while your house is on the market (which can be a long time), and b) with all the stuff you buy just for staging .. which isn't your own taste?

Selfridge Design Responding to the "decorator or stager" questions above. If you are looking to update your home not specifically for sale, ask yourself what services you are likely to need. If you just want someone to re-arrange your existing posessions, then a stager or decorator will do. If you think you may have spacial issues to address, kitchen and bath updates, window or siding or lighting challenges... hire and Interior Designer.

The NCIDQ definition of the difference:

Interior Designers apply creative and technical solutions within a structure that are functional, attractive and beneficial to the occupants' quality of life and culture. Designs respond to and coordinate with the building shell and acknowledge the physical location and social context of the project. The interior design process follows a systematic and coordinated methodology—including research, analysis and integration of knowledge into the
creative process—to satisfy the needs and resources of the client.

Decorating is the furnishing or adorning of a space with
fashionable or beautiful things.

The choice depends on your homes needs.

Sterling Property Services I'm not a proponent of renting furniture to stage a house in most cases because it's expensive and unnecessary, and I don't think it's money well spent, unless it's model home or a unique, high value property. Instead, I tell clients to invest in something that conveys, adds value and improves marketability: painting the house in a coordinated plan of at least three colors, all tied to the permanent elements. If needed, paint the exterior too, especially the front door.

Limit staging to the kitchen and bathrooms using colorful, well-chosen accessories, plus a large scale green plant or a piece of art here and there. In a furnished home, it's a matter of editing the seller's belongings to create spacious, photogenic rooms and improve traffic flow. Sometimes things can be stored on site, but if not, rent a storage facility or ask friends or family to store a few things.

Autumn Barnum To the mis_says: I am chuckling because 1) I hate beige and 2) I am a home stager. Home staging in and of itself is really a rip off unless you are a millionaire. First of all there is no law stating you must use strictly beige. As long as the colors are not neon you can use just about any color, maybe with the exception of crimson red. I always tell people to declutter and (I tell them how) and find another place to store your personal pictures. People really do look at the pictures and not the house. After decluttering take a good look around; and mend anything that is minor. Hire someone if your roof is falling in your yard. If the paint job is years old and cracking or is so old it contains lead; then repaint; as I stated above. If you want to make the house look cohesive paint the downstairs rooms say yellow. Start out with a middle saturation in the living room; a shade lighter in the dining room and the lightest shade in the kitchen. No neon. Remember the decluttering? Bring back a FEW non specific pieces and sparingly use them. The is less is better. I see on TV and on the net where many stagers are charging people money they don't have by knocking down walls and renting furniture or buying brand new. Personally if you live in a HUGE City in midtown you may need to do that. Most locales that is unnecessary. You can do it with slip covers etc. if needed. Your realtor might suggest a few strategically placed fresh flowers or a bowel of fruit to give your house (note I did not say home; you gave up that title when you put it on the market.) to make it smell freas and inviting. Unless you live in a real dump or are real desperate to sell; you need not knock down walls or buy brand new appliances; however your appliances should all match and be no older that 5-6 years. Look at your neighbor's homes. If they all have granite counters in their kitchens and you have laminate; you might want to think about putting in granite. 80% of staging depends on your neighborhood comparables; and your budget. The TV shows that we see on TV are overly acted; except for one: "Sell this House" on A&E. They keep it simple. That OTHER network seems to think everyone has a few gran to fix up their house for selling. DEPENDING ON WHERE YOU LIVE; not necessarily so! (I am sure many will disagree with me)

mcd53 Don't forget how important curb appeal is!!!

JAN MOYER Someone asked earlier..."why don't you dhow a normal house" and I imagine they didn't because often "normal" may mean the way your home looks on an everyday basis. Sometimes... this is ..mmm.. not totally great? A little cluttered, a little stained, a little dated? In the end, listing your home, no matter it's vintage, price, or location, whether urban or rural, city or town, it is to put it in a dating competition with other SIMILAR homes, SIMILARLY priced. You are sending your house on a bunch of blind dates if you will!! You don't know what the date does for a living, what he likes to do for fun, or even if he does or doesn't have kids. Your house will greet him at the door, and YOU want it to end in a marriage, assuming he brings the dowry. You can't and don't care about anything else, and you want to get married SOON, and you can get the darn divorce at the closing. Decorating on the other hand, is you're in to stay. That is the difference, and that is why you are looking for as many blind dates to find "you" attractive, as possible. What do you want the "blind date" to see, and how do you make him want to marry with the shortest possible engagement?? Just as you wouldn't go to the poorhouse for one blind date, you don't do that with staging either. It's a best foot forward, and nothing more. That is allllll staging is, and all it will ever be.

brendaberry22 Good article. I happen to love beige, creams, neutrals. All the new strong colors look like Pollyanna is the decorator de jour and it's too clever by half, plus doesn't make for soothing spaces.

patmac200057 Although I love to tour model homes etc for decorating ideas, when I am seriously considering a house I prefer to see it completely EMPTY. I can more realistically determine its qualities and envision what I would do with it.

PatMac

5blues I don't agree with the beige is not a nice color. Go look at ellen kennon paints. I use her paint in my home and love the neutral colors. I add color with art and accessories. I didn't use a stager five years ago when I sold my home. It was neutral clean and multiple offers in days above asking. I am not a decorator just love houzz and hgtv. I do agree declutter, make closets roomy. Take down alot of personal items. Leave a family picture. Not to many. It will attract someone that says this is a loved home but not to personal. First make sure it is Clean and have clutter gone. Not to much furniture but enough. Make sure closets are neutral and clean. The house we bought was a nightmare. Bubblegum closets and barney purple including closets. They are all neutral now and all the wall paper gone. We looked past the bad colors and wallpaper the bones of the house were good. We Redid all the bathrooms and kitchen. The house was on the market for 8 months. We bought it for the bones and the good deal. Their loss was our gain. It was empty. I came in with a tape measure and checked the size of each room. I will never buy another house with wallpaper and bad paint. Another good point is save your sales slips for your heater, hot water tanks , roof and repairs. They help sell. We purchased our first home it came with a book with before and after pictures and sales slips. Its was a great selling feature. Our book now has the cedar stain color for our deck and down to our garbage disposal. Replacement windows these are the real things some buyers look for. The person who bought my house said I didn't even know you had a dog your house was so clean thanks you for the books for appliances at settlement. She told us that helped sell our home. I feel in that house I had too much furniture. So it was about neutral and maintenance and clean home with almost completely redone home for them. Not about staging for us. I do agree staging is important but in some areas it can be done by the owner if they are open to remembering the house is staged for sale not showing their beloved collections of material goods. Its about the bones and updates. Most buyers think do I need to paint or put in new carpet? Do I need to fix something? For some money is tight when moving. A house with to much work no matter how well it may be staged will not sell.
Hiding those pesky problems may hurt you. I know someone who filed a lawsuit for hidden mold after the seller hide it. Paid the inspector to hide it. She lost and so did the inspector. staging helps in high end homes. The home we have now we plan to sell in two years and I am making sure now as we repaint we do neutral subtle colors like beige, light blue, greys, designer colors. That being said the upgrades in my home are on the high end in my development. It will be about that maintenance and clutter free and clean for this sale to. I will use staging ideas but I will use records and improvements again for my sale. It's not that I disagree with staging. I am just not willing to pay for it. I save the money. Play up the things you love about you home and market them. If your yard is great outdoor space play it up. Make your home inviting and clean. This point in our life I will not buy a dirt wallpapered loudly painted house with no maintenance again. We just walked away from a house we looked at that we loved the bones but it was poorly cared for and needed to much work. staging is great for those million dollar and up homes in my neighborhood that the people have no time or ideas to decorate that play up the upgrades and fact they don't need any work. Smart buyers in this market are looking for more than just staging. They are looking for carpets, hardwoods, paint, repairs that need to be done to make it livable. They are going in with dollar amounts to make it theirs. So if I look at a house with beige carpets, walls and they are new and clean. I will take that house if the bones and repairs are done

bluelotus09 I have a house for sale but my mom-in-law lives in it with dated furniture and dated bedroom comforters, etc...how do I get them changed without hurting her feelings?
I'm able to walk thru a house and mentally place my furniture there...having others furniture there does not hinder my mind but I think the majority of home buyers have a difficult time remembering that my stuff will be outta there and theirs will be in there.

Sauveteur to bluelotus09, All you need to do is take your Mom shopping with you so that together y'all can choose replacement for those worn or outdated comforters. The idea is to place furniture and a very few chosen items around the house when the tour is scheduled to happen. Just remove and store personal items. Most potential buyer are more interest in the general maintenance of the home. They want to know that it has been looked after and appreciated. Make sure that it is clean, that there are no holes of any sort in the walls, that the cabinet doors all hang correctly and the knobs all match, and all the lights works. If there is a dripping faucet then fix it. People generally don't tour houses to see what type of 'stuff' you have. They are there to see how much work they will have to put in before they can put their 'stuff' in the house. So clean, sort, repair.

bluelotus09 Thank You but Im still wondering how I'm going to break the news to her that the comforters need to be changed..and some of the pictures taken down and replaced?

olldroo Blue Lotus - where will your mother-in-law live when you sell?

5blues I wanted to add my friend lives in a beautiful home. Her home is always perfect with three kids. Both her and her husband are very neat. Their closet at all times looks like a sales ad for a show closet all neatly lined up and on wood hangers and color coded. Their house is this way daily. She is very minimalist.
Her house looks staged daily.

nbarbour As a homebuyer I don't mind a few personal items but family photos by the dozens border on clutter. Sports memorabilia has to go unless it's in a kid's room. Way too much beige in use now. Wonder why a very light gray isn't used. Also every bath has terrazzo tile and kitchen backsplashes use terrazzo which can stain in use, not practical. And granite can be beautiful and can be ugly so don't put in granite just for the sake of having granite. A big plus is plantation shutters. Drapes too often reflect a style that is too ornate or dated.

user12541 I have worked in real estate for 25 years on the LI North Shore. This is a tough market & will continue to be so until the current & coming-on inventory sells. & I vote a big resounding YES for staging! I have an art & design background so I was able to stage my own Co-op on LI for sale. The entire place was painted in neutral but interesting colors (yes, Virginia, there are neutrals that are not white, beige or gray), carpet was replaced & window treatments, interior of garage was painted nice clean white. Not a lot of money to work with so only master bath had major replacement work (toilet, vanity with granite top, shower door, light & towel rods).

A seller needs to get their own ego out of the picture & see the home they are selling as a commodity which they want to appeal to the broadest base of customers. In a down market co-ops (except for major cities like NY) lose value faster & frankly more of the value than free-standing houses & move that much more slowly. My place sold faster than some on the market in my community for a longer time.

The tell was the buyers actually placing their furniture in my home in their imaginations. This is what you want when you are selling your home--the buyers to see themselves living in it.

and to sort of answer the question re empty or staged--if you are going to be selling it empty, be sure your realtor has excellent pics of it furnished & uncluttered to post with the listing & even to leave in a book with 8x10 pics for buyers to see. Most people do not have great imaginations re space & what will fit or how it will fit. If possible I would leave it furnished, but not sure if I would pay to have furniture put in--unless I had a relative in the interior decorating business, or was selling prime expensive property.

Paige D

im_busy_procrastinating I agree with others that it's important to know who your potential buyers are. If you're selling a 4-bedroom house in the suburbs, most likely you're selling to a family, and your home should look comfortable for a family. If you're in a hip part of town where there are a lot of singles, you want to ensure you use hip colors and decor, and set up the furniture for entertaining friends. If you're in the Midwest like me, you can't be too wacky with colors or patterns because most people aren't that bold. If you're selling a condo where retirees live, you want to go a little more traditional.

When your house is on the market, it's not about you, it's about the buyer. And the quicker sellers realize that and make changes, the quicker they can move on to their next home, where they can decorate however they like!

sojewett I had an unusual opportunity in the past few years--I bought a second home which I furnished completely from scratch. My past experience consisted of decorating piecemeal, starting with donated castoffs from others when I was young and adding new pieces when the old ones wore out.

In my new house, of which I am the first owner, I started with just a mattress on the floor. Because of my limited decorating experience, I studied magazines and websites and watched lots of TV shows on decorating and staging. One of my favorites was "Sell This House" on A&E, in which a team of experts helps people stage their houses for sale.

I now realize that what I ended up doing was staging my house first, then adding the personal decorating touches that made it special to me. For the big stuff (furniture, walls, flooring), I used mostly neutrals and "safe" choices. I then added splashes of color (pillows, artworks, books, rugs, bathroom towels and other accessories).

I also learned that one of the best ways to add color and beauty to a room is one of the simplest--a bouquet of cut flowers.

I love my new home, which I furnished and decorated myself on a fairly limited budget. If I ever have to sell it, I have a head start on staging.

Sara Huizenga I think a lot of sellers make the mistake of leaving out a ton of personal family photos, etc when trying to selling their home - which may inadvertently serve as just another reminder that this is someone else's home and thus make it more difficult for potential buyers to visualize it instead as their own.

tradess2012 actually, there is really no right or wrong, personal pictures, decorating, empty house and all, it makes no difference until THE buyer comes and wants it. Myself, I experienced the whole nine yards or everything and then sold the house with the buyer's request to be out of it within less than 14 days.....go figure! Wish I hadn't fussed about it so much and do hope sellers will think about it.....

astraea @Tradess2012 - I totally agree with you, about buyers being able to envision themselves living in a house, without the current owner having to totally "clear out" and/or redecorate! I like that the MLS system where I live, requires agents include room dimensions in listings, so buyers can narrow the field first, based on facts in the listing. Then there's less chance of them becoming "emotionally blinded," by things that are really meaningless .. like how other people chose to decorate! I saw numerous homes that were cluttered with trendy overstuffed furniture, but who cared when I knew the rooms were sized to fit MY furniture and/or what I planned to buy!

yayayinny Oh yes it does. There are always exceptions, but generally, it makes a world of diference to most buyers. Years of experience in real estate tell me so.

Selfridge Design You do not have to spend much (if any) money to stage your home to make it more appealing to more buyers. It is a very useful tool for anyone who needs or wants to sell fast, or for a house that isnt selling. Or if you want to maximize what you can ask for your home.

People do not just look at one home, you are competing with other, similar homes that may have done more work to de-personalize, and will be more attractive to those same buyers because they will feel it needs less work when they move in.

tradess2012 sorry, still don't buy it....the world of home buying has changed....

Misch Darton What a great & ‘esesential’ list. I think i relate with all of these.

Jax Nice work....an inspiration