I think the majority of people who frequent this board are not swayed so much by decorating. I believe the general buying public will find a nicely decorated house much more appealing and it could result in a quicker sale (all other things being equal like location, size, etc.)

I tried to visulize the places we put an offer in on prior to buying this house. I can see the floor plans, the mechanical rooms, the condition of the roof. Can't remember a single piece of furniture or the colors of the walls. I definately don't remember decorating items like plates or pictures on the walls.

The only decorator item I remember from this house was the tiger skin rug with the head staring at me in front of the fireplace. I'd just never seen one before.

Gloria

I think unseasoned/inexperienced buyers will certainly be swayed by decorating. Seasoned buyers can see through all the frills to the bones of the house. I have bought homes before that were decorated by Mrs. Tacky -- but obviously were otherwise great homes at great prices. So your home will appeal to a broader range of people by also hitting those that cannot see the "bones" of a home as well as those that aren't fooled by decorating.

A nicely decorated home is fine, eye appealling, but of no significance when considering buying. I'm more concerned with the condition of the structure, the floor plan, the mechanicals and the space. Decorating can hide serious flaws.

I want to see what needs to be done and I would rather see a "blank canvas". The chances a house is decorated in my taste, or better yet the wife's taste, are slim and none.

I will take notice if the house is clean and well maintained. That says volumes more than furniture and the lot!

Enjoy the journey.

eal51 in western CT

Like another poster said, people who frequent this board aren't swayed by decorating *but* IMO the vast majority of buyers are. Generally, people are influenced by appearances. That's why car dealerships wash their cars everyday, retailers spend millions designing their stores, and even why women wear makeup and men polish their shoes.

Our last two homes we've sold have been in very cookie cutter type neighborhoods. One was a townhouse which was only offered in 2 models and the other was one of 5 models in a neighborhood of 200 houses. All things really were equal (size, age, bed/baths, lot size). The only difference was we had done some minor upgrades (countertops, wood/tileflooring) and I'd painted and decorated every room. We got 10-15% more than comp houses had sold for recently. Our house just felt more expensive than most of the other homes with apartment tan carpet and white walls.

The total upgrades represented about 3% of the houses value. Would I have paid 10% more? No, but someone was.

Well, I just sold the same house three times, decorated vs undecorated. The first two times, with furniture, it sold for full price, $187,000, and faster (one week and one weekend vs 2-3 weeks vacant). The third time, no furniture, $180,500. So there's my take on it.

I guess I have to disagree with the people on this post. As an agent, in my experience, most people cannot visualize a home if it isnt decorated. I've had people "stage" their homes to get them sold. I am very good at visualizing but have found that most people are not.Just yesterday I got an offer together on a house where the buyers had discounted it after the first viewing. (this was our 3rd viewing)After we left the first time, I said, Im a little confused, this is everything you described to me of what you were looking for. Their comment was, "it needed too much work". In my mind, it needed a kitchen and paint, something they planned on doing no matter what house they bought. What they really were looking at was the dated furniture of the home owner. After we had gone back, they were able to really look at the house and not the clutter. We got an accepted offer, $30,000 under asking because the house was so poorly decorated. (No one was bidding, usually a big problem with poorly decorated houses). I've also seen decorated houses sell for much more than they were worth because of the decorating. DECORATE! DECORATE! DECORATE! Ever see "Designed to Sell" on HGTV? Its the whole premise behind this show.

How a home was decorated was no concern of mine when we were buying. Frankly, I have always preferred a home to be empty when looking. I can see what condition the floors and walls are in. I wanted to know what type of plumbing and insulation was in the house, how old was the roofing material,etc. So I guess all the money you are spending to "fancy" up your home would be wasted on me. I don't make an appointment to see the decor of a home I am interested in buying. NancyLouise

Decorate your home, declutter, neutralize and de-personalize your house for sale. Staging is not decorating. There is a vast difference and many people use the terms interchangeably, and IMO incorrectly.

Everyone's idea of "tasteful" and "well decorated" differs. A staged home is usually gender-neutral, appealing to many. Staging does not necessarily include furniture either (although that does seem to jump immediately to mind). A staged house can have warm neutral paint tones, flooring, and nothing jarring or glaring to take the focus away from the overall house. This does not mean that the architectural features are not highlighted  quite the opposite. These houses are also immaculate. A staged house can be empty as well as furnished.

So, to answer your question, no I don't believe a decorated house helps and it could hurt. A staged home might very well make a huge difference. How far you take the staging - just cleaning or the whole shebang - is up to you.

Linda: "Ever see "Designed to Sell" on HGTV?"

Why, yes, I believe that I have.

;-)

xamsx's post reminds me of the importance of cleaning EVERYTHING. Our first house,sold in six days, was advertised as "immaculate", and the second one, sold in 2 wks in a difficult market, "cleaner than new." They were also staged (by me, no professional help) to look homey but absolutely uncluttered and with personal stuff taken away as much as possible.

bethesdamadman Im fairly new to this forum so I couldnt look for your episode when it was on. But there have been repeats of shows, I'd love to see yours. What can I look for to recognize your redesign?

linda: "bethesdamadman Im fairly new to this forum so I couldnt look for your episode when it was on. But there have been repeats of shows, I'd love to see yours. What can I look for to recognize your redesign?"

It will be repeated next month, April 20th, at 8:00 p.m. and again at midnight.

I'm with the other person who said that decorating is different than staging. We just did a few renos in preparation to sell that we feel will make the home more attractive to potential buyers. We were going to make the changes anyway, but due to a job transfer, we had to do it sooner rather than later if we wanted to get a better price for our home.

We bought this home in a hot seller's market. IT had different paint colours in every single room, none of which coordinated. IT had awful froo froo floral wallpaper in the kitchen and horrible lino floors in the bedrooms. All that is gone now.

The house is tiled everywhere except for new carpet in the bedrooms. We painted all the walls and ceilings. New custom window coverings, light fixtures I got for a steal and new plumbing fixtures for the bathrooms. It's a whole different house and the compliments we've received from people who saw it before and now after are amazing.

As for decorating, we have de-cluttered, will remove personal photos and have minimal wall art. I got a great deal on a mirror for the LR wall that makes the room look alot bigger. I found a used, yet clean and new looking area rug at a consignment store for $30 while the new one at Kohls is $200.

So, while we did some expensive upgrades, we decorated by shopping around and snapping up deals as we found them. I can't believe the difference new light fixtures make from the old, 80's style smokey glass round globe types. Now, we have two chandelier types hanging in the entry and hall and they look absolutely fantastic.

When people walk into our home, my hope is that they will see that is is pretty much turnkey. The decorating is sparse, neutral so they can visualize their belongings here.

Decorating really depends but a nice and tasteful house will command a premium. When we bought 12 years ago it was a buyers market. While houses did sell, they sold slowly. One house we loved had been professionally decorated. We were one of 3 offers on it. Most houses were lucky to get one. However not everyone has the decorating gene and simply buying new or more stuff may not help it.

Another example. a friend in college accidently got the end dorm room that was 2 feet narrower than the others (most of those were only about 10 feet wide!) As a bare room it was painful to be in there. By the time she had her remnant carpet in and her pictures on the wall, most of those other girls would have switched with her in a second. She just has a talent for putting things together (and no she ended up being a lawyer rather than a decorator)

OTOH, I could decorate with an unlimited budget (which I do not) and it will be nice but it will never have that thing that makes a house special. I do not have the touch

I would decorate it, but keep staging in mind. Don't overdo it & don't personalize it. By all means purchase new items to freshen up the place, such as new towels, candles, bedspreads...Try to keep it neutral but inviting.
I had someone who actually wanted to buy my furniture & all.
Buyers are buying your lifestyle...well, they would like to-lol.

Thanks everyone, for your honest input. OK, let's change the termanology from staged to un-staged, but IMO, they're one and the same as this is what brings a house(home)to life. I've looked at un-furnished homes, and even though I could see the 'bones' easier it didn't allow me see how it 'lived'~that's what furniture lets you see. Seeing furniture arrangements in a house not yet lived in can sometimes be confusing and come in handy, especially if the rooms are odd in shape, very large/small, or make your decision to turn that third BR into a library/study rather than the typical office-guest bedroom combo.

I feel i've neutralized with light tan walls and white trim, the little carpeting I have will be replaced with a medium tan(bedroons/stairs only), and the rest of the floors are all wood, except for tiled baths. I think of these sort of things as necessities more than with decorating. You need paint and flooring, and while *you're* living in the home you can have fuchia and lime green, but when you decide to sell, you've got to know it has to be something that appeals to the masses.

Having looked at two other condos in my complex, one being move-in ready, neither one 'moved' me. The move-in was 'vanilla pudding' with not an ounce of anything memorable and the other had absolutely no upgrades since 1984.

I can't help but think putting a pleasant vision in the minds of prospective buyers will make a home stand out among others, buy maybe that's the 'decorator' in me, or wishful thinking. ;o)

patty_cakes

I think that decorating tends to be more personal, whereas staging is meant to have broader appeal to sell the house.

I do think the majority of the people would be swayed by staging. At least the kind that shows off the benefits of the room. So many people have a hard time visulizing. HOWEVER try to stay gender neutral and no frills and ruffles. Most likely those that have a hard time visualizing also will have a hard time if this isn't their taste. I can see past those things. My DH couldn't when we started looking, though now he can.