Staging: First Impressions Count

When a buyer drives up in front of your house, they are looking for a reason to not buy it. Hunting for a house has more to do with eliminating properties than finding one that is just "drop-dead gorgeous".

To overcome this problem, real estate agents often talk about "staging" a home. Staging is nothing more than making your house uniquely presentable by highlighting it's best points. Staging allows the prospect to picture his items in your house.

So, since staging is so important here are some good tips on how to stage your house to overcome first-impression negativity ...

• Start the staging process before you put the house up for sale. Packing up some of your stuff as soon as you go on market clears the rooms and makes it easier for buyers to mentally picture their items in your house. Now, don't pack up everything. Just the major items that are not regularly used.
• Clean and simplify each room. For showing your property, it needs to be cleaned from ceiling to floor. Make sure all the lights work. Remove a piece or two of furniture from over-furnished rooms -- either take the furniture to a less furnished room or to off-site storage.
• Select A Focal Point For Each Room. When staging a room, select a primary focal point that will clearly attract the buyer's attention. Use this focal point to stage the buyer's attention within the room. For example, the bed is usually the focal point of the bedroom. Take the computer, sewing machine, stereo system, and overstuffed recliner chair out of the bedroom and store them elsewhere in the house or move them to storage.
• Use The "Rule Of Three" When Accessorizing. Ever wonder why the accessories in a model home always look so good? Reason: The Rule Of Three. Interior designers use the rule this way: something tall, something medium, something low. On a bookshelf, for example, you might want to place a lamp (tall), a plant (medium) and a book (low).
• Be Odor Free. Lately, it seems the rage has been to light scented candles within a home. In such cases, buyers often turn to their agents and say "they may be trying to mask odors in this house. I'll bet there's mildew inside the walls." That's it. They're gone. No offer. Your house should smell clean, and that includes eliminating pet odors.
• We Call It "Real Estate Agent Beige". You may have loved the black wall accenting your collection of photographic prints, but to a new buyer it's too morbid. Your three year old may have enjoyed the bright purple bedroom, but the prospective buyer is an empty-nester looking for a home-office. Before you put it on the market, think about the colors. The best color for a home that's up for sale is neutral. Some kind of beige or off-white that nobody can argue with. If in doubt, paint it neutral.
• What To Do With The Laundry. Make the laundry look larger than it really is by keeping counters and sinks empty. Replace wire hangers with white plastic hangers. Always wipe down the washer and dryer. Never leave unfolded clothes in the laundry.
• De-Clutter Kids Rooms. You can't just say "Oh, this is my son's room" and wish it looked neat and clean. You need to de-clutter them, and hang up all the clothes, sneakers, sweatshirts etc. Move TV's and computers elsewhere.
• Do The Yard. As far as I'm concerned, the yard counts. If you haven't mowed the grass or trimmed the hedge, now's the time to spend a morning outdoors. The yard is the first thing prospective buyers see -- take time to make it look nice.
• Rent A Storage Space. I think it's a good idea to rent an off-site storage space when you put your house up for sale. In it, you can store virtually everything related to de-cluttering your home. Don't fill up your garage or basement with boxes full of stuff -- buyers want to see the garage and basement so they should be presentable too! An inexpensive storage space is just the ticket.

I've got one final comment that comes from many years in the real estate business in Florida, especially in St. Petersburg. Keep closets neat and orderly. I can't tell you how many times I've sold a small house because it had neat, clean, orderly closets. There's an old saying in real estate: "Big closets sell small houses". To make your closets appear big, keep them neat.

So, there you have it. Some good ideas about staging your property. The important thing to remember is that you are de-cluttering so that your property looks larger and so that buyers can more easily picture their items in the house. Remember, buyers aren't buying your house; they're buying their house. Staging makes it easier for them to picture their new home.

-30-