One of the main concerns sellers have is how to improve their homes to shorten the selling time and add value. A marketing strategy that includes “staging” will help fulfill those goals.
Staging differs from interior decorating, in which home accessories are chosen and permanently installed to suit the tastes and preferences of the homeowner. Staging is done with the targeted pool of buyers in mind, and designed to last only until the home is sold. The term staging suggest a theater set, and that”s close to defining the concept.
One of the goals of staging is to neutralize the home, to make its style and arrangement appealing to the average buyer to a specific neighborhood and price range. Part of the process is to remover the highly-personal touches that have made your house your home. It”s far easier for a third party rather than the homeowner to do this objectively.
Staging a home gives buyers the opportunity to envision themselves living there. A professional stager will set up the home so that it shows like a model home. But you don”t have to be a staging expert to employ artful techniques to make your home look its best.
Clean and simple is best. Shampoo the carpets. Put worn or shabby furniture in storage or cover it tastefully with slip covers. Remove personal items that clutter up counters or dresser tops, and replace them with flower arrangements and healthy or artificial plants that look real.
Start with fresh paint in light, neutral colors that complement the flooring and window coverings. You can enhance the environment by purchasing some attractive home accessories, using them to stage the sale, then pack them up to enjoy in your new home.
Create the look of luxury in your living room or great room with pillows and a throw on the couch. An ottoman suggests, “Come home and put your feet up.” Place a high-backed armchair next to a side table with an adjustable reading lamp and a tea-tray, suggesting the pleasure of curling up with a good book. Place a down comforter with attractive duvet cover and piles of pillows using your best linens in the master bedroom. A silver carafe of water with a crystal glass is an elegant touch for the bedside table.
Evoke the pleasure of pampering by filling your bathrooms with aromatic soaps, scented candles and bowls of herbal potpourri. Purchase new luxurious towels and matching rugs for the bathroom and arrange them as for your best company. Bath pillows and a dressing stool are additional small touches of luxury. Arrange bouquets of flowers in simple, tasteful vases that complement the d?cor.
We have found that a staged home sells faster and for more than an empty house or one that is cluttered and full of furniture. Staging is the least expensive improvement you can make that will bring you the highest return in the shortest time.
Ray Perry is the 2013 Realtor of the Year for Lake County and works for CPS Country Air Properties located in the Riviera Shopping Center. He can be reached at 277-8000.
