Successfully Staging Your Home to Sell
By Gerry Gwinn, ASID
Principle - Gerry Gwinn Design and Staging
www.ggdesignandstaging.com

(scroll down to view before & after images)

In any real estate market, the goal is to sell your home at the highest price and in the shortest time possible. According to HGTV, “Failing to showcase your home and make small cosmetic changes”, is the primary mistake of home sellers. The staged home is not even the way you ordinarily live and it’s certainly not about personal taste; it’s about presentation marketing. Of course the homebuyer is looking for specifics, like location, amount of bedrooms and baths, price range and style. Your home may meet their criteria along with ten other homes and needs to outshine the competition.

After deciding to sell your home, the first step is to emotionally move out. Remove those items that personalize your space –family photos, collectibles, as well as religious and political items. Remember the potential buyer should envision living here himself. In many cases you’ll need to remove some furniture. Think of creating a “model home” look, with just enough furniture and accessories to look cozy and inviting. There should be plenty of room for the potential homebuyer to move around and see the architectural features. Visually enlarging a space can be done with lighter colors, less furnishings and plenty of natural and artificial light. Generally it’s best to keep window treatments minimal, allowing for more natural daylight.

Renting a storage space for all those extras is a practical solution. You’ll be moving anyway, so this will give a welcome head start. Now it’s time to tackle the garage, attic, basement and closets, where even the neatest among us have hidden all our stuff. Have a garage sale or give away unwanted items. After the purge, box up remaining articles except items you’ll need in the next few months. These will be stacked in your newly rented storage unit, even clothes that are out of season. An alternate to the storage rental would be neatly stacking the items in a roomy basement or attic, but off- site storage is generally preferred. Careful labeling of boxes will make your future move go smoothly.

Now that there is much less in your home to distract, take a critical look at the condition of your home. Scrub off grease spots on the garage floor, re-grout tile where it’s chipped off and fix nail pops in the drywall. Paint scuffed baseboard and worn spots around doorknobs, as well as touching up or repainting walls. Remember lighter walls will make your room appear larger and warm colors, like a pale yellow, are inviting. If you’ve gone daring in your interior design, perhaps with a deep pomegranate master bedroom, it’s best to repaint. You don’t want your design savvy to offend the more conservative buyer. If you’ve not made any changes in your home in the past thirty years, it needs some updating. Take a close look at the kitchen, bathrooms and flooring; what about old wallpaper and color schemes? Careful evaluation is needed to make the correct changes that will be a good financial decision and reap the reward of a “sold” house. Be sure it’s completely clean; not forgetting mirror and stove splatters, soap scum in the shower and corners by the baseboard.

Closets now seem more spacious. Organize clothes making them look like a store, with like colors together and all facing the same direction. Likewise, the pantry should be arranged in neat rows, with labels facing forward similar to the grocery store.

The same principles apply to a new builder’s home. Be sure all mistakes are corrected. If the electrician has installed the dining room chandelier at the wrong location, don’t just tell a visitor it will be changed. Correct the mistake immediately or the potential homebuyer will have a negative impression of your workmanship. Evaluate all construction, being sure mitered joints are a perfect fit, all paint scuffs are touched up and it is always clean. Staging a newly constructed home is just as important as a used home. “Furnishing our homes helps the visitor better envision space and imagine how their own furniture will fit. It definitely makes the home more inviting,” says Scott Guthridge of Provident Homes and Neighborhoods.

Consider your home’s furnishings and be sure they are placed to the best advantage, thinking about the impression your home’s personality will make to a visitor. Create emotional connections that will actively engage a buyer to imagine how life would be if they lived in this home. Place settings at the kitchen table might cause the young family to envision starting their day here, enjoying breakfast together. The family room might have a book open by a comfortable chair with a coffee cup and glasses close by, allowing the homebuyer to imagine relaxing here after a busy day’s work. Maybe the comforter is folded down and the bed is stacked with numerous plump pillows, like the presentation in a fine hotel. Think of your target market, a young professional, a family with kids or maybe a senior couple and stage accordingly.

Impressive curb appeal will set the tone for a favorable interior showing. Sufficient exterior lighting, a neatly mowed lawn, all weeds pulled and uncluttered grounds are all necessary for that initial first look. Large potted flowers in the summer or a tasteful wreath in winter can give the entry a welcoming touch.

Preparing your home to sell takes effort and sometimes it takes a monetary investment, but the cost will likely be far less than a markdown in price. The old adage is certainly true that you never get a second chance to make a first impression. Your home is the stage and you need to make it a memorable performance.

Gerry Gwinn, ASID
Principle - Gerry Gwinn Design and Staging
www.ggdesignandstaging.com

Living Room - Before
Living room is crowded and a bit messy

Living Room - After
Shades were removed, chairs rearranged, generally tidied up and few finishing touches added for a striking improvement.

Kitchen - Before
This builder’s kitchen is nice, but not memorable

Kitchen - After
A few finishing touches add warmth and personality

Bedroom - Before
Dark bedspread, window shade, hamper and clothes keep this bedroom from looking it’s best.

Bedroom - After
Lighter bed coverings and a cozy chair arrangement create an inviting bedroom retreat

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