Staging your home for resale

From Anna on August 15th, 2008 in General Remodel

house rof sale As I’ve mentioned in previous posts, I am among the many homeowners currently trying to sell their home. Part of the process of marketing a home is to highlight its assets and to down-play its detriments. This strategical maneuvering is called “staging.”

An older home, built in 1910, the rooms are smaller and not conducive to large furniture; let alone very many pieces. I’ve kept the interior design clean and simple with hardly any “extras.” I feel this makes the home appear larger, and less like I’m trying to distract buyers from the structural elements. I continued this strategy to the furniture as well. I chose era-specific antique pieces that are smaller and more practical than modern furniture. This, along with keeping to more of a classic traditional style in our remodeling, works to create a general atmosphere of pleasant years gone by.

Another way we worked to distract from the small nature of our home was to maximize the lighting. We accomplished this by painting the rooms bright and cheery colors, and only using sheers with hidden blinds on the windows.

Another part of staging is to keep the home as clean and presentable as possible. We invested in some air-tight plastic containers, and packed as much away into storage as possible. This aides in downplaying our limited storage and small closets. We also gave our yard some extra attention including: patching the cobblestone pathways, staining the concrete patio, arranging some old fashioned outdoor furniture, and planting flowers anywhere and everywhere we could.

Do your best to make a good first impression, and then enjoy the results of your labor while you patiently wait. If nothing else, you’ll always be ready for company to pop-in unexpected! Request free estimates from prescreened remodeling contractors in your area to help make your home as attractive as possible.

4 Responses to “Staging your home for resale”

Perry Degener Says:

August 18th, 2008 at 4:48 am

Older furniture is often made on a smaller scale; therefore, these pieces are easier to integrate into the rest of the house.

Anna Says:

August 18th, 2008 at 9:01 am

Hi Perry,
Thanks for reading. I have found this to be quite true. Older doesn’t have to mean more expensive either. Many antiques are very comparable to new furniture, plus they hold their value longer. It is also a fun project to restore older pieces, adding to their value as well.

Kathleen Lordbock Says:

August 19th, 2008 at 10:04 am

As a professional home stager with Re$ale Design & Home Staging -in MN – it sounds like you are doing what I would advise had I been hired to do a consultation. However, I would throw in a few sleek contemporary pieces – whether it be artwork or accessories to mix it up and not be too period specific. You want to appeal to a broad base of customers and a few things from the later periods might be just the thing.

CalFinder Remodeling Blog » Simple Staging Starters Says:

December 8th, 2008 at 9:50 am

[...] aspect of staging is used with vacant homes, when the owner chooses to furnish it with simple, attractive pieces [...]

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About the Author:

Anna Baker
Anna Baker attended College of the Siskiyous in Northern California where she graduated with a Business Degree. She worked her way through college for a local construction company; and after college, she moved to Oregon where she worked as a Realtor until the birth of her first child. She then started her own bookkeeping service. She and her husband are expecting a second son this month. In her free time, she loves to write, pursue music, and travel.