Staging is so misunderstood. It isn’t always about filling the house with rented furniture. It is about removing clutter, including excess furniture. I often suggest removing throw rugs in small rooms such as bathrooms and kitchens. The rooms look larger and cleaner without rugs.
Kitchen counters should be mostly bare as should the top of the refrigerator and stove.
I often recommend removing ottomans and coffee tables. They take up space and can make a room look smaller, yet some stagers will add a large ottoman.
I like to set the dining room table and add fresh flowers.
A few green plants can help make a home look more inviting, however, if I were to put my own house on the market, I would need to remove some of the plants because there are too many. Having too much or too many of anything is clutter.
The exact placement of the couch isn’t going to make or break a sale. Staging is more of an art than a science. Having an empty room won’t make a house unsaleable. in fact, a room looks better empty than over-furnished. Buyers have the opportunity to imagine what the room would look like with their furnishings in it.
For a time it seemed like every home I saw had a sign that said: “Eat, Pray, Love”. I can’t think of any situation where signage improves the look of a room or adds to the value of a house, yet the signs were brought in for staging.
Houses can also be virtually staged. Pictures of vacant rooms are populated with furniture.
Speaking of pictures, staging is much more effective with professional photos.
Each home is unique and so is each homeowner and each home buyer. Staging can and should be tailored to fit the situation. Currently, there are more home buyers than sellers. Your home will sell but it may sell faster and for more money if it is staged.
