Home Staging Blog

Buyers make a lot of major decisions in the first few moments they see your house.  You have an opportunity to change any problem areas that have the potential of being seen as negatives by home buyers and to change them into positives that will impress buyers the right way.  Take a good hard look at your home as it shows right now and evaluate how it can be improved to show just that much better and I think you are going to be very happy with the results.

Change the buyer’s focus from any potential negatives and put their focus on your home’s positive features.  How?  Here are a few examples of how some homeowners here in the Los Angeles area recently applied the basic principles of home staging to address their problem areas and got their homes sold quickly.

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1. Problem:  Luxury condominium in high profile area, single male owner, pool table in dining area, crowded closets.  Owner’s belongings still in home although owner was currently living in another property.
2. Solution:  Remove pool table and replace with dining table.  Pack personal photos and personal collections.  Remove excess clothing, shoes and other items from closets.  Edit accent items.  Rearrange furniture to best showcase home’s features, views and to show how new buyers might best enjoy property.  Add new accent items to appeal to both men and women.  Thoroughly clean and polish this home that had been on market for 2 1/2 years with no offers, which resulted in a property that looked and felt deserted.
3. Result:  In Escrow within one month of home staging.

                                                    

This is a gorgeous home, but a pool table in the dining room doesn’t work for most buyers and makes the rest of the space feel out of scale.

                        

 Use furniture that shows buyers the best use of a home’s space and is in scale with the size of a room to get the best results from your home staging efforts.

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1. Problem:  Crowded condo in sought after neighborhood where young growing family with kids and dogs has filled space to its overflow capacity.
2. Solution:  Pack, pack, pack.  Organize, organize, organize.  Remove personal photo collections.  Thoroughly clean out and edit all closets, cupboards and storage areas including kitchens, bathrooms, bedrooms, linen closets, coat closets and display areas.  Remove extra furniture in kid’s room.  Rearrange existing furniture to best showcase home’s selling features.  Add a few new accent items for bright splashes of color and a fresh feeling throughout home.
3. Result:  Home in Escrow at full price within days of listing with backup offer within a week.

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1. Problem:  Vacant condo in popular San Fernando Valley area, updated, clean, fell out of Escrow twice.
2. Solution:  Stage home in a warm, comfortable and inviting fashion, suitable to a home of its size.  Stage each area of home to define all areas as usable square footage.  Use color and simple accent items that appeal to a wide range of buyers yet add sophistication and excitement to the home.
3. Result:  In Escrow within a few short weeks of home staging, this time it closed.

You can make a big impact on buyers by simply staging your vacant properties.

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1. Problem:  Upscale home in popular area of Los Angeles.  Three bedroom home; third bedroom home was being used as workout room and storage room.  Bedroom has low ceilings and very little natural light.  While on market, comments from buyers were that the room was unusable space.
2. Solution:  Remove workout equipment and items stored in space.  Reposition owner’s futon and open it to use as bed.  Add lighting, nightstands, linens, reading area, and accent items to show room as a great guest room.  Use accent lighting and accent pieces to make ceiling feel taller.
3. Result:  In Escrow within a couple weeks of home staging.

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1. Problem:  Brand new construction townhome apartments with small main living areas and multiple bedrooms.
2. Solution:  Stage each unit in a different style to illustrate how the small space could best be utilized and could accommodate the number of residents that would likely be renting a home with the amount of bedrooms these units offered.
3. Result:  All units rented within one month of staging.

Small spaces make it difficult for buyers to imagine their furnishings in.

Show buyers that even in small spaces, comfortable living areas can be easily created.

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1. Problem:  Traditional style vacant home in upscale Pasadena neighborhood in excellent condition but without updates.  Previously on market and not sold, buyers commented about lack of family room.
2. Solution:  This home features an extra large living room and a formal dining room with a fireplace.  Through staging, carve out an area in the living room and create a dining area that makes sense while leaving ample room in the main living room.  Stage the formal dining room as a den complete with TV viewing area.  This home also offers two master suites, so these were staged to highlight this additional feature.
3. Result:  In Escrow within a few short weeks of staging.

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Professional home staging has got these homeowners the results they wanted in this rocky real estate market.  Contact a home stager in your area and do all you can to get your home to show its best and sold quickly.

If you have been looking for a home in an area that offers natural California beauty yet is not too far off the beaten path, then this home we recently staged in the Calabasas Highlands area might be perfect for you.  This home is dramatic with soaring ceilings and gorgeous windows that frame amazing views.  The floorplan was designed for entertaining and each bedroom features its own balcony to enjoy the natural surroundings.

This new construction home is gorgeous and we had so much fun staging it-who wouldn’t?  What a great place to hang out and work!  Imagine, you could be living here!  If this sounds like the perfect home for you, be sure to go check it out.  It is ready for you to move right in.

Many people talk to me about wanting more balance in their lives and a great place to begin is to balance things in your own home.  Improperly placed furniture, wobbly furniture, crooked pictures, uneven floors…these all lead to a general feeling of a life out of balance.  Put the things you surround yourself with daily back into order, and you will find yourself enjoying a greater sense of harmony in all areas of your life.

Take a look around your home and see if your rooms look equally balanced.  Does one side of the room have a lot of furniture and the other side have none?  Is one side covered floor to ceiling with filled bookcases and other side with floor to ceiling windows and nothing in front of them?  If so, re-situate some of your furniture so that each area of your rooms feel balanced in relation to the other spaces. 

Take a look at your artwork and other items that are hung on the walls.  Are they centered within the spaces and are they straight?  Are they staggered haphazardly or are they arranged in a manner that feels peaceful to you?  Correcting small details such as these will make big improvements in your well being.

Make sure you have no broken or wobbly legs on your sofas, chairs or tables.  Be sure your stairs are all secure and that your floors have no trip hazards.  Check your walkways at the exterior of your home as well.  Ensure that you have a secure footing and start enjoying greater balance in  your life today.

One of the biggest challenges I see home sellers struggle with when staging their homes for sale, is deciding which updates make the most sense.  Some homeowners feel they need to spend thousands in major renovations while others are barely willing to wash their windows.  When it comes to preparing your home for sale, I think it is best to get your priorities straight and make improvements where they really matter-and that will vary depending upon your individual home.

If you are planning on selling your home in the very near future, leave major renovations out.  Chances are you will spend more money than you will gain on a major renovation.  Simple updates will reap you the greatest reward.  Take a realistic look at your budget.  Everybody has a different budget and improvements can be made no matter what that budget is.  Remember, your good old elbow grease is free, and that alone can make a huge difference in how well your home will show.

The following is a brief list of improvements that I have seen that creates the most powerful positive impact in homes and produces the greatest amount of return on the dollar.  How will you know which of these is a priority for you?  Your home and your budget will guide you to choosing which of these applies to you and your home.  You really need to look at your home through the eyes of a new buyer, a stranger looking at your home for the first time.  If you need help, ask a friend who is comfortable enough with you to be honest to help you evaluate your home to assist you in deciding which items should be on your to-do list.  Your real estate agent can also assist you in determining which updates are going to make your house stand out from the competition.

• Clean every inch of your home-inside and out.
• Paint the interior.  This includes removing old wallpaper.  Do not make the mistake of leaving a house full of dated wallpaper.  If it sounds like a lot of work to you, imagine how prospective buyers feel.  Truly, who cares if you replace perfectly good vinyl kitchen flooring with new tile if your home is full of flocked wallpaper?  First impressions count and if buyers can’t get past the front door, they will not care if you have vinyl or tile floors in the kitchen.
• Power wash the exterior of your home and the driveways.  If your home is in need of paint, do it.
• Polish the floors and clean or replace carpets.  If you have damaged floors, replace them.
• Freshen up and manicure your yard.  Remove any dead plants and add mulch.  Be sure there are no weeds and the edges are clean.  Spruce up the curb appeal and get the buyers out of the car.  Remember to be sure your address is clearly marked.
• Repair broken items.  Dripping faucets, broken doorknobs, closet doors off the hinges…these small items make a big difference to buyers.
• Update bath and light fixtures.  These changes can be done quite affordably and make a huge difference in how well a home shows. 
• Update kitchen and bath cabinets.  If your kitchen cabinets have seen their better day, you do not need to gut your kitchen and replace everything to give your home a fresh new look.  By painting your cabinets and replacing the hardware, your cabinets will take on a completely different feel.  Do your homework though, if not done properly, the paint will peel and you certainly do not want that mess to deal with.
• Update the kitchen appliances.  Nothing says “Buy me!” like a great kitchen.  Check out new appliances and if yours are screaming old and dated opposed to cool and retro, replace them.  Oh, and if you believe yours are screaming cool and retro, better double check with your agent to confirm your perspective.
• Remove extra furniture.  This isn’t exactly an update, rather the final step before staging.  Most people enjoy having a few extra creature comforts in their day to day life.  But when you are selling your home, you really need to take the focus off your stuff and put it on your house.  Be careful not to remove too much, you do not want to show a vacant home as that will leave buyers feel cold and uninspired.  Use your furniture to showcase your house’s best features and start looking your new home.

A final reminder, home staging is not about hiding flaws.  Home staging is about showcasing the best features in a home.  Be realistic when deciding what to address as you prepare your home for market.  Talk to your agent about timing, about the competition, about pricing and determine what your budget is for home staging.  Decide what improvements are going to make the biggest impact on how well your home shows and stick to those.  By making smart decisions with your home staging budget, you will see the greatest rewards.

When buyers visit your home they will be checking out your bathroom to make sure it is going to be adequate for their needs.  Make sure yours is not only clean and tidy, but make it feel fresh too.  A few simple touches will go a long way in making any bath more appealing, feel larger and more inviting.

                                 Photo by nruboc

• A few new towels displayed artfully will add a dash of color and luxury to your bathroom.  When buyers come to visit, simply grab your daily towels and drop them in the wash.  Check the tub and shower and make sure there are only necessary items in there.  No messy bars of soap and only one shampoo and conditioner; you might even consider placing the hair items under the sink after using them each day if your shower area is cramped.
• Hang art in your bathroom to transform it from hum-drum to special.  Avoid cliche pieces and choose pieces that match the design in the rest of your home so that your bathroom decor feels like it blends with the balance of the home. 
• Staging a bathroom with fresh flowers and candles give every bath a lift and will suggest a spa like atmosphere.  If you have a shower curtain, be certain it is 100% clean.  If not, replace it.  Choose a solid curtain and keep it simple.
• Bath rugs are great for stepping out of the tub or shower, but remove them before buyers come over.  Not only do they make the room feel smaller, but they feel unsanitary as well.  Toss them in the laundry with the towels before buyers show up to see your home.

Let your bathroom make a great impression on buyers.  Freshen up and let it shine!

If you are looking for a home in West Hills, CA, there is a new complex staged and ready for market now.  Open house is coming up soon, so if these look like they might fit your needs, do be sure to check them out!  These are only two out of several homes that are available, so certainly there will be one for you!

They are located within walking distance to Trader Joes, the movie theater, restaurants and other great shopping.  Pretty cool, huh?  Not only that, but West Hills, located in the West San Fernando Valley, is a short drive to the beaches, Thousand Oaks, and Simi Valley so there is a lot to do nearby, not to mention the hiking in the nearby hills and the hustle and bustle of Ventura Blvd should that be your preference.

The point of staging your home is to ensure that it is merchandised to showcase its best selling features and to appeal to the widest range of buyers.  It will really help you get past your personal style preferences if you can think of your home as a property for sale instead of as a reflection of your individual tastes.  Your home probably needs less pieces of furniture and less accent items than you imagine to show its best and attract the most interest from buyers.

As a seller, resist the temptation to insist that your stager use your favorite style furniture in your property.  Let the pieces that are used reflect the style of the home itself.  Consider factors such as who will likely be buying the home, the location of the home and the lifestyle of who may be living there.  A small one bedroom urban condo will be attracting a very different buyer than a sprawling five bedroom ranch style house with a pool and a large backyard in the suburbs.

Stage your home from the perspective of the buyers of your house.  Even when you are staging your occupied home, consider who may be moving into your house next.  Decide what to keep out and what to eliminate based upon what fits in the house now rather than how you have been living in your home.  Merchandise your home for buyers and start looking for your new place.

Living in a gated community provides many with a great sense of security, but for some it can make them feel as though they are living in a prison.  Before you make a decision to move into a gated community, ask yourself if it is really right for you.  Will those gates which are meant to keep intruders out also make you feel like a prisoner in your own home?

              Photo by Scott

Some people need the added security of a gated community.  They feel the need for protection from the outside world.  The idea of having a guard makes them feel nurtured and supported.  For some, it may be a symbol of prestige and is representative of their success. 

For others, living behind guarded gates can have adverse effects.  In Feng Shui, physical blocks can be felt as emotional blocks.  So be wary of the blocks you place between yourself and the rest of the world.  You could be causing yourself to feel isolated or locked in.

Evaluate closely your motives when choosing to purchase a home in a gated or guarded community.  Consider the other people that will be living in your home with you and how they will be effected by the gates and guards on a subconscious level.  Your home should be your retreat and never feel like a prison.  Think clearly about all the messages a gated community may be sending and decide if living behind those gates is the lifestyle for you.

In the spirit of Sellsius’ question on which photos should an agent post in their marketing, here is a tip that I really can’t believe needs to be given.

I just saw a real estate listing flyer with photos of a dining room and kitchen each with leftover plates of food in them.  Really agents!  Scooting the dishes to the edge of the table and brushing the crumbs under the plates is not staging a dining room.  Piling dishes complete with food on them atop the countertop is not showcasing the kitchen’s best features.

There really is no excuse for posting these types of photos in your marketing materials.  Whether the home is new construction or a fixer, an agent should have enough common sense to pick up the dirty dishes and take out the trash before shooting a photo to place on a flyer.

Real estate photos are a key part of marketing your home for sale.  Your agent is going to do their best to show your home at its best advantage.  Properly preparing your home is going to make your home not only show better during actual buyer showings, but it will dramatically improve your agent’s ability to successfully market your house.

Visit Sellsius’ post where there is a discussion on what to do when homeowners either cannot or will not get their home show ready and see what others think about the issue of real estate photos and decide for yourself how you want your agent to be able to represent the condition of your home.