Home Staging Blog

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.