Tuesday, July 5, 2011

Home Staging

My sofa
Hello.  I hope you are all doing well and nicely relaxed from your Canada Day and Independence Day Celebrations.  These photos are of my living room.  I love my Bits as I call them.  Collections, gifts, travel souvenirs, layers of Stuff.  My home is kinda packed with things.  
It represents the exact opposite of Home Staging.  When staging a home, you remove all the personal items, the clutter, the visual distractions and favourite Bits in order to create a clean slate.  Blank Canvas.
I've been busy staging a home for sale.  Giving it just enough personality to capture someone's attention,  but not enough to overwhelm.  The painting will be finished today, and carpets and windows cleaned tomorrow.  I am going to post pictures on Thursday.  Do you think Home Staging works?

16 comments:

  1. I really think it does. People can't seem to see past clutter and paint colours when viewing a home for sale.

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  2. I agree with Deb, a lot of people just can't see a home's potential with a lot of stuff in it. It definitely works. I look forward to your photos.

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  3. I know it works for a lot of people but when we looked at literally about sixty homes, few staged, I could see past the clutter and personality of the owner. I can do without the staging. Now I do like clean!

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  4. I love your bits! I definitely think staging works - especially in smaller places that can get so overwhelmed with clutter. I can see through all of that but I know that a lot of people can't. I can't wait to get our apartment furnished and hopefully without all of my things, I can get it to look cozy and not like a staged home! :)

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  5. Yes it does!
    Back in 2006 when we were selling out last house, I spent the entire morning cleaning and packing the van for the Salvation Army. When everything was mostly done and I was heading out to the van to stuff more things in it, I came across some buyers for our neighbor's house. We were selling our home "For Sale By Owner". They asked if they could see it when they were done looking at the other other house. I said, "give me 30 minutes". I have never moved so quickly through a house in all my life placing things here and there and turning on lights and adjusting the temperature and emptying the sink... At last, I started the fireplace for the "final touch". But I was sweating bullets so I turned it off and opened the French Doors for a "cool" look into the garden. Long story short, they conrtracted with us that week and paid our asking price. So yes, staging works!
    p.s. Our neighbor never sold his house. m.

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  6. Most definitely! My daughter's realtor had someone come in and stage her house, took pics, and posted them on MLS and the house sold quick. She said the object was to declutter and minmize the furnishings so the potential buyer can envision living in the space with their own style. It worked for my daughter.

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  7. ...you bet staging works!...soooo I should get my act together and start as we want to sell!
    Love the pictures fro your hammock!
    Your New Dawn (?) rose is stunning!

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  8. In the market for a house we looked at a homeowner "staged" house. She has decorated the kitchen in country blue and white ruffled fabric. Toaster cover, tea cozy, floor mats, oven mitts, place mats, even the blades on the fan had the blue and white ruffled fabric covers. Staging is good but not everyone is good at it. That's why we hire you :>)

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  9. I know it works! The last house I staged, sold in 2 days after 3 seperate offers. In Vegas, where most stay on the market an average of a year!
    I also never underestimate the necessity of absolute cleanliness, something so many neglect.

    Happy week to you <3 will wait to see your magic...
    xx
    z

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  10. I think it helps a LOT. I helped Peter stage his house in Maryland when he was selling it and it sold very quickly.
    Most people see the house as it is and cannot envision what it will be like with their stuff in it. Making it more neutral in terms of nothing personal allows them to see themselves living there.

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  11. It's the 'bits' that make the home!

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  12. I'm convinced it does work. I bought a superbly staged home, totally blind to its many flaws, which I'm been putting right at great expense since then. Ah well, it was a fair cop.

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  13. I would buy a house totally based on the bowl of roses.

    xo jane

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  14. When I was in real estate, I always found the staged homes sold faster. Trying to convince my sellers to pay for it was never easy though! I'd rather see a cozy lived in home myself but buyers like "the look" of a staged home. I can't wait to see your pictures of what you've done. Too bad you didn't live in Nebraska ... we could have teamed up! :)

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  15. Oh yes, I think it works! My husband is a builder/remodeler and when selling a house, you have to think of a model home...very clean with minimal clutter. I think most people need to take about half the stuff out of their house before they try to sell :)

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  16. Oh yes, it seems to really pay off. Sometimes I think I should just pretend we are going to sell to make our house look less lived in for a little while.

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I love to read each and every comment and are thrilled that you take the time to send one. Thank you so much. Chania