5 Expert Tips on Staging A Home: A Designer’s Edition
This post was sponsored by Wayfair.
As a child, I knew I wanted to be a designer. I was fascinated with the whole aspect of design whether it be architecture, interior design, or real estate. Over my 15 years as a designer, I have been exposed to commercial and residential design with the opportunity to stage 1 bedroom condominiums to million-dollar homes; I have seen a lot. Through this, I have attained a different perspective when it comes to staging. I view it through the eyes of a designer while understanding the real estate component and certain tricks of the trade as a stager. Understanding staging from this perspective has helped my clients with applying the right solution for their real estate needs. At the end of the day, you want a space that captures well, helps potential buyers understand proper space planning along with looking good, and selling in under 30 days.
Fun facts that designers like when touring properties:
- Admiring the facade of homes while determining what architectural period style it belongs
- Interacting with the interior design and function of the space
- Seeing the decor items and what it says about the homeowners
Staging is still by far a great thrill! With under a week to source all furnishings and decor, space plan, project management, paint, installations, photoshoot day, and de-staging. We as designers & stagers love the challenge of wearing the many hats we wear!
Now for you, I have enclosed my top 5 staging tips that have helped me along the way that are bound to help your home sell faster.
1) Paint & Repair – What touch-ups and paint can do! A real change maker. That old clay brick fireplace sometimes just needs a good clean and a fresh coat of primer and paint! Colour is a great way to add impact at not such a high price point. Small repairs help with the overall staging. I always recommend booking a Staging Consultation to help direct you on the right path with selling your home.
2) Clean – When I say clean, I mean a real clean! Growing with a Caribbean father, when you were asked to “clean the kitchen” that meant wash the dishes, sweep the floor, mop the floor, put away the dishes, organize and wipe down all counter spaces; including all grease flecks that might have reached in and outside the microwave. Now that I’m all grown up, this has become a joke amongst my friends and family. Story in short, hire the right cleaners or staging professionals depending on the scope of the project.
3) D&D – Declutter and Depersonalize. Let go of the old things by selling them on the classifieds, give them away, or toss them in the garbage. Depending on the market or demographic, taking down personal items might be the key to getting the right value for your home. In many cases not applying the D&D tip could offend potential buyers causing them to not see the real potential of the space. This has helped many of my clients in the past to get the right value of their home.
4) Stage For Your Space – Some homes have a distinct design style or belong to a specific history period style. Include the distinct style of the space within the staging, along with adding contemporary elements that appeal to the masses. I always say think of a hotel, there is a certain feel with them, even in unique boutique hotels, there is a consistent theme. Always remember the trends and demographics of the market you are selling.
5) Curb Appeal – The exterior of the property should have some sort of curb appeal to draw in even the regular person walking down the street or driving past. Items such as: planters, pops of color, and proper landscaping is the trick.
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