Selling
by stagecraft
Staging
your home to enhance the speed and price of sale
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Jennifer Rothacker, Knight-Ridder Newspapers
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The red and yellow walls in the bedroom felt too strong. The
modern kitchen didn’t fit with the home’s bungalow style. Because the owners no
longer lived there, all the furniture was gone, giving the place a desolate
feel.
So when the owners of the
Using her background in graphic design and interest in
interior design, Cox decorated the kitchen with traditional decorations. She
rented furniture to warm the house up. And although the homeowners couldn’t
repaint those yellow and red walls, she found furniture to mute their effect.
A day after the staging, the home went under contract.
Home stagers such as Cox give aggressive advice to help
people sell their homes. They may suggest new paint colors, how to rearrange
furniture, what to take off the walls and bookshelves. If needed, they’ll even
loan furniture and accessories to dress up a place.
Unlike real estate agents, who often offer basic advice on
how to prepare a home for the market, home stagers are specially accredited -
giving their advice more credence. Some real estate agents with accreditation
offer the service for free to clients, while full-time home stagers, such as
Cox, can charge from a couple of hundred dollars to several thousand.
‘‘It’s about editing your house,’’ said Kristina Kegley, an
Allen Tate agent who leads the local chapter of Staged Homes. ‘‘You’re trying
to compete with the model home, making it as nice and clean and uncluttered as
possible.’’
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Want to stage your own home? The experts offer tips.
Home managers bring their own furniture and decorations into
a vacant home on the market and keep it in ready-to-show condition. Learn about
the perks, the drawbacks and how you can become one.
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TIPS
FOR STAGING YOUR OWN HOME
Use soft lighting. Lamps are kinder than overhead lights.
Keep blinds open.
Place furniture so there are clear pathways through the
house.
Thin your furniture collection to make the room appear
larger.
Avoid placing sofas or big chairs so that you see their
backs.
Declutter. Pack up framed pictures, odd artwork, crafts. Clear stuff off tables.
Clear magnets, notes, artwork, etc., from front of
refrigerator.
Make sure toilet seats are down and personal bathroom items
stowed. Put out fresh towels. Limit your colors to one or two.
Clean out your closets. Buyers want to believe they’ll have
plenty of storage space.
Right before a showing, light a scented candle and turn on
quiet music (easy listening or jazz).
Hide pet boxes.
Keep indoor plants and flowers looking fresh.
Buy new doormats.
The front of the house is a potential buyer’s first impression.
Keep shrubs and trees trimmed, grass mowed, walkways cleared; lay fresh mulch.
If you can afford a landscaper, hire one.
Put all outdoor toys away.
Place flowers on the porch or front stoop.
Wash the house.
Keep the front door freshly painted. Replace any fixtures on
the door, such as brass plates at the bottom.
Make sure light bulbs outside work.
SOURCES
ON THE WEB:
Sources: Cheryl Cox,
Stagecoach Homes; Sharon Garfield,
Traditions Interiors and Accessories; Kristina Kegley, Allen Tate and Staged
Homes.