There’s a plethora of information on the web about how to properly stage a home during the selling process, and much of the advice out there is sound. There’s no question that it’s an important skill to nail down, as a properly staged home can sell for more money and in less time.
I’d like to focus on what not to do when staging a home, as it seems that many would-be homesellers have difficulty absorbing the many seemingly-innocuous ways you can turn off a prospective buyer. By avoiding these classic mistakes, you’ll greatly improve your chances of being able to sell your home for the price and in the timespan that you want.
Don’t overdo it
Yes, the first mistake people tend to make when staging a home is…over-staging it! There’s a fine line between a living space that is staged well and one that has too much going on, and it’s quite easy to cross it. It’s vitally important to not over-stage, as doing so has a negative effect on spatial awareness and visual representation. The entire purpose of staging your home is to enhance its features, not to clutter a potential buyer’s head with unnecessary add-ons.
Don’t keep furniture against the wall
It’s a natural tendency for sellers to keep all furniture pressed against the wall, and while this will fit in with the optimal layout of a room in many situations, it’s not a rule that should be followed to a tee. Your furniture should be set up in such a way so that it encourages conversation, maximizes use of the space, and comes across as aesthetically pleasing- but having furniture against the wall won’t always further those goals.
Don’t ignore the little things
The whole point of staging a home is to provide potential buyers with a blank canvas they can work with, and while this means you shouldn’t over-do the staging process, you still need to pay attention to the little details that can make or break a visit. This could mean using potpourri in the bathroom, hanging decorative hand towels in the kitchen, staging a bar with glasses and shakers, and so on.
Don’t stage every room
While it’ll make sense to stage some rooms in a house, such as the kitchen, living room, and bathrooms, you’ll want to encourage the blank canvas concept by leaving some rooms unstaged, such as guest rooms or offices. Buyers need to be able to picture themselves living in the home, and they won’t be able to do so if every nook and cranny in said home is jam-packed with your personal belongings.
Don’t take it personal
While it can be tempting to leave personal effects around the home, the selling process is one that requires a degree of impersonality. Buyers aren’t going to be able to imagine themselves living in a house if it’s full of family pictures, so get rid of anything that might suggest the home belongs to someone else.
Source: Inman