The Importance of Presentation – Home Staging

By Raymond Stoklosa · April 12th, 2008

Great chefs know the importance of presentation – the same is true in real estate. Smart agents and sellers know a home will sell faster and for more money when it is presented smartly. In the business, it’s known as staging.

Studies show that homes that are staged sell in about half the time of unstaged homes and sell for 1% – 6% higher than similar of similar unstaged homes. So, thousands of dollars are to be gained by exerting a little time, money and effort. How you decorate and accessorize to live in your home is very different than how you decorate and accessorize to sell it.

Here are several tips to help make a great first impression:

Organize and declutter your home – making it generic is important in allowing a buyer to envision their home
Neatness and cleanliness counts- most home buyers are looking to buy a home that doesn’t require a lot of work or repairs prior to move-in
Hide your personality – remove your family photographs and religious articles so you can appeal to the larger audience
Kill the odors – if it smells, it won’t sell
Add flowers- they brighten most everyone’s day
Create spaciousness- remove at least half the clothes from the closets, keep room corners visible, push furniture to within 3 inches of the walls
Accessorize to make a room visually interesting- use it sparingly, but well
Light & bright- allow as much light as possible to enter your home