2020 has thrown us a curve ball, and we seem to have fewer buyers than previous years. No problem, we just have to make sure that Sellers do everything they can to make their house impressionable in a positive way!
How do we do that? We make sure each room is clean, and then we start staging!
I will give you some tips on how to quickly stage the main living areas of your home.
When staging, each room should include minimal furniture — just enough to suggest how a room might be used, leaving enough open space for potential buyers to envision how their furniture would fit.
Living Room
If you are downsizing and won’t have room for all of your furniture in your new home, keep some of your nicer-looking pieces as staging props in the house you are trying to sell. After the home sells, any unwanted pieces can be donated, or sold with the house.
Do you have furniture with good “bones”, but less-than-awesome upholstery? Ready-made slip-covers on couches and chairs can dress up and modernize the appearance of living areas without spending too much money.
Props: Create an enticing “reading nook.” Drape a comfortable chair with a lush and cozy throw beside a small table with a reading lamp, a stack of three hardbound books, and a pair of reading glasses on top.
Dining Room
For photos and showings, remove chairs from the ends of the table. This will prevent those chairs from breaking the long lines of the table, helping to make the room look bigger and more inviting. The only furniture needed in a dining room is a table and chairs. Other items, like a sideboard or a china cabinet, will tend to crowd and clutter.
Props: Use a table runner to make a bare table more inviting while maintaining its clean lines. Finish with a vase of fresh flowers or candles for a simple centerpiece that’s timeless and classic.
Bathroom
Sometimes all a bathroom needs to be show-ready is a change of hardware and a coat of paint. Updating the faucets and cabinet hardware can give the room a fresh look at a budget price. Bright white towels, washcloths, and a white fabric shower curtain will brighten any bathroom. If some of the dated characteristics can’t be changed, try going “retro.” Have a pink (or blue) bathtub and sink? Paint the walls light grey and the cabinets white. Add white linens, a fuzzy floor mat, and a picture that celebrates the styles of the 1950s and 1960s.
Kitchen
If the kitchen cabinets are structurally sound but look dated, white or light grey paint will provide an immediate upgrade. Trade worn knobs for sleek metal accents. A nice range hood can quickly update a “tired” kitchen. Additional task lighting in darker kitchens will expand the space and make the whole room more inviting.
Props: Leave a cookbook on a counter open to a full-colour photo of a delicious-looking recipe.
Master Bedroom
Eliminate excess furniture, bold colours, and patterns. Aim for a serene, calm respite from the
world. Plain white sheets, a fluffy, neutral bedspread with an inviting texture, and accent pillows can make a huge difference in a master bedroom’s appeal.
Props: The focus here is on the bed. However, adding a small seating area or reading nook will make even a modest-sized bedroom look bigger and more inviting.
The views and opinions expressed in this article are those of the author, and do not necessarily reflect the position of this publication.
