 Staging is dressing your home for success. It’s all about illusions. Staging
goes beyond cleaning and decorating. It’s about creating moods and delighting
the senses. Staging makes a home feel larger, brighter, warmer, cleaner, and
more inviting. And, it helps to make potential buyers want to purchase your
home!
Some people mistakenly believe staging is only about preparing a
home for sale. Staging is actually what you do after you have cleaned, removed
the clutter, painted, and made small repairs. All of these aspects are
important. But, staging is the final step on the road to selling your
home.
With today’s mobile society, people often change jobs/careers, and
these changes can call for them to move in a hurry. Often, a person has to move
before their home is sold. A dilemma occurs when the movers leave an empty,
unsold home behind. Many of today’s potential homebuyers are turned off by an
empty home. It leaves them feeling cold and they have a difficult time picturing
the home as a warm, loving place. This is where professional stagers come in.
Professional stagers are skilled artists. They create dramatic scenery
to actively engage all five senses.
The following list represents some top secrets of
professional stagers:
• Arrange sparse furniture pieces in a popular,
inviting grouping called a vignette.
• Showcase an ample usage of soft
fabrics such as sating, lambs wool, and silk.
• Display dramatic or unusual
knickknacks in groupings/units of one, three, or five.
• Drape window
coverings with simple lines.
• Add unique elements to shelves, bookcases, and
(fireplace) mantles, which call attention to predetermined
areas.
Professional stagers use a vast array to items to showcase the
home. Below are some examples of what stagers use. Their use is only limited by
the creativity of the stager.
Favored “Props” include:
• Silk
flowers and trees
• Mirrors
• Floor and table lamps
• Area and throw
rugs
• Small love seats
• Ottomans
• Afghans
• Pillows
•
Inflatable Queen-Size Beds
• Baskets
• Plastic tables and chairs
•
Large, colorful bowls of fruit, like apples, oranges, and grapes
• Colorful
books, (such as cookbooks arranged on countertops)
 The idea for staging
is to allow rooms to basically “show themselves.” In addition to helping take
the “coldness” away from empty, vacated homes, professional stagers also assist
homeowners whose furniture isn’t quite “up to par.” If a homeowner’s furniture
is old, shabby, or perhaps outdated, a professional stager can help.
In
staging, plants help bring the outdoors inside. Carefully arranged furniture can
create a feeling of spaciousness by allowing plenty of space to walk around.
Bathrooms are especially important to stage. They should feel open and
airy, much like a “home spa” or a special retreat. Many professional stagers add
lovely baskets with such goodies as towels tied with fancy ribbons and bows,
lotions, scented soaps and candles, and jars filled with bath beads and other
goodies.
Most listing agents agree that staged homes sell better and more
quickly than empty homes. If you wish to hire a professional stager, prices vary
depending on the square footage of your home and the number of rooms to be
staged. Fees generally range from $500 to $5,000, or more.
Local real
estate agents can help locate professional stagers. Also check out the Internet
and phone book listings.
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