Home Staging Is All the Rage! Tips from SWAG

Home Staging is the art of decorating a home to sell quickly and for top dollar. In the Birmingham and Huntsville areas, we are lucky to have SWAG Home Staging and Design close by to perform this magic for homeowners and realtors! Thanks to Erin Dunavant from SWAG for passing along these home staging tips. Erin can be reached at erin@swaghomestaging.com, swaghomestaging.com .

Home Staging Tips, by Erin Dunavant 

Home staging is all the rage… and with reason! Staged homes sell much quicker and for higher prices than homes that are vacant.

If your home is vacant (that is, unfurnished),  you should definitely consider the possibility of staging it.  A professional home stager can make small rooms appear more spacious, awkward spaces feel usable and lofty floor plans feel cozy.  A staged home will stand out among the competition and is more likely to be remembered at the end of a long day of showings.

There are many good reasons to stage a home. First, staged homes photograph better, which is critical for today’s Internet-driven buyer. Staging also helps the buyer imagine how a room can be furnished; it’s common knowledge that the vast majority of buyers do not have the vision to mentally furnish and decorate a vacant room.  A staged home also appears to be occupied, giving a measure of security as well.

If your home needs staging during the marketing process, ask your real estate agent to contact SWAG Home Staging & Design. Yes, it’s another added expense, but for the right house – worth every penny!

Below are a few Staging Tips to help get you started:

Disassociate Yourself With Your Home.

Sellers need to realize:  This is no longer their home; it is a house. Make the mental decision to “let go” of your emotions and focus on the fact that soon this house will no longer be yours. Say goodbye to every room as each space will be need to be transformed into a product.

De-Personalize.

Pack up those personal photographs and family heirlooms. Buyers can’t see past personal artifacts, and you don’t want them to be distracted. You want buyers to imagine their own photos on the walls, and they can’t do that if yours are there!  You don’t want to make any buyer ask, “I wonder what kind of people live in this home?”  Rather you want buyers to say,  “I can see myself living here.”

De-Clutter!

People collect an amazing quantity of junk. Consider this: if you haven’t used it in over a year, you probably don’t need it. If you don’t need it, consider donating or throwing away unnecessary items.  Be sure to remove all books from bookcases and pack up all knickknacks. The most valuable space in a home is the kitchen; therefore, clean off the countertops & remove all items from the refrigerator. Put essential items used daily in a small box that can be stored in a closet when not in use. Think of this de-cluttering process as a head-start on the packing you will eventually need to do anyway.

Rearrange Bedroom Closets and Kitchen Cabinets.

Buyers love to snoop and will open closet and cabinet doors. Think of the message it sends if items fall out! Now imagine what a buyer believes about you if she sees everything organized. It says you probably take good care of the rest of the house as well. This means to take a little time to alphabetize spice jars, neatly stack dishes, turn coffee cup handles facing the same way, and line up shoes.

Rent a Storage Unit.

Almost every home shows better with less furniture.  Remove pieces of furniture that block or hamper paths and walkways and put them in storage.  Since your bookcases are now empty, store them. Remove extra leaves from your dining room table to make the room appear larger. Leave just enough furniture in each room to showcase the room’s purpose and plenty of room to move around. You don’t want buyers scratching their heads and saying, “What is this room used for?”

Remove/Replace Favorite Items.

If you want to take window coverings, built-in appliances or fixtures with you, remove them now. If the chandelier in the dining room once belonged to your great grandmother, take it down. If a buyer never sees it, she won’t want it. Once you tell a buyer she can’t have an item, she will covet it, and it could blow your deal. Pack those items and replace them, if necessary.

Check Curb Appeal.

If a buyer won’t get out of her agent’s car because she doesn’t like the exterior of your home, you’ll never get them inside. Contact SWAG Services, LLC for all your lawn maintenance needs such as:

  • Mow the lawn. Edge the Yard. Blow off the Side Walk.
  • Plant yellow flowers or group flower pots together. Yellow evokes a buying emotion.
  • Trim your bushes.
  • Make sure visitors can clearly read your house number.

SWAG Home Staging & Design has an organized system to help start the process of preparing the home for sale and it begins with the Staging Consultation. This Home Evaluation will diagnose and recommend special room-by-room enhancement instructions. Additionally, SWAG will supply you with suggestions on repairs/improvements that will benefit the property and suggestions on how to prepare the home to sell. We are a unique service provider, in Birmingham & Huntsville, with the goal of maximizing your profit potential.

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