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A Stager's Secret Word

Mess If you listen closely to the professional Stager's advice in getting a home ready for sale there is

A Stager's Secret Word.

Do you know what it it is? It is

DECLUTTER.

So often room by room, over time the owners have just collected too much "stuff." Decluttering in addition to cleaning everything makes all the world of difference in opening up the spaces. Cluttered feels very tiring to the eye. Decluttering is the start in a great staging job, but it is such the necessary first step.

Remove the personal touches like the refrigerator magnets and store the photos. Get rid of color clashing curtains or outdated patterned shower curtains. Clean up laundry baskets of unwashed clothes and socks on the floor. Get people to want to STAY in the rooms vs. feel their energy go down. They want to breathe in the hominess and that this new place could be theres. It all starts with organizing and DECLUTTERING!

Posted by Gary Woltal - Associate Broker REALTOR® Dallas Ft. Worth on 06/25/2009 11:35 PM

Comments (35)

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35 Comments on A Stager's Secret Word

JUN

Cute post, you should get alot of stagers input on this one.

I'm not moving (*not yet anyhow) but I need to declutter........in two months my nest will e empty - I'll start then ! :-)

Hi Gary, Good advise and everyone should try to declutter on a regular basis even if they are not planning to sell. A clear work space without all the stuff makes me function at my best. But, it can become cluttered in a matter a couple hours and we have to guard against the temptation to leave it that way.

It's hard parting with the excess we collect but when your home is going on the market there has never been a better time to start

JUN

It's amazing how different a buyer's response can be to a cluttered home vs. a decluttered home. It's so hard to get past the clutter and seriously consider a home.

Gary... great post. As you know, this is only ONE of several suggestions that home stagers offer. Decluttering is essential especially in an occupied home. So very much needed for pictures and for the buyers tour of the home. Anyone can declutter, but to professionally stage a home is a science... not many know that.

Gary, great post, it is amazing how much clutter we can accumulate! It is a good thing to do periodically whether we're moving or not!

Cute photo Gary-when did you come to my office? :)

Gary don't we get a kick out of those home organization shows on TLC. They start out with an outrageous situation and the completed project is an empty room. That's not organization that's depopulation.

Gary, you are so on target. After 11 years in my house, we're actually thinking of moving and Decluttering is exactly what I have to do. It's amazing how it grows around you and you don't even see it. Yikes!

Gary...

Decluttering is essential, and yet so many homeowners resist the concept. It's amazing that in the days of HGTW we still need to remind our sellers to make their "products" presentable.

Selling a home with rooms such as the one in the picture requires super human powers. . sellers need to know "on their faces" CLEAN UP!

Maybe this is the reason I can't remember things, too much clutter laying around...

Nice to see you letting that inner stager out today! Great advice. It's interesting how the word "declutter" has become not so much of a secret, but more of an overused word that sellers tend to tune out. They have heard it so much that when you mention it to them they say "I know, I know, I have to declutter." But they have no idea what it actually means and rarely do it correctly with out professional help.

For an occupied home, it's perhaps the greatest opportunity a seller has. De-cluttering and de-personalizing the space will help the buyers envision the home as their home.

Great post!

Kathy

Just let me be on record here, I hate "stuff".

Not to say that some parts my house are not full of stuff, I just hate it, LOL.

ToulaRosebrock,com

Hi Gary:

That is the KEY word in staging!

Something that every homeowner needs to do when having their property on the market.

I de-clutter, then I clutter back up. It doesn't take much time in my office and family. (((sigh, sigh)))

Gary: I would love to see what a stager would do to my home....after a maid of course! Who has time to declutter and clean? :)

Gary...for most of my staging clients they "know" declutter but don't get "declutter". They will say, almost before I get to through the door..."I know, I know I need to declutter", as if I'm going to go off on them. My mom is the only person that I know that lives with NO clutter. I'm with Cathy Lee...if clients saw my office they would understand "useful clutter." It's very organized, as of last week, but there's just not enough room for everything. Thank goodness I'm not selling.

After I return from a Listing appointment and give the Seller a long list of things to do (including declutter), I look at my home and thank God I don't need to sell it. I think if I ever DID need to sell my home, I would hire another Realtor. Sometimes we can't follow our own advice.

And, I think any Realtor can tell a Seller to declutter, but that's not true staging advice. Although I've taken a few classes, staging does NOT come naturally to me. If I need a stager, I hire one.

<<wink>> Gary what were you doing taking a picture of MY desk??? Oh - never mind I only wish it were mine and a graduation photo of 2004 !! Seriously good post! AND how so very true - let's get the junk out people!!!

Hi Gary-It makes a world in difference in our own homes as well. <SMILE>

Some people just never get the concept of decluttering a home for sale. It really looks horrible to a potential buyer when they see a messy place.

Decluttering and deep cleaning are the two most important steps in getting a home ready for us to go in and truly be able to showcase it with staging. We simply cannot showcase a home until the excess is gone.

Gary...It's just like raising children Do As I say not as I do, Looks like this stager is better with advice than in personal practice.

Oh yeah! I'm an organization maniac. A messy room will just distract and stress me out. I think many people whom are looking to buy a new home will be like me (maybe not as extreme) and want peace and a new relaxing space. Thank you, friend!

AAAAAAAAAAHHHHHHHHHH-Le-Lu-ia! Alleluia! Alleluia! AAAAAAAAAAHHHHHHHHHH-Le-Lu-ia!

I would love to come home every evening to a staged home... I would relax and breathe easy and probably sleep a whole lot better!

Hi Gary... I think decluttering in like dieting... most people's clutter level, like their weight, goes up and down.

Hi Gary! Decluttering makes SUCH a difference and you're right--it's sooo soothing!

Hi Gary!

You are so right! De-cluttering makes all the difference. The buyers can focus on the house!!!

JUN

You're right on the money Gary. Nothing does more for staging than de-cluttering. If the home is neutralized there isn't much decorating required.

Gary - 3 simple words ...less is more.

Speaking from experience - a decluttered home sells much quicker. We only lived in Colorado 10 months - not enough time to build up much clutter. We had a full-price offer within 6 hours of speaking to the listing agent!

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