Staging your Home to Sell Faster (part 2)  In case you missed the first post here is the link "Click to the read the first article"  http://activerain.com/blogsview/1197034/understanding-staging-part-1-of-3-by-a-certified-stager

We covered the outside, making sure your home has the curb appeal to invite buyers to take a closer look by setting a viewing appointment to see the inside of your home.

Remember Curb Appeal is a visual invitation to motivate buyers to see your home.

Part Two deals with space.  Space is what every buyer wants.

Buyers want to know your home will accommodate their belongings.  They want to have space for their furniture, they want closet space without sending the husband packing down the hall to stow his clothes!

You need to look at your home with a critical eye.  The other thing that carries over is your photos that are published on the Internet must be viewed with the same critical eye as if the buyer was viewing your home in person!  In effect they are.  If your home is shown poorly you will not get the number of showing compared to the home that is staged and photographed.  Take a look at the next two photos.

The end tables have to much on them.  The pillows were not fluffed, a newspaper is on the couch.  This is typical of many on-line Internet photos.  You may fluff the couch pillows and pick up the newspaper for a showing but most people never look at the rest of the real visual space grabbers.

Behind the lamp on the right is more papers.  Look at the next photo after the client picked up.  You will notice the papers behind the lamp are gone but the end table clutter still remains.

It takes more than picking up to stage a home.  Notice the pen on the coffee table?

The space here is much better but definitely not perfect.  The key here is not causing the buyer to look at your belongings...you want them to look at your home visualizing their possessions in it!

Look at the next photo and you can see how much open space has been created by removing furniture that was not pictured before.

The openness of the space would make you think you could fit anyone's furniture in this room.

Next knowing the rules of staging.  Never more than 3, remember this and you will be well on your way.  Never more than 3 candles with a single color contrast.  Why? 

Let's take a look.  If you use too much it will over power the space.  For example the rule is odd numbers...it creates contrast.  Even numbers does not.

Look at the next photo and you will see too much in front of the fireplace and on the mantle.

Notice all the plants....too many.  Look at the mantle again not positioned correctly.

Look on the floor to the right of the fireplace another plant!

You can do what you want but when you are selling your home you have to make it inviting.  You have to create the image.

In the winter months I'll bet those plants would never be on the hearth.

So don't do this when you are selling and cover a beautiful fireplace.

Take a look at your closets bathrooms, bedrooms, linen closets, garage, basement, attic anywhere a buyer might look.

Staging has proven to increase sell prices that shoud motivate you to create open space and an inviting look for buyers. 

Stop back for Part 3.  We will look at something everyone has a personal opinion on taht could make the difference between selling fast or lingering on the market.

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