It's terrific when a home seller catches the "vision" of home staging.  This is the story of one of those sellers in Rancho Palos Verdes, California.

The realtor called me and said, "Please help her - her house needs a lot of work and we want to put it on the market right away."  I headed up the hill and found a nice home in a nice neighborhood, but outdated kitchen & baths and way too much furniture and stuff.

This incredibly hardworking seller and I moved through the home room by room to discuss the details of what needed to be done in each area and in the yard.  She seemed to understand the concept of merchandising and making the best of what she had.  It took a couple tries to convince her to take the huge fish trophy off the wall, but by the end, she agreed.

This is a sample of my written directions to the seller as part of the consultation:

Lower Bathroom:

Paint ceiling.

Touch up other paint.

Fresh towels - might pull in colors from wall hanging.  (Lavender & yellow look great).   Candles also work well.

Perhaps put a silk flower/greenery in corner behind shell & diffuser (try the flower pot from the fireplace mantle).

Hang sheer curtain on door.

 And here are some before and after shots:

This very personalized color became warm and attractive to buyers.

Too much furniture felt cramped.

Removing the sofa, bringing in a bright-colored pillow and some greenery opened up the space and yet still felt cozy.

Beautiful room, but again, just too much furniture.  Putting the piano in storage, clearing off some of the mantle, and moving over a small sitting group made this room feel larger.

The kitchen looked very dated, with green-flecked tile and white walls and cabinets.

By painting the cabinets a soft green to match the tile, decluttering and accessorizing, this kitchen became comfortable and welcoming.

The backyard was wonderful with a pool, fire pit and even storage on the raised brick patio.  By painting the overhang, turning and setting the table and highlighting the storage area, buyers could easily imagine themselves entertaining family and friends. 

This industrious seller received two offers on the day of the first broker's open, and accepted one $40,000 above asking price.

STAGING WORKS!