Give free consultation - there is a difference between estimating & consulting. A few tips may be in order along with an estimate for good will. Consultation may become free after booking staging.

My opinion.

Happy 4th!  

I agree with Deborah.  And make sure the potential client knows the difference between and estimate and a consultation.  I got stiffed twice because the client said I had told them the consultation was no charge.

Terry Haugen - STAGE it RIGHT!

Thanks for the hints!  Great post!  Happy 4th!

Well I agree with you- however isn't one of the things you should not do is have too many family photos exposed for potential buyers?

The reason I heard is it is more difficult for a buyer to imagine the home as theirs with some other family photos at every turn........

This probably fall into the you know you're a redneck if category but...I live and work in a relatively rural area where a lot of people have guns and also hunting trophies on the walls (or standing in corners of the rooms) so I insist that all firearms are locked up--that's not a hard sell.  I strongly encourage sellers to remove the hunting trophies--that's a harder sell and sometimes I just have to work around them ;)

Great stuff so far gals! Keep them coming!

Never leave out religious items - could turn off the perfect buyer.

Christine

With respect to personal photos, especially those of children, I explain to my clients that this is a safety issue.  Anyone coming into the home can look at those photos, gain knowledge of the children living in that house, peruse the neighbourhood and watch the children, find out their schools, etc., etc.  This goes for grandchildren as well.  So sad that in this day and age we have to even consider this issue!

This is obvious...but never stage without proper insurance and a solid contract.

Christine:

I always recommend that homeowners remove or lock up any and all prescription drugs. After jewelry and firearms (which many people don't own, so it is not a problem) prescription drugs are the number one most stolen item during open houses.

For pet owners (and I'm one myself) homeowners should remove pet beds and feeding dishes from sight.  If possible, Fido or Kitty should go to daycare for showings, or to a trusted friend's home.  Potential viewers may be allergic to pet hair, or may just not be pet friendly, so it's best not to advertise that you have them.

Last week I staged an occupied home with a glass curio cabinet in the living room, in a very visible spot.  The homeowner had a "shrine" to George Bush in the cabinet.....I suggested that in case a potential buyer was a Democrat, it might be better to pack up these items now (which I replaced with some fun, colorful plates on stands).  So, you might add political signs and such to your list.

Some disagree, but leaving cutlery (not just knives) is a bad idea for the same reason as the knives. Some also think candles should not be used. Others think taking the wick out is enough. And some of us think cutting the wick back to the nub is sufficient. Don't try to cover up ordors with that spray stuff and never, ever, ever use one of those overwhelming gosh-awful plug in the wall plastic scent dohickies. Christine, this is a fun way to get us all thinking. Nice post.

Never leave "artwork" on the fridge!!! Also, get rid of clutter on counters and Don't leave dishtowels hanging off the oven.  These 3 are pet peeves of mine.  I am always amazed when I look at photos that realtors put on mls.  It should be common sense to remove these things, but I guess not!

I have another Never for you. Never stage then Don't follow-up and recheck. Nothing is worse then staging a house beautifully than 2 weeks later the homeowner  has cluttered counters, rehangs the children's artwork on the fridge, and never makes the beds. The Realtor should be checking in with them, but sometimes they don't have the time or the want. This is your pride of workmanship and if your name is on the Staging you want to make sure your style and expertise is whats coming across to prospective clients.

My personal pet peeve - Toothbrushes and toilet brushes are not accessories! Regardless of how pretty the holders are, they represent germs and are an instant turn off. Never ever leave these out.

I'm new to AR and this is fun - thanks for the ideas!

How about staging the exterior of the house with proper seasonal photos in the mls.  It drives me crazy when I see Christmas wreaths on a front door in a June photo.  Geeze, how long has that place been on the market. 

Hi Christine . . . great post!  I plan on using some of these ideas to compile a list of DON'TS for my clients!

One thing that stagers should never do is leave a vacant home that they have staged (using rental furniture and accessories) without a set of keys to the property for easy access.  I have added this clause to all of my contracts.

Hi Christine,

Great post, what a really informative list! Some of them I never really thouht of, thanks!

Regarding personal family photos:  I was doing an estimate one day as I stood in front of a wall plastered with 8x10 frames of family portraits and pictures.  I started asking them "Who's that?"  "Where was that wedding?"  "How old is he?"  Right on cue, the owners proudly chatted away for about 10 minutes about their family as I shook my head and smiled.  Then I said, "See what we just did here?  We lost the focus of the house to talk about the pictures!  They gotta go!  Pack them up!"  The woman looked at me for a minute and then laughed...she got it!  Point made!  Personal pictures are a distraction and people are NOSEY!

Good list!

Abby

We recently were staging a home for a client and he was telling us how he saw political items on his search for a new home and left!

So I would also say - don't have your political preferences in clear view!

Great list Christine.  Lots of great additions.  I would like to add my "Thing you should never do"....leave up Curtains...Curtains....Curtains.... .  Besides the owners taste...the smell can be overwhelming. 

I will add one.  Never talk about pricing... no comments, no suggestions.  ALWAYS defer to the Realtor.  Not our area or expertise to say anything here.  Just some words of wisdom from experience :)

Hi Christine,

Thanks for the great list - always good to have these reminders. I would like to add to your never list...never leave throw rugs on the floors...they are a distraction from the CLEAN floors.

Kristi Gullickson, Artistic Staging LLC

Thank you for the bumped blog topic....great reminders!! Regards-Kathleen

Hi Christine!

My biggest pet peeve is leaving the dirty, dusty, muddy, 80 year old door mats at the front door!  It bugs me so much that I buy a new door mat for each home that I stage as a "Gift".  The new ones look so good that the sellers immediately toss the old ones in the trash!

It might have been here on AR or on a realtor website but there was an MLS photo of a room with an old man asleep in the chair--never leave Grandpa out on view when the photos are taken :)

Never, ever use a fresh fruit bowl in a vacant home, unless of course you are prepared to change it regularly.  I know you will think this is too funny - but Margo and I did that in our very first vacant.  The lemons were all moldy and disgusting.  Luckily no one saw them in that condition.  Betty

Thanks for the "not to do" list.  These are good reminders.

Debra - I chuckled when I read your comment.  Why?  Because I had just viewed a listing on the MLS showing "grandma" sitting at the kitchen table reading a newspaper!  Not only was grandma in the photo but the kitchen was an absolute mess.  Why on earth would a realtor post a photo like that on the MLS? 

Never put plastic wrap over the toilet bowl.

The grandpa was on a Realtor from Canada's blog about "Really Bad MLS photos." I showed it at a Realtor AM presentation that I did on staging.  They loved it. 

Never stage dining room tables with utensils. (of any kind!) A realtor was killed in Washington with either a fork or table knife. We do not use anything but place settings and centerpieces on our tables.

" Never stage dining room tables with utensils. (of any kind!) A realtor was killed in Washington with either a fork or table knife. We do not use anything but place settings and centerpieces on our tables. "

Oh my goodness! How awful is that!

Some of these are funny! Along with Grandpa, the kids should really be put away. I recently saw a listing where the kids had clearly insisted on being in a few photos..pulling faces. I don't even remember which room they were in.....Cute??? Maybe to mom, but not to potential buyers- it might scream, "UNRULY CHILDREN HAVE LIVED HERE!!!!!"   I have 3 of my own, but c'com, how hard is it to keep them out of a photo?!

Of course, this wouldn't happen in a staged home, but I often see dish drainers on the counters- filled with dishes, which screams, "no dishwasher included; our dish drainer has become a permanent feature!"

-Susie

I haven't seen Grandpa, but have certainly seen a lot of listings with the family dog on the couch, or laying in the middle of the kitchen floor.

Thanks for the tip about the utensils.  I had not thought of that. 

In our area we do have a lot of gun cabinets, etc.  With this being a rural area being quickly bought up by 'city slickers' I explain to my clients that the potential buyers thought upon seeing the gun cabinet may not be "Oh, hunters", it may be "Hmmm, I wonder if there is a lot of crime in this area".  I guess I fit into the redneck category, as our home has two mounted elk. :)  Of course, our cowboy western decor would all have to be removed should we ever need to sell our own home!

One thing that I deal with up here that I didn't see.... I often have to tell my clients to hide the slug bait, ant traps and yellow-jacket spray.  We all know that rural homes need these things, but we don't need to make the potential buyer think about the work involved in keeping a beautiful garden, or a bug free home!

 - Rebecca

What great ideas! I just staged my first vacant & did not put out utensils because I did not want Emily Post type to come through and focus on the lack of the salad fork or something. I did not think about the danger factor. This is a very thoughtful list for those of us who are new. Leslie

Don't miss out on meeting the homeowners' other vendors: For instance, if the homeowners has hired a landscaper, make sure that you connect with that person.  Not all landscapers are familiar with what curb appeal is effective for the sale of the home and they may need a few suggestions.  Also, if the landscaper is good, this person can be a contact for you in the future.  I feel a blog coming on.......

-For Security reasons never leave personal papers, bills (cc#'s), daily schedules in plain view. 

-Never close all the blinds. -#1 mistake by sellers. The 1st impression is dark and closed in. Most prospective buyers/agents will not open more than one window when showing.     

-Not only should you or your animals not be IN the photos but you should never be home when you have a showing!

-Cars should never be in the driveway in exterior pictures.  Not that many years ago Realtors never took the exterior house shots for MLS, now there is no excuse.  

- Margaret

Never leave diplomas on the wall. Homeowners are proud of them and can resist. This can be used as a tool for identity theft and when explained it it is for their personal security they feel you are looking out for them.  Also password protect computers to avoid someone accessing personal info or using your internet access.

Never say "Never"!  I realized as soon as I posted my comment that I broke my own rule.  By replacing "never..." with "always be sure to..." you change it to a positive statement with a specific action.  People take less offence and it is less like a scolding.  We can't assume that homeowners will know the neccesary action.  for example rather than tell a homeowner never to leave their diplomas on the wall does not mean it is ok to prop it up on the dresser or desk.  You and I would know that.  Telling them to be sure to take down and pre-pack the diploma is a positive statement and tells them exactly what to do.

I'd like to add something about children. Besides removing their pictures, I ask that sellers remove anything that has the child's name on it: toy boxes, plaques, bulletin boards, ribbons and trophies. Of course, it's a good idea for safety reasons, but it's hard for buyers to imagine their child living in a room that says someone else's name!!!

Great blog!!!

Don't leave the toilet seat up!!!  Be sure to empty (and clean) all trash cans when showing the home (or remove them)!  Great list!

I love it...going to print this list off and refer to it often...all the hints are wonderful...

Great advice. I will definitly refer to the "list". I too have seen a few houses online with children in it. Most recently it was my sisters house on the market and her Realtor had taken pictures of my niece playing outside. I told my sister it was mandatory to take those pics of the internet. She never thought of it in a bad way so she did as I said and called the Realtor. I also staged her house while she was out of town and took down more than a dozen photos of my niece. My sister was offended, but I told her again because of the safety issue. I truely mean that I do take down pictures of children because Sellers never know who is walking through. When you put it that way, sellers are more likely to part with their pictures for a short time.

Wow, the knife story is quite scary. I never put out utensils mainly because I didnt have any to put out. That puts a different spin on it.

Elise Sharpless-Rooms Like New

Great Blog! I never even thought not to put out the utensils. Scary. Is that why you suggest taking the wicks out of candles as well?

The Grandpa in the MLS listing made me laugh out loud! What a hoot. I have seen some of those listings as well. Messy kitchens etc. What are those REA's thinking?

Never leave out toilet plungers and trash cans in toilets unless it is a pedastal sink.  I always suggest stowing trash under the sinks with cabinets and storing plunger SOMEWHERE else.

I personally like a few personal photos and I'm not sure how to "leave out the toilet" ;).  Okay, I just re-read that and see you were talking about toilet brushes!  My bad!

Kim Dillon, Creative Eye Home Staging

Wonderful posts from everyone. I agree with Kim. You need a few personal photos. I had a client one time who took down all of her photos and artwork. The walls were bare....I told her she really should either borrow or buy a few things to decorate with. She looked shocked then opened the door. There was all of her art work as well as photos. A realtor prior to me told her to remove them because they were a different race and the art work reflected the race.  How dumb can you be!

Never stage a house that is not clean, squeaky clean!

Can you add "use area rugs over wall to wall carpetting"?

Great list and lots of comments with more great ones to add. Thanks!

One more...don't leave fake plants in outdoor planters!  REALLY cheesy!

Put a tea tray across a bed all set up, with tea pot and cups. It's one of those techniques that scream "This house has been staged" which goes against what we're trying to achieve.

A really well staged home romances the buyers without looking staged.

One that has been forgotten, in advertising rules are Sex, Cute Animals and Funny Sells Stuff..but not when it comes to sell your home.

 I recently had to stage a bachelor pad "mirror on the ceiling" and a stripper pole and video cam in the bedroom... I could just imagine the lovely couple that fell in love with the rest of the apartment (which was amazing water views stunning patio) but walking into that bedroom... fastest way to turn off a buyer....

Wonderful list.  I totally agree with no dish towels hanging on the oven.

Another is organizing a cluttered closet.

Joyce