10 Home Staging Tips to Make Your Next Listing Look like a Model Home

What is it about Model homes that make them so appealing?  Is it the freshness of all new; is it the sassy paint colors, the perfectly placed furniture, art and accessories or the beautiful groomed backyard that makes you want to plop right down on that comfy club chair, or light the grill on the patio?  Well.... Yes to all the above.  A builder hold hosts to an array of skilled professionals to make that Model beautiful.  From blue print to drawer pulls that Model home is meticulously planned.

Beyond the nicely placed furniture, Model homes are the current reflection of the home environment needs of the target market of the Builder.  They are a turn-key product, designed & packaged for the desires of perfect buyer.

Models homes are lovely because they have the latest and the greatest, are fresh and new and are meticulously detailed.  Psychology, more than decorating is applied to makes them look so fabulous.  From architecture to floral arrangements, Model homes are planned with "YOU" in mind.  

So how can you the Realtor make your next listing as appealing as a Model Home? - Here are 10 ways.

•1.)    Clean.  Those nice angled vacuum lines, gleaming windows, and perfectly manicured lawns in Model homes speak to a potential buyer - You don't have to do a thing.   A Realtor can translate that into - A little elbow grease goes a long way.  A super clean home says "turn-key" to the potential buyer.  Have every inch of the home, blind slats to porch light glass, super clean and perfectly coiffed.  According to a national 2009 survey done by Home Gain (www.homegain.com,) a $100-$200 cleaning investment gives an 872% return!

•2.)    Fresh & Smells Good.  People buy homes on emotion, and your 5 senses are a direct path to your brain.  If a home smells and looks "funky," "doggy," "smoky," or if the stove is coated with  cooking gone bad - The home is off their list.  Just like you would detail your car to sell, invest in clean and spotless carpets, patched, repaired and freshly painted walls and new appliances if the old have seen better days.  Be wary to skip this step and take the low road with room refreshers, candles and stove burner covers - Potential buyers are not fooled.

•3.)    Color.  Any advertising executive will tell you color is key to properly packaging a product; and a listed home is just that, a product.  Throw away the off-white manta of old school home staging rules - Welcome to the era of HGTV. Using color is a powerful and inexpensive way of making that home stand out from the rest, and with so many decorating TV shows boasting the benefits of color, you better get hip to hues.   From 1^st Web impressions to curb-appeal, color is a strong emotional tug for the potential buyer.  Update yourself on the latest color trends in wall color, appliance, fixtures, etc... and apply it to your target buyer.  For home staging, use earthy, calm tones for the bigger areas such as wall color and add pops of saturated colors in the details; such front doors, accessories or annuals.

•4.)    Make Space.  The joy of a Model home is the acres and acres of unused storage space & beautifully organized closets.  Reduce, organize, upscale and edit all the home's spaces when it comes to closets and storage areas.  If the home's price point dictates, upscale the closets with custom organizing options.

•5.)    Clear a Path.  Consider that many people with be walking through the home.  Make sure traffic patterns, entrances and exits are well established.  Too much furniture, undefined entrances and awkward walkways confuse and discourage buyers from moving about the property.  Follow a Model Home's lead and create a concise walking pattern for potential buyers starting a curbside to back fence.  

•6.)    Lovely Layouts. From the landscape to furniture placement, take a clue from Models homes that continuity and flow make for a good mix.  Create curb appeal with nicely maintained landscaping, added annuals and perennials, an inviting stoop and well groomed walk and driveways.  Inside, make sure each room depicts what its function is, enhances the highlights of the room (i.e. fireplaces or upgrades,) and allows the buyer to envision themselves in the space.

•7.)    Set the Mood. Create ambiance and character in the home with well thought out placement of sensory and lifestyle components.  Soft music, lighting on dimmers, candles lit, and fresh floral are all great ideas for Broker or Open houses. If you have concern about candles, battery operated candles that even have timers built in are now readily available.   Stage the dining room table tastefully, or set the stage in a back yard with a detailed patio retreat.  Offering helpful lifestyle hints has always been in the Model Home arsenal and always a huge hit.

•8.)    K.I.S.S. On the opposite note, don't over accessorize, go over-board with the lifestyle tips or create "store bought theme" rooms (i.e. Chef-with-a-Hat Kitchen or Anniversary Bathtub area complete with Champagne bottle.)

•9.)    Appeal to a Target Buyer.  Consider "WHO" the ideal buyer is that will be interested in the property, and market the property accordingly.  From advertising photos to furniture, consider who will find this appealing and desirable. 

•10.) Market, Market, Market.  Model Homes have great marketing incentives inside and out.  From clear address markers, great signs, to small exit giveaways, to survey - market that listing to the fullest.  

 

Julea Joseph of Reinventing Space has created her own recipe for success with her signature Interior Stylist Philosophy.  Always a few steps ahead, Julea launched her home design business in 1999 when interior redesign & home staging were just in their infancy.  Rather than offering just redesign and staging, she developed a menu of blended services that fully embraces and captures the lifestyle of a home - She Celebrates the Soul of a Home.