Stage your home, sell it turn-key furnished, and recoup your staging costs. Sounds smart, right? But how do you know what to furnish it with to entice buyers? How do you adjust the listing price if the buyer wants it furnished?

Here in New Hampshire, lots of second homes are bought to enjoy the seacoast, the mountains and the lakes. These second homes may be a small condo or a multi-million dollar luxury property. And sometimes, buyers would appreciate a second home fully furnished and ready to enjoy! Here's what can help make it happen:

Keep it warm & inviting. You don't have to buy thousands of dollars worth of original art. Just make sure your furnishings look clean and classic. Living plants add warmth and texture.

Add to the home what it's lacking. This condo doesn't have a large area to cozy up to the fireplace, so I used 2 recliners instead of a big couch.

Being a 1-bedroom, I added a pull-out sofa bed to create a "guest room".

A majority of buyers would like an area to put a computer & desk. I created a "home office" by staging a small low profile desk and chair. If a home is missing a dining room, show how a table and chairs will look when beautifully set in the kitchen. Eliminate as many "have nots" as you can!

Purchase one or two splurge items that add alot of tasteful appeal & practicality. A beautiful walnut armoire adds drama to the bedroom, while providing some place to tuck that ugly TV or music componenets. There's nothing like a small flat-screen TV all wired & ready to go in the kitchen to make buyers smile. An investment, yes, but you'll get your money back if you sell it furnished.

Add some local flavor! If you're selling a second home, the buyers want to breathe the local air, so give 'em some photos, plants, decor that speaks of that area. This condo is in seacoast Hampton, NH, so I added shells, seaglass, and black & white surfboard photos. There are Hampton Beach postcards left out on the desk. Don't over do it!

The master bed's linens are not the place to scrimp on your budget. Why does a hotel turn down the bed for you and use crisp white sheets? It's clean & inviting. Do the same for your staged home you're trying to sell. Use comfortable, good quality bedding. I'm not talking 500-count Egyptian cotton here, just not ultra cheap!

Develop a style and a color scheme that suits just about anyone. Do you know why more white oxford shirts are sold than any other color? Because white goes with any color/style necktie that a man may have. Do the same with your walls and colors. Not necessarily white, but keep it simple, keep it classic.

Ask your agent who is likely to buy this property, and cater to those buyers. This vacant condo had many single men scheduling showings, so the space was kept very gender neutral. If you had mostly young families interested in your listing, you might add inexpensive bunk beds to get more mileage out of a vacation home.

How do you price your home to recoup your staging/furnishing costs? 

Make sure the property is appropriately priced to begin with (don't argue with your agent). You're not going to overcharge a buyer for a property!! Buyers are educated, and the agent that is bringing the buyer to your property is educated about home prices too, right?

Add the actual cost of the furnishings and staging to your original asking price. DON'T TRY TO ADD MORE and give yourself a nice reward! As I said, no one is stupid in this equation. If you recoup your costs, it will indeed be a good buy for you AND the buyer. It's a win-win! You'll have less stuff to move right before closing, and that saves time and money too.

THIS STEP IS HUGE: The agent showing the home must understand to let buyers know the benefits of purchasing the home furnished. It saves time and money. There is no picking out furniture, waiting for it to be delivered. "There is a true vacation here, the work has been done for you!" The agent can sell the idea by explaining to buyers what the advantages are to enjoy.

Staged First Impressions, a NH home staging company. We'd like New Hampshire builders & home owners who are selling possible second/vacation properties to know that there are clever ways to pay for home staging that will help the home sell faster, but not break the bank.