Our Portland Oregon home staging company is often hired by Realtors and homeowners to help a dated home look more appealing to potential buyers. When buyers first preview a home online, they're making mental notes as they scan through the photos. If they see what looks to them like "work" that needs to be done, then they usually keep looking, often not even adding the home to their "must see" list because they are like most of today's selective buyers: with so much inventory to choose from, they don't want to spend lots of time or money to turn the house into their dream home.
Here's an example of a home that was on the market for a year, and was showing as dated in the online listing photos. A new listing agent was selected who suggested that the sellers consider staging. We advised a few cosmetic changes be taken care of, and then we staged this home. Here's what we did:
Before, the Library had great views, but the dark green carpet was seen by buyers as dated 
Neutral carpet and just enough furniture highlights the useful space in this room 
The Kitchen had green walls and floral shades; we suggested a neutral paint & letting all the light in
In the Entry, buyers determine their First Impression ... be sure it's a good one! Before, this entry looks dark 
Adding a seating area and some accessories really brightened it up, don't you think? 
The Master bedroom lacked emotional appeal when it was vacant; not much there for buyers to see 
Adding furniture and accessories helps buyers imagine that THEY could live here! 
The Office wall color made the room seem dark ... we suggested a lighter color & removing the floral drapes 
If you're putting your home on the market -- consult with a professional home stager to increase your home's appeal to your target buyer. A consultation is very reasonable and pays for itself immediately. Staging your home with appropriate furnishings and accessories -- and having great photos of your staged home for the online listing -- is a cost-effective way to make sure buyers add YOUR home to their "must see" list.
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