We recently staged a 1962 home in Portland Oregon that has been owned and lived in by one family for 50 years! When the heirs decided to sell the property, their listing agent suggested that home staging would help buyers imagine themselves living in this home. Walls were painted and new carpeting was added, but no major remodeling was done. When the family hired our home staging company for this project, I could see the potential here, but knew we'd have to "show" buyers that this home was worth a second look. It's located in one of Portland's best school districts and the listing agent felt the buyers would be a younger family.
There's something to be said for walking through a home where one family has lived and raised their children for 50 years ... I was wondering how they might feel if they knew a "stranger" was about to present THEIR home to others in a way that was likely very different than how it looked in the past. When I work in a home like this, I find myself almost "talking" to the departed owners and asking their permission to do whatever is necessary. That may sound odd, but I found it usually works very well! One thing that amazed me was that the 1962 kitchen had the exact same Armstrong flooring and the same GE oven that my parents' home had when I was a child. Whenever I stage a home that's belonged to one family for many years I feel an obligation to make sure that my work reflects honor for the departed family as well as hope for the new family who will make it their home.
Here's a few Before & After photos of this 1962 vintage Portland OR home
The living room has a huge picture window 
Staging added energy to this living room by using 'tangerine'-colored accents that echo the brick fireplace
The adjoining dining room has French doors to a deck 
We selected a drum light fixture and carried over the colors from the living room to tie it all together 
The kitchen is (mostly) vintage 1962! 
Staging added warmth & lifestyle cues for buyers ... they'll be able to "imagine" how they'll remodel it 
The large family room is original and very spacious 
After staging, buyers can see themselves enjoying this family room
After the seller saw the home, he sent me the nicest note:
"I just had a chance to see the house. You are a very talented home stager. The change was dramatic and the appeal of the house was enhanced much more than I expected. We appreciate your tasteful and expert choices. I know it will help the sale of the home. Thanks again!"
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