portland home staging magic

When our Portland home staging company works with sellers and Realtors, we give them Tips to keep the house looking great for the Open House & showings. Before the house goes on the market, sellers are usually advised to clean their home like there's no tomorrow, remove excess furniture to create a great traffic flow, pack away all the personal photos, collectibles & "stuff" that everyone accumulates, clean up the yard, etc.

Home staging FAQs

But how to KEEP the house looking ready for a showing with short notice?

Whether the sellers did the staging themselves or had a staging consultation with a professional stager, having a handy "check list" can help a busy household remember what to do – so that potential buyers fall in love with your home and want to move right in!

Open all window coverings to let in the light & allow buyers to see the views; Turn on lights & lamps in each room (even during the day)

To keep your home smelling fresh, use one of these safe products on carpets, drapes, & upholstered furniture: Pure Citrus spray or Pure Ayre spray (both are free of chemicals and are safe for people & pets). Air out the house often and don’t allow anyone to smoke inside.

Dealing with pets in your For Sale homeIf you have pets, keep their food & water dishes out of sight; remove the cat litter box to the garage (or outside) for showings. It’s best to take pets out of the house and yard during showings since some buyers may be allergic, afraid, or not fond of pets

 

 

 

Ensure that the kitchen & bathrooms are kept sparkling clean

Kitchen counters should have just a few items (a bowl of fresh fruit, plants, a pretty cookbook on a stand; limit small appliances to 1 or 2).

Kitchen Trash should be removed daily and hidden away out of sight

Dining tables should be staged with a simple centerpiece (plant or flowers) stage your house, make your bed! 

Make beds daily, standing up all the pillows for a hotel look

Keep the "good" towels folded on towel bars (put your wet towels in the dryer as you leave the house)

Make sure that toilet seat lids are always down 

Keep bathroom toiletries stored out of sight; wastebaskets & cleaning supplies should be out of sight, too

home staging tips in portland oregon

 

 

Replace burned-out light bulbs throughout the house & yard

stage your home to sell in portland oregon

 

 

For safety, remove family photos & items with a family member’s name; hide bills, bank statements, mail; hide valuables, prescription medicines, & firearms

 

 

The walkway to the front door should be swept & tidy; colorful pots of flowers are a welcoming touch; a new doormat makes a great first impression

 

 

 

Follow these tips and before you know it, your home will sport this sign:

staged and sold in portland oregon

            ***                 ***                 ***                 ***                    

Room Solutions Staging in Portland Oregon offers expert home staging services to homeowners, real estate agents, builders, banks, and investors. Our proven home staging techniques will help reduce your property's market time and maximize your equity. We prepare your property or listing to look appealing to your target buyer, for the online photos as well as in person. Our owner and principal stager Maureen Bray is a nationally-recognized expert in home staging and enjoys sharing her passion for staging with others.  For a complimentary home staging proposal, please contact us @ 503-246-1800.

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32 Comments on Keep your Home Looking Good for Showings: Tips from a Portland Stager

20 Most Recent Comments Displayed Show All

JAN
29
3 Featured Posts

Great common sense reminders Maureen. What seems obvious to one person is not going to be to another!
3:22pm • #13
409,192 Points 12 Featured Posts Outside Blog Attended Rain Camp Called Shot Master

Great idea to have a check list, Maureen.  Sellers can quickly skim down the list to make sure they haven't forgotten anything as they dash out the house. 
6:31pm • #14
580,685 Points 37 Featured Posts Outside Blog Attended Rain Camp Called Shot Master

Tessa ~ common sense is sometimes hard to find when you're selling your house and rushed to get out the door, hence I made this list a few years back.

Sally aka Vancouver Home Stager ~ Dashing out the door is a common occurrence if your home is on the market ... Sellers tell me they like having a few reminders.
7:08pm • #15
JAN
30

Simple but great checklist.  I tell sellers to clean clean clean until it sparkles and that includes light switches.
5:34am • #16
580,685 Points 37 Featured Posts Outside Blog Attended Rain Camp Called Shot Master

Kathy ~ that is great advice!  Light switches sometimes get overlooked ... good reminder!
10:25am • #17
JAN
31
108,142 Points 3 Featured Posts Outside Blog

Great quick reminders, Maureen. I'm about to list a house with 3 kitties and their litter box is in the basement utility room. No easy solution this time of year because the garage is not an option (freezing here, no heat or easy access to it). Will be recommending to clean it daily, but haven't tried Pure Ayre so will see if that helps, thank you! 
9:06am • #18
FEB
01
1,023,989 Points 66 Featured Posts Outside Blog Attended Rain Camp Called Shot Master

Awesome suggestions and great reminders...I like the idea of the wet towels...hanging on the shower rod is not the best aesthetic
4:06am • #19
FEB
03
580,685 Points 37 Featured Posts Outside Blog Attended Rain Camp Called Shot Master

Kim ~ I hope your clients can manage the litter box situation!  Pure Ayre is a safe product based on enzymes :-)

Wallace ~ Placing Hiding wet towels in the dryer is an easy solution!
6:43pm • #20
FEB
07
958,433 Points 53 Featured Posts Outside Blog Attended Rain Camp Called Shot Master

Maureen, stagers and Realtors can assist sellers in making their home beautiful, but some sellers have no idea how to keep it clean and show worthy!   
6:18am • #21
FEB
09

It's important for sellers to understand that there is a lot less inconvenience in preparing for Open House or a showing when a property has been staged.  As statistics have proven, staged properties sell faster which means that sellers won't have to be spending months or even weeks of prospective buyers traipsing in and out.
1:34pm • #22
580,685 Points 37 Featured Posts Outside Blog Attended Rain Camp Called Shot Master

Joan ~ That is so true!  It's the keeping it clean and tidy for potential buyers on an on-going basis that's sometimes challenging for sellers.  I'm sure you advise your clients what to do too, and hopefully they're listening :-)

Cheryl ~ Staging is a "given" in many markets in the U.S, which we heard recently at the annual RESA conference in San Francisco.  Even when it's professionally staged, sellers still have to keep it looking "move in ready" so that buyers can imagine themselves living there.  Thanks for stopping by!
1:55pm • #23
FEB
16
782,024 Points 38 Featured Posts Outside Blog Attended Rain Camp Called Shot Master

Well that about covers it!  Follow this advice and see a SOLD sign in no time!
6:16am • #24
580,685 Points 37 Featured Posts Outside Blog Attended Rain Camp Called Shot Master

Sharon ~ That is the plan!  You and I know how important it is to KEEP the house looking good until it's actually sold :-)
10:41am • #25
FEB
18
626,443 Points 11 Featured Posts Outside Blog Attended Rain Camp Called Shot Master

Excellent tips - I am trying to figure out what to do with a litterbox in a 1 bedroom condo I am about to list.  There is just no where to put it that is out of site. (or smell so to speak)
5:32am • #26
580,685 Points 37 Featured Posts Outside Blog Attended Rain Camp Called Shot Master

Hi Debra ~ In as case like that, if they scoop it twice a day and use a fresh, non-chemical spray like "Pure Citrus," it will help!
4:50pm • #27
FEB
23
1,346,840 Points 71 Featured Posts Outside Blog Attended Rain Camp Called Shot Master

I am constantly reminding sellers to keep the home looking pristine. Great post.
3:01pm • #28
580,685 Points 37 Featured Posts Outside Blog Attended Rain Camp Called Shot Master

Hi Barbara-Jo ~ Your sellers are lucky that you remind them what to do :-)
9:12pm • #29
MAR
09
302,400 Points

Great post to share as sellers need to know show ready will bring more money
3:00pm • #30
MAR
15
626,443 Points 11 Featured Posts Outside Blog Attended Rain Camp Called Shot Master

Thanks Maureen!
12:15pm • #31
580,685 Points 37 Featured Posts Outside Blog Attended Rain Camp Called Shot Master

Hi Charles ~ I like your saying "show ready will bring more money!"  That's a good one, thanks!

Hi Debra ~ You are most welcome ... have a wonderful weekend :-)
6:37pm • #32

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Maureen Bray ~ Home Stager Portland OR ~ Home Staging Portland Oregon

Portland, OR

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