Staging a Vacant Home? Add These Items to Your Check List!

Debbie- very funny!!!   I actually look on a Google map before I go just so I’ll know where they are!

Dorie- we staged a vacant home yesterday and needed the Mr. Clean eraser and the Olde English, not to mention the paper towels and windex!

James- wouldn’t need those, would you!    I use the iron more than I’d like.

Gita- neither can I.   What’s a roll of TP anyway!

Wayne- when I staged my very first vacant home I had 2 days notice.  After I unloaded everything I had to find a Target or whatever to buy more inventory.

Michael- excellent!  I had not thought about the Open Houses!  

Ken-  i love the idea of the wasp spray!   

Anita- thank you.  Michael brought up a good idea of having it with you for an Open House.

Jared-  that bag goes with me to my vacant stagings no matter what.

Kent- seems we were thinking of similar items!

Sharon-  thanks Sharon!   I love his idea of bug spray.

Maria- I have Magic Erasers in my kitchen, all of my bathrooms and my staging kit.  Love them.

Michael- thanks, but I’m sure I’ll add something after the next staging.

Scott- Don’t use the plug ins!  But air the house out if you can!!!  

Lenn- I know most everyone has a smartphone but I still like to see the big picture that you can’t get on a phone.

Janis- you hit it!  If they’re vacant then they need to be super-super  clean!

Lori- hadn’t thought about that one!!  Good one.

BARFF- thanks!  Of course, I do have some chocolate stashed somewhere.

Rich- like a woman’s purse, I keep putting more and more things in it.

Scott- the Real Estate Staging Association (RESA)  publishes a yearly list !.

Joanna- You know I used to carry those with me all of the time but I never used them.  I have movers for the vacant stagings but you’re right... they would come in handy for an occupied home.  I’ve brought a bag of lemons or oranges to a home that was occupied but not a vacant home.  Unfortunately our Florida bugs  would really go after the fresh fruit!  I do love the scent though.

Barbara- thank you!  As Michael mentioned, it’s a great list for your open houses!

Kristin- I love using what the seller has because you definitely have to be more creative!

Valerie- I could never figure out why someone would remove all of the toilet paper!  I’m going to look for the microfiber fabric you talked about.

Karen- absolutely.  I do have my phone on me at all times (and I keep the doors locked.)  I’m so glad you mentioned the pens for the wood.  I know I had a few of them in my bag when I put the bag together years ago but I have lost them all or not replaced them!  Thank goodness you pointed that out!

Praful- it is not inexpensive to stage a vacant home, that’s true.  But we need to show the seller that investment vs the monthly carrying costs.

Sheri- forgot the broom.  We have a lot of tile floors  here so the swiffer works but you’re right, a broom for the front walk etc would be good.

Sharon- oh gosh... thank you!

Mary-another good one to add!  See I knew that my friends at AR would add to this!!!

Carla- you bet it does!!!!   That !  is there from personal experience.

John- you’re very welcome.  I remember that on my first vacant staging that I did when I was in VA, we had to use some tape to secure something hanging from under the furniture.

Kevin- when my husband started building homes, I went out to help him with the finish work.  You are not kidding about how much dust is in a new home!  I remember using oven cleaner to remove paint from the window trim.

Mary- I remember when I lived in VA that if you blinked you’d miss the spring and would head straight into summer.  

Sally - that is an excellent item I’m going to add.  I have taken my ironing board for big stagings where there were a lot of linens but often all I needed was an extension cord for the iron.  

Tammie- do they have friends they can borrow from???

Kate- I usually need a band aid when I stage a vacant home.  Yesterday my biggest issue was not breaking my neck because the house had all of these little step downs and such.  I kept tripping everywhere.

Silvia- I think we all have them.  I use Downy Wrinkle Releaser all of the time in my own home.

Roy- many thanks for stopping by. 

Conrad- as a former Girl Scout, I try to be prepared.

Julia- My bag is getting stuffed!

Tammie- it's not a deal breaker.  Just make sure the house is spotless.

Beth- i love those things and have them all over the house.