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Knowing is half the battle: How NOT to Stage Your Home

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Real Estate Agent with Coldwell Banker Realty 179530

Thinking about selling your Charlotte area home? Confused about what "staging" your home for sale involves? Here's a great list of what not to do provided by Shannon Jones, a top Realtor in Long Beach, California. The pictures are priceless and go a long way in showing you what you shouldn't do when preparing your Charlotte area home for sale.

Need help and advice on what you need to do to prepare your Charlotte area home for sale? Contact Carolinas Realty Partners. We can help!

Original content by Shannon Jones DRE #01247705

Knowing is half the battle: How NOT to Stage Your Home

In our industry we run across a lot of cringe-worthy MLS listing photos and unfortunate stagings of homes for sale. Apparently not every real estate agent is aware of the importance of great MLS pictures and staging design, because there have been enough "bad listings" in recent memory to inspire a number of blogs that showcase bad MLS photos.

In light of these epidemic oversights, in the vein of "What Not To Wear," we offer a list of staging tips and some examples of what NOT to do:

 

Cluttered room from MLS

1. Declutter.  It seems like the most straight-forward tip about staging your home, but it's also the most frequent offender. This is honestly the quickest/best way to turn a potential buyer around and send them out the front door (if they can make their way out without tripping on something). Don't underestimate how important a clean, decluttered space is for a potential buyer's ability to visualize themselves in it. 

 

2. Basic home repairs go a LONG way with potential home buyers.  Fix that cracked window pane. Replace the broken doorknob. Paint the fence. A little sweat equity goes a long way in real estate.

 

3. Tend to your yard.  Make sure the yard isn't patchy, overgrown, or in need of a raking, and that all outdoor spaces like patios, balconies, etc., are clean and inviting.

 

Celestial-themed room.

Gorgeous room, but too busy to show!

4. Dismantle theme rooms.  We know that you put a lot of effort into creating this creative, beautiful space for your children or yourselves, and possible home buyers know that it will take just as long to dismember your creation.  Try to bring your theme room down a notch if you can't completely neutralize it.  

 

5. Do not use too harsh or too dim lighting.  Soft lighting is a lot more flattering and creates a comfortable atmosphere. Aim for a total of 100 watts for each 50 square feet. Don't depend on just one or two fixtures per room, either. Make sure you have three types of lighting: ambient (general or overhead), task (pendant, under-cabinet or reading) and accent (table and wall).

 

ugly tiles

What may seem 'cute' to you, may look TACKY and TIME CONSUMING to a buyer.

6. Don't over-personalize permanent decor. Seriously consider every surface in your home, especially walls and floors.  Even though it may seem like it's JUST PAINT or JUST TILE to you, to a potential home buyer it may seem like a LOT of work. For the most part (unless they are investors or house flippers) buyers are looking for homes that are as close to move-in ready as possible. 

 

7. Don't overlook  your ceiling.  Maybe you never look at it, but potential home buyers are going to be looking at every angle as they consider making such a huge commitment. If you have a popcorn ceiling, consider getting it replaced with a modern drywall base.

 

This entry way poses as a dressing room and toy storage! >:(

8. Don't misuse spaces.  Bedrooms should be staged as bedrooms, regardless of whether or not you used it as a study or storage room.  Patios should be staged as a relaxing outdoor area and not left looking like your junk rack. 

 

9. Don't leave any of your belongings or decor out unless they are in perfect condition.  When your home is being shown for sale, it must be immaculate, every single time it's being shown. It should actually look like no one lives there: no toothbrushes, curling irons, protein shake mixes or paperwork allowed. No one wants to look at your dirty towel, your half-full garbage can or your slimy, used bars of soap.  No bowls of cereal on the counter - actually, nothing on the top of a counter or a table that is not intended to be a design element.

 

Kind of difficult to see the Living Room through those toys...

10. Remove signs of child life. Don't assume that people will be able to understand and look past the toys strewn around your house.  The truth is they won't understand; they'll be distracted.  Toys are clutter too! And it's just as likely that the potential buyer will not have children as it is that they will. If there is a lot of "kid-clutter" around the house, buyers might get turned off. And even if they have kids, piles of toys will signal a lack of storage space.

 

11. Closets matter.  The tendency when you have people over may be to shove all of your knick-knacks and random clutter objects into your closets to keep up appearances, but the truth is your buyers want to see those spaces!  They will be using them, too!  Buyers want to see every part of the house, from every angle.  They are not renting a hotel room, they are moving into their forever home!

 

12. Don't put off your floor cleaning.  You won't believe how often a seller will say something like, "Oh don't mind the stained carpet, I plan to get it steam cleaned."  Well, that plan should have come to fruition before you were trying to show your house for sale. Much like bright or odd-colored wall paint, stained carpeting or scuffed floors can be things that buyers cannot look past when considering your home.  The less imagination the buyer has to use, the better!

 

It doesn't just look lazy, it looks distracting!

13. Don't place objects against a wall. Contrary to popular belief, pushing everything against the walls won't make a space feel larger. Instead, try moving things around the house into places you've never had them to both make space in more cluttered rooms or fill space in starkly-dressed rooms.  

 

14. Don't leave personal photos or artwork around the house.  Potential buyers know that someone lived there up until recently (or still does!) but they want to be able to imagine themselves there NOW.  With constant personal reminders of your life there, people may have trouble imagining their own futures in the home.

 

And Now, Just For Fun...

REAL MLS & Staging Photos - A Visual Guide on How NOT to Stage Your Home.

And my personal favorites:

Now you know how NOT to stage your home, and knowing is half the battle!

 Shannon Jones

______________________________________________________________________________________

Shannon Jones is a Realtor residing in Long Beach, CA. She leads an award-winning real estate team that has been serving home buyers and sellers in Long Beach and surrounding communities since 1998. Shannon and her team provide their clients with high quality marketing and excellent service. You can check their reviews on Yelp or Zillow.  

Connect with Shannon on these sites as well:

 

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CalBRE License #01247705 / 562-896-2456 / Shannon (at) ShowMeHome.com
 
Posted by

 

 Nina Hollander, RE/MAX Broker, Realtor

 

 

 

Broker, Realtor, MBA, GRI, ABR, SRES, CDPE, SFR, SPS, CMRS
Carolinas Realty Partners with Coldwell Banker Realty
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Disclaimer:  Nothing in this blog article is to be construed as legal advice, tax advice, or financial advice.  For legal advice see an attorney.   For tax advice or financial advice see a tax attorney, certified public accountant, or other qualified professional.

 

Comments (5)

American Brokers Realty Group
American Brokers Realty Group, Inc - Cape Coral, FL

Thanks for sharing this. Surely, a great advice for a lot of people out there. Very well written. Cheers!

May 07, 2014 10:08 PM
Nina Hollander, Broker
Coldwell Banker Realty - Charlotte, NC
Your Greater Charlotte Realtor

The pictures in this post were priceless and told the story, for sure.

May 07, 2014 10:12 PM
Frank Iglesias
Working With Houses, LLC - Atlanta Real Estate Investments - Lawrenceville, GA
Atlanta, GA Real Estate Investor

 you had me laughing towards the end of the post, Nina. I shouldn't but the pictures were just hilarious! Thank you for sharing...

May 08, 2014 08:28 PM
Nina Hollander, Broker
Coldwell Banker Realty - Charlotte, NC
Your Greater Charlotte Realtor

Frank... that toilet that looked like an alter was just too much!

May 08, 2014 09:27 PM
Sharon Tara
Sharon Tara Transformations - Portsmouth, NH
Retired New Hampshire Home Stager

These pictures really get your attention and won't soon be forgotten....not in a good way!

May 11, 2014 10:30 AM