There is a huge difference between Interior Decorating and Home Staging.
If you only knew how many times I've suggested removing window treatments to sellers and had the reply " Oh no, those were very expensive. They were custom made. "
Custom drapes, wallpaper, furnishings....custom bedding. It doesn't matter how expensive or who the decorator was that selected them for you. If a home stager is telling you to remove them, it is for a very good reason.
They are dated....styles change with time and your expensive, silk drapes that were hand sewn in 1990 are no longer in style. They age your home and they really don't appeal to anyone but you.
They are bulky and block the view....the view of the lake is far more valuable to potential buyers and those drapes are hiding it.
They darken the room....today's buyers want light and bright, not dark and gloomy.
They conceal a positive feature of the home....the gorgeous trimwork around the windows is hidden behind the heavy drapes. Remember, highlight the positive!
Bottom line....
the window treatments in question reduce the perceived value of your home
and removing them
will increase the perceived value of your home.
Buyers will see your home as more valuable if they are removed.
Home staging is not decorating.
It's strategic marketing. There is a method to a home stager's madness.
Marketing is something real estate agents and stagers use to attract potential buyers. It's important that certain marketing strategies are followed.
Highlight positive features and minimize negative features.
Clearly define the function of each room.
Make each room appear as spacious as possible.
Remove any "red flags"....those things that suggest future problems and inconveniences.
Home staging is about increasing the perceived value of a home by suggesting it was well cared for and maintained.
Decoratoring and home staging are similar in that they both create visual and emotional appeal. However, their objective is very different.
The purpose of decorating is to personalize.....
decorating is about making a home more appealing to the homeowner.
The purpose of home staging is to de-personalize....
home staging is about making a home more appealing to potential homeowners.
I tell all my clients that their homes should be filled with the things that make them happy. There are no rules. If it make you smile, if it's a color you love, if it makes you comfortable and your life easier, then it's perfect!
BUT
If your house is for sale, all that goes out the window.
Your taste, style, comfort, and convenience are no longer important.
The taste, style, comfort and convenience of potential buyers is most important.
There is a huge difference between Interior Decorating and Home Staging.
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