Several months ago Selling By Design Staging received a call from a real estate who needed a property for sale in Fresno, CA. to be staged. The home was located in a lovely, prestigious golf course community. The house had been on the market for months, the owners desperate to sell. Like many sellers they had wanted to wait on staging to see if the house would sell vacant.
I met the real estate agent late on a warm summer’s afternoon. She said that the sellers were frantic, thinking that they might not be able to sell, and thus face financial hardship. Having staged many homes in the immediate neighborhood, I was curious to see what the problem could be.
Within 10 seconds after walking in I saw it!
In front of us was large, cold looking room, the first one a person would see on the way to the rest of the living areas.
The original owners must have had a huge dining set under the massive chandelier. The current owners, the sellers, had used the room as a den/dining room (not an attractive or practical arrangement.) I was stunned and had no idea what to tell the agent as she asked hopefully what I would do with the space.
The rest of the house had a normal, functional layout with a large eating area in the kitchen, negating the need for a dining room. The kitchen was located adjacent to the family room, creating today’s much sought after open concept, making it easy to stage. Unfortunately, though that space was not the first one a potential buyer would see.
I was at a loss as to how to make this home appealing to its demographic. How to make a statement? How to give a big square room with only one wall, tile floors and four pillars a function, let alone give it the wow factor? I imagined an indoor pool or an atrium, but those were not an option.
After brainstorming, and trial and error, our crew and I came up with a plan to give the room warmth and a purpose.
By softening the space with furniture and a large area rug, adding art and creating a focal point we created function and atmosphere which brought a buyer in less than a week.
Another example of teamwork and the power of home staging!
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