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Amid a rough real estate market, you are probably looking to increase home values and speed up sales. Newspaper stories continue to write about staging, and even Oprah did a segment on staging with her favorite decorator, Nate. With all the publicity around staging, more homes are going to be staged; making sure that your properties are done properly and to the best effect is to your definite advantage. While your home should say something about who you are, a house on the market should say something about, and to, the potential buyers. Family homes should say they are “family-friendly”; high end condos should really say they are “sleek, chic and modern - an “it” pad. With the holidays imminent, now is the time to see Staging for the Holidays as a way to keep homes in showing-ready style. The basic steps of staging apply even when adding in holiday pieces. Start with a checklist: Clean It, Fix It, Move It, Remove It and Add It. Guests or buyers’ reaction to embarrassing unfinished projects is a great motivator for the Fix It and Clean It steps. Take this opportunity to go through every room and address nagging issues – don’t leave undone projects that will cause buyers to chip away at the price. Bringing in a tree and holiday colors means that you clear out more pieces than you normally would. Creating and keeping a sense of consistency of style in the house is important even when adding holiday decor. If it is “cute”, it stays packed. “Cute” is not a universally appreciated concept, and the surest way to avoid trouble is to keep it simple and elegant. Keeping it secular will allow all buyers to feel welcome, regardless of religious beliefs or holiday traditions. Using greenery, wreaths, and holiday sparkle creates holiday warmth in a PC and Staging-Safe way. And don't forget the outside! |
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When bringing in your holiday colors, be cautious not to create a clashing color palette. As you purchase and unpack the decorative pieces, take special effort to be picky about what is on display. All ornaments do not have to be used every holiday and certainly not when a home is on the market. Creating themes can be a fun way to change things up, and create some consistency in the look of the house. Ornaments of one basic color palette with “show piece” ornaments adding style can be a great way to create a chic tree without turning off potential buyers with a too-homey (and often homely) holiday look. Glass bulb ornaments (all in one or two tones), and non-blinking white tree lights add sophistication to a tree. An elegant and staging-safe choice would be to keep all ornaments in white and matallic colors. Simple touches throughout the home also help, a fresh wreath on the door (sans Santa - here again, leave out the cute stuff). As you unpack your holiday treats, take a breath and really inspect and organize your decorations. Items do not need to go out just because it has a holiday look; it should go out if it works with the style and color of your décor. Keep the living room tree a show-stopper: white lights, coordinated ornaments that work with the space as a whole. Want some simple touches to turn a bland room festive without going holiday kitsch crazy? Adding simple pieces of greenery to fireplace mantels and as a base for dining room table centerpieces (similarly styled ornaments strewn along the branches make for a stylish horizontal tree) can be a great way to add style and extend the season to other rooms. Small branches placed on trays or in bowls add instant holiday appeal. What’s more, the house quickly smells like winter. Adding a pot of mulling spices or cider completes the sensory experience, equating your home with warm friendly, holiday cheer. Whatever you do, remember in a staged home, less can often be more – keep your décor simple, elegant and spare. |
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Happy Holidays Joanne O'Donnell CEO and Founder, Chic Home Interiors Certified Staging Professional Treasurer, Real Estate Staging Association joanne@chichomeinteriors.com www.chichomeinteriors.com |
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