Whether you're buying or selling a home, you've probably heard of the term "staging." Staging is an important tool that can help anyone sell their home much more quickly than they would if their house wasn't staged. However, if you're a buyer, staging is a whole different ballgame and could be covering up an array of things thay may be problems for you later.
Here are few examples of what to look for:
Small Sized Furniture
If the seller has a room that is extremely small, the stager may use small sized-furniture to make the room appear bigger than it really is. But don't fall for that - it could be just an illusion. If you see small-sized furniture in a room, you will immediately know to pay attention to the actual room size and determine whether or not it's going to be an issue for you.
Scents and Air Fresheners
Scents, candles and air fresheners are frequently used, not to make a house smell fresh, but to cover up some type of unpleasant odor. If you walk into a home and get hit with the strong smell of air fresheners or other types of deodorizing scents, you may want to do a little investigating. Pay close attention to see if your nose is picking up any underlying odors. You may then realize that you smell some type of pet odor, in which case there may be some hidden pet damage that you can't see under the carpet, etc. Or your nose may detect a mold or mildew smell which is another huge issue in itself and may prompt you to continue looking elsewhere.
Music
Just like air fresheners, music can oftentimes be used to hide annoying noises. If you walk into a home and the music is playing, ask to have the music turned off and listen to what you hear. It may be a neighbor's barking dog, noisy neighbors, the home may be directly under the flight path of a nearby airport, it may be a dripping noise in the wall, it could also be the road noise from the busy street right outside the front door. Whatever it is, if anything, you will need to decide if the noise is something you could live with or not.
Window Coverings
When touring a home, always look outside of each window. What do you see? There may be a neighbor who is very messy and has trash or other undesirable things you will have to look at when that window is uncovered. There may be power poles, a trash dump or a home that is in complete disrepair. Ask yourself if what you see is bothersome to you or not.
Missing Doors
Sometimes a seller will remove the doors if they don't open and close properly or if they make manuevering in the home awkward. I see this mostly in new construction. If you are interested in buying that house, make sure you ask to have the doors put back on and tested before you make an offer.
Area Rugs
Many people use area rugs to add to their decor; however, when it comes to staging, area rugs can often cover up a problem. Any time you see an area rug, make sure you look underneath it. You may discover a carpet stain or perhaps some damaged floors. Having to replace the carpet or the damaged hardwood floors is costly and that's not something you want to do after spending all that money on your new home. Additionally, if you discover these types of things before making an offer, you can use them to justify offering a lower price on the home.
The Bottom Line
Staging is one of my specialities and I can help you spot these potential problems right away!
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