Home Staging isn't just about furniture and paint colors. Home Staging is about creating appeal and value through strategic marketing. Each room is prepared to show space and function. The intent throughout is to increase the perceived value of the home in the minds of buyers.
My goal as a home stager is to make potential buyers believe a house is worth its asking price...to believe it's been well maintained....to see its value.
One way stagers create value is by creating space.
One way stagers create an impression of being well maintained is by creating order.
Bookcases and built-ins offer a great opportunity to demonstrate exactly how stagers do both.
In most homes bookcases and built-ins serve as a convenient catch-all. In addition to books, they tend to overflow with small collectibles, sports memorabilia, remotes, dvd's, photos, toys and games. The contents of the shelves remain there, not because of their visual or sentimental value, but because the homeowner has become used to them being there.
If you are preparing to list your house for sale, don't underestimate the power of organizing and staging this area.
There are several reasons you should take the time to address your bookcase clutter.
1. You are going to have to remove it all when the house sells. Doing it now can actually improve the house's appearance and help create a more positive overall impression.
2. The more organized and orderly your house appears, the more buyers will believe the house has been well maintained.
3. When there is less on the shelves, the items are perceived as more valuable. Nice things equals nice house in the minds of buyers.
4. Too much clutter distracts buyers from actually appreciating the architectural value of the built-in feature. However, a few strategically placed items draws attention to the feature.
Tips for decorating your bookcase shelves:
Start by completely clearing the shelves. Determine what will be kept and what will be discarded. Divide the discarded into four groups: Prepack, Donate, Trash, Sell
Rather than lots of really small items, place a few medium to large size items.
When placing books, stand some up and stack some on their side.
Each shelf can have any combination of books and/or decorative pieces.
Leave some open space. It's ok to keep some shelves empty.
Combine items of different sizes and heights.
Give a small item additional height by placing it on a stack of books.
Use decorative storage boxes or baskets to hide remotes and other small items.
Try blending in items of the same color.
Try using items that are the same color but in different prints and patterns.
Groupings of three work well.
If it's too overwhelming to do yourself, call a home stager for help. You will get advice on using what you already have and suggestions for new purchases. Sometimes it takes fresh eyes and a creative approach to get that new look!
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