Warning: the photos in this blog may cause you to feel a sense of hunger, thirst or the desire to stage your kitchen!
We've all heard it said that "the kitchen is the heart of the home". If you've ever had guests over for dinner or thrown a cocktail party, you know that people tend to congregate in the kitchen. In my experience as a home stager, the kitchen is often the room most overlooked by home sellers.
According to a poll conducted in 2006 by Maritz Research, 52% of buyers said the kitchen had the most significant impact on their purchasing decision. While a beautiful kitchen significantly increases the value of a home, a poorly presented kitchen can be a deal breaker. Ironically, with the kitchen having perhaps the highest impact on potential buyers, it is often the most simple and least expensive area to stage.
In
this blog I will focus on staging kitchen counter
tops.
Buyers love clean and ample counter space so begin by clearing everything (yes everything) from your counter tops.
- Excess items on counters stop the eye from moving freely around the room.
- Microwaves and large appliances "eat up" (pun intended) valuable space.
- Blocks of knives pose a potential risk to anyone showing the home.
- Don't forget the back splash, sink and faucet.
- Take into consideration the amount of counter space available and select appropriately sized items.
- Unless you have truly expansive counter space, limit items (or groups of items) to 2 or 3 areas.
- Place the selected items where you want the eye to stop.
- Greenery and bottles of water help convey a feeling of freshness.
- Fruit and vegetables stimulate appetite. Due to their bright colors, these will also be great items for directing the eye.
- A cook book propped open on a
stand or laying flat is also great for setting the scene.
Still unsure, perhaps these photos of our work will be of inspiration...
Jackson
West is the owner and lead designer for Reveal Estate, a full service home
staging company located in Vancouver, BC.
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