Home staging is NOT interior design — and it is NOT home decorating. It is when you put your home’s best features forward to create a buyer-friendly environment. If you are preparing your home for sale, you should realize that once it is on the market, it is no longer your home. It’s a product. Selling your home is all about first impressions. Potential buyers usually take 10 to 15 minutes, tops, to walk through a home and decide whether they like it or not. Observe your home from their point of view to realistically understand what it is they are actually seeing — then make the necessary transformations. All it takes is a game plan, some creativity, a jar of elbow grease, and the strong desire to show off your home in order to sell it quickly for the highest profit.
There are typically four areas of any home that affect a potential buyer’s decision, and these areas should always receive the majority of your attention. This is not to say you should leave the rest of your home as is, but when I am professionally staging a home for market, these areas are always the spaces I concentrate on first; they are usually the most time-consuming.
Foyer or Entry: All rooms directly visible from the main entrance are a priority. This is the potential buyer’s first impression of your home and it is always #1 on my list, no matter what.
Main Living Area: Whether it is a formal living room, family room, or combined space, the main living area is basically the place that people will spend most of their time, entertain guests, etc. This space typically takes the most time to finesse. Furniture arrangement and accessory placement are priorities for this area.
Kitchen: A clean, good-looking, and efficient space is always desirable. The more workspace you can show and the lighter and brighter you can make it, the more functional and cheery this area will feel.
Master Bedroom: Your goal in the master bedroom is to make it as comfortable, carefree, and relaxing as possible.