Staging to sell makes hot homes items

On HGTV's Designed to Sell, an "ugly duckling" house is transformed for $2000 into a beautiful swan in preparation for putting it on the market. As a home stager myself, I find this program very entertaining to watch. The real estate experts on the show can be very blunt, even insulting, about the house's features and decor. When I meet with homeowners, I am very kind and gentle about the changes they need to make. This is their home, after all-- the place where their kids grew up; the place they decorated with loving care. But maybe kind and gentle real estate experts would not be as interesting to watch on television. The point is that the moment you decide to sell your house, you must put your emotions aside and think of your house as a product on the market.

In this current real estate market, it has become very important for sellers to put more time and effort into preparing their homes for sale. Most realtors recommend doing property inspections early on and making repairs and upgrades before the "For Sale" sign goes up. This is excellent advice. Don't show your house to buyers until it is ready. This has been a good year for home stagers, as sellers look to us to make their houses look as attractive as possible to prospective buyers. Savvy sellers know that if a house looks great and is priced right, it will sell faster than the plain house down the street.

On Designed to Sell, the design team sometimes makes big changes, such as installing French doors and knocking out walls. (Remember, their two thousand dollars does not have to pay for labor!) Much of the time, however, changes are smaller-- removing clutter, painting, and purchasing new accessories. Don't underestimate the impact that these changes can make. Both on Designed to Sell and in my business, we strive to add color, style and personality each house. Sometimes we enhance the furnishings the homeowner already has, and other times we start from scratch, bringing in furniture, artwork and accessories.

Most of the houses I see have one of two problems. They either have too much stuff, or not enough stuff. Fortunately, both problems can be solved. If there is too much stuff, such as clutter and extra furniture, it should be stored, packed up, given away or thrown away. Good stagers make the most of what remains, rearranging furniture and repositioning art and accessories. Sometimes we add extra decor, such as green plants, throw pillows, new towels and bedding.

Other houses don't have enough stuff. They may have basic furniture, but very little in the way of decor. Adding artwork, lighting and accessories can add a lot of warmth, personality and style to the house. Vacant homes can feel cold and uninviting. Again, adding furniture, art and accessories can do wonders. Just like on TV, the time, effort and money you spend in preparing your house for sale will pay off in the end.

This article first appeared in Alameda Newspaper Group papers on Oct. 28, 2006.

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All articles copyright 2003-2008 Anna Jacoby.