Declutter for a Quicker Sale

Is it really true that decluttering your house may bring you offers sooner and for more money than if you didn’t declutter? Premiere Home Stagers believes in the statistics that point to that fact.  We recently were a part of those statistics when we staged this occupied home.  It had been on the market twice before. But after staging and good marketing by Katie Michelle of Century 21 Affilitated, this home received two offers within 5 days of being listed.

   These were the pieces that we set aside for the homeowner to move to the basement for an upcoming garage sale, or to pack up for their upcoming move.

The more items you have on display, the less they make an impact.  The same with family photos.  Select only your most cherished pieces to display. 

  Premiere Home Stagers selected the homeowners’ majolica pottery for display in the lawyer’s bookshelf and hung a watercoloring of their house above it.

“Less is More” when selling your house quickly and for more money.

 

Bookshelf Appeal

Library Before

One of the hardest things to do when staging a home is to make large bookshelves visually appealing. How do you make books look neat?  The key is to have places where your eye can rest. 

Since books come in different sizes, you need to group them accordingly.  Paperback books are less appealing because often the pages are yellowed and the cover is torn or bent.  A collection of hardcover books makes the homeowner appear more learned. Sometimes we even remove the paper cover sleeve from a hardcover book so that it looks more intellectual. So please don’t exhibit your  “(Internet, Computers, Investing, etc)  for Dummies“  books. And please don’t display your children’s artwork, your family photos, and unless you have an Olympic medal, your trophies, because they are only precious to you.  However, go ahead and display pottery, small sculptures, special antiques, or vintage items that are non-specific to any particular person.

Library After

You can see from this “after” photo that there are more spaces for the eye to rest and some places where there are things besides books. It gives the impression that no matter how many books you may have, there would be room for them in this house.  The library is the first thing you see when you enter the front door.  Remember the adage that a person decides within 15 seconds whether they’d like to see more of your house when standing at the front door. Because this room is well-organized, one would think the rest of the house is also well-organized—and they would be correct!

 

Master Bedroom Suite

Imagine you’re touring Open Houses and come across this bedroom.  Does this invoke a sense of peacefulness? Can you imagine yourself getting a good night’s sleep here?  Why didn’t the previous owner take this mattress when they moved out?  Won’t it fit down the stairs?  What size mattress is this?

Premiere Home Stagers think the homeowner’s master bedroom suite should indeed be SWEET!

I now can see the size and scale of this room. This is a queen-sized mattress but I can tell that I could get a king-sized bed and two dressers into this space. I envision myself reading a book in the corner chair—-such great natural light. And don’t I deserve breakfast in bed?  You bet!

When staging, it’s not necessary to fill the entire room. You only need to put in enough furniture so that prospective buyers can make an emotional connection and determine whether their pieces will fit. We also want to appeal to all age groups and all styles. That’s what makes staging different than interior decorating. Less is more!

 

Staging a Vacant Home

After this vacant house was completely renovated and refurbished,  it went on the market. Since 90% of people cannot visualize the dimensions of a  room without furnishings, Premiere Home Stagers does it for them. Notice the less is more concept, meaning the room is more open? We want people to walk right up, sit down and imagine themselves living there. See the  Picture-in-a-Picture effect on the fireplace wall?  The larger picture frame is hung to ”frame” the smaller wall art. What a great way to fill a large space without needing a very large piece of artwork. The Rule of Three means the accessories are in units of three, which makes it feel complete. One is too alone, and two is just a pair, but three is a grouping.

If you’re in the Madison, WI area, check out this house at 1016 Jenifer St.  The MLS # is 1539713    It’s a beauty!

Living Room