Staging Advice from the NY Times and Sacramento Bee

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February 21, 2006

Staging Advice from the NY Times and Sacramento Bee

I ran across a blog post from Damon Darlin NY Times  from the about home staging. He basically highlights the key points from an article in the Sacramento Bee which discusses the subject. These general tips are a good starting point for anyone who is considering selling their home. For more in depth tips, contact your local Realtor.

Here are the tips:

Don't skip a single room: "Which rooms wouldn't you want to sell?" says Schwarz.

Create curb appeal: "People make a decision within 10 seconds (of seeing a house from the outside) on whether they're interested," Norris says. Tasks might include power washing sidewalks or pruning trees and bushes, especially if they hide the house.

Get it "Q-tip clean:" That means cleaning around toilets, faucets, the refrigerator handle and light switches. Sellers "don't see it because they've lived there - it becomes part of the environment," Schwarz says.

Rearrange: Situate furniture so it flows nicely and remove some if it makes the room feel crowded. Arrange it to emphasizes a main focal point, such as a fireplace or window view.

Nix the knickknacks: It's the little stuff that make a room seem smaller. "Clutter eats equity," says Schwarz.

Depersonalize: Put away family mementos and pictures. "We don't want them buying your family; we want them buying your space," Schwarz said.

Neutralize: Interior walls should be white, off-white or taupe. Color on walls make rooms appear smaller. There is one exception, Schwarz says: a tiny bathroom, where color can add pizzazz. Color works best in accents such as towels, area rugs and bed spreads.

Stage until the end: Don't let the house slip out of pristine condition while on the market or in escrow. In recent months more homes have fallen out of escrow because, among other reasons, more buyers have failed to qualify for financing.