Dec. 7, 2017
A BEGINNER'S GUIDE TO HOME STAGING
Level 1: A...B...C...
Kudos to you! You have weighed the pros and cons of staging your property and made the choice to jump right in! Now what??
Well, after patting yourself on the back for making the right decision, it is time to roll up your sleeves and get down to the nitty gritty of prioritizing the steps you need to take to make this endeavor work in your financial favor. The best and most time-saving step for you at this point is to hire a professional. There: Job done. If you are in the Southwest Florida area, I highly recommend Candi Randolph at Simply Designed Home Interiors & Staging. However, you may not be in the SW Florida area – if so – not to worry! – there are stagers that can be found in your region through networks such as RESA (Real Estate Staging Association). This is the tract I would recommend first.
But let's assume that you would like to try your hand at the process instead. In that case, I will give you a few pointers to head you in the right direction. This article will deal with the "A, B and C" of staging.
A: ASSESS
the
B: BONES
of the
C: CANVAS
WHAT???
Okay, let me explain. You need to think about your property as an empty canvas on which you are going to "paint" a picture of the perfect home: one where each buyer can instantly feel a connection. Remember, each buyer is going to be a different entity so you need to be as generic as possible in your depiction of this "perfect home." Therefore, it will be beneficial for you to assess the bones of each room to decide how you will stage it to its best presentation.
This is perhaps the most important aspect of staging: Identifying the use of a room in order to erase confusion in the buyer's mind. They may or may not agree with your definition of the space but the important thing is that they are not left to decide whether a room has function or not.
The best artist starts with a BLANK CANVAS. In staging, this means you will need to clear everything out of each room that would clearly indicate YOUR OWNERSHIP prior to showing your home. I am not going to lie: This will be hard on you if you are the homeowner. You are effectively erasing your imprint on the place you have called "home" for however long it has been that for you. However, you are now moving on and you need to sell this property to make your mark on your new home; so, hunker down and start packing up. Whether you work with a professional or do it yourself, this step is unavoidable and invaluable. You are going to pack anyway because you will be moving! This will accomplish multiple tasks at once – and potentially net you a bigger profit due to your efforts.
Since you are doing this yourself, you will need to make use of the larger pieces you already own while eliminating the extra fluff and stuff that says "you" are "you." Therefore, leave any large pieces in place while you remove the extraneous items. I will talk about what to do with them next time.
I will leave you with this task: Get packing and store your boxes/bins of personal memories, family photos and keepsakes in a safe place. Next time we will discuss "Level 2: A, B, C, ...D" when I will give you tips and tricks for what you can do with the BONES that remain on your CANVAS as you DESIGNATE a space's function. Happy packing!
Pictures used with permission of Candi Randolph, Simply Designed Home Interiors and Staging
http://simplydesignedhome.com/
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Posted by Susan Hendrickson, P.A., Sales Associate
Royal Shell Real Estate - Koffman & Associates
177 Homes in 
