Home Staging SOP

The process of staging your home for sale is very much like preparing the set of what will be an Award winning movie. You must set the scene and atmosphere with the props and lighting before you begin filming. When you have attended to the behind the scene details you can then call for Lights, Camera and Action!

A properly staged home can maximize your selling price and minimize time on the market by standing apart from the competition. Potential home buyers need to see your home as a place where they could live. Home staging facilitates this by creating a mood in which the buyer can envision living in your space by removing clutter, dirt and over-personalization. Professional home stagers live by the motto of de-clutter, de-personalize and clean, clean, clean!

Home staging taps into the proven psychology of selling. Car dealers allow you to test drive a car so that you can experience what it would be like to own and drive the car daily. Clothing manufacturers allow you try on clothes so that you can see yourself in the garments. These experiences create an emotional connection with the product and set the stage for a sale. While potential home buyers cannot take your house for a test drive, or try it on (move in for a day), you can engage their emotions by properly staging your home so that they can visualize what it would be like to call your house “home”.

Step 1: De-clutter

We never seem to realize how much we have accumulated until it is time to move. The good news about de-cluttering your home is that you can begin to sort through what you truly need and want to move to your new location. The bad news is that you have to be the one to sort through it! People that are buying a home are typically looking for more space. Clutter eats space and can make rooms feel cramped and small. Remove excess furniture, knick knacks and items that are not being used. Remember to ensure that the cupboards and closets only house the essentials. Sort everything into three piles, garbage, good will or garage sale, and those items to be packed and stored ready for the move into your new home. If youre not sure what to pack, ask yourself this simple question. Am I going to use this in the next 1 2 months? If no, package it up for the move. Not only does this actively get your house in tip top shape for the market, but you can use the money from the garage sale to buy things for your new home.

De-cluttering can pose special issues for children. Children may find it difficult to part with toys or clothing. Everything is special even if they have not used or worn it in a long time.

Step 2: De-Personalize

This part of prepping your home for sale can turn into a special trip down memory lane. All those pictures and memorabilia are always in view, but people seldom take time to reconnect with their meaning. This is one of lifes opportunities to smell the roses, so go ahead, and take a few moments to enjoy! But make sure in the end that you do pack your personal mementos, family pictures and miscellaneous memorabilia. Generally, its an excellent rule of thumb to pack religious items, knick knacks, and small to medium pictures and items. Larger accessories and art work should be placed to one side for consideration when the home is later staged. Remember that you are showcasing your home as a canvas to which the buyer can insert their own style.

Step 3: Clean, Clean, Clean

Unfortunately for most home sellers, cleanliness is a major factor for buyers since other peoples dirt registers much higher on their ick radar. Theres really no way around it, to sell your home quicker and for the best possible price, it needs to sparkle. Buyers will pay special attention to the kitchen, bathrooms and windows. The following guidelines are recommended to get your home thoroughly clean.

Start at the top of your home and work down
Clean bedrooms, studies, and seldom used rooms first, the bathrooms, kitchen and utility rooms next. Save the porch, garage, shed, and attic for last.
Pull all furniture and appliances into the middle of the rooms that you can clean behind and underneath
Clean each room starting at the top and working down (ceiling, walls, trim and floor)
Do the wet work first Washing paintwork, windows, laundering and shampooing
Do the dry work next dusting, polishing, waxing
Save the vacuuming until last this step removes all traces of dust and debris

Once your home has been thoroughly cleaned, set a cleaning schedule that will allow you to maintain the look on an ongoing basis.

Home staging is catching up as a necessary process before your home is put up for sale in the real estate market. It involves setting up your home so as to appeal to your buyers and aids you in the sale of your home. A quick sale at the price that you decide is obviously beneficial to you as it is like a return on your investment.

However, most people have a wrong notion about home staging. They are either misinformed or uninformed about the whole process of staging your home.

This article aims to debunk some of the common myths that revolve around home staging.

Myth 1: Home staging can cost you a lot You cannot use a generic term like ‘a lot’ when it comes to home staging. Home staging costs differ from home to home based on the size of your property and the way you want it to be staged. Also, professional services are available to suit all kind of budgets. Professional home stagers offer you consultation and then provide you with a DIY list or get their team to stage your home depending on your budget.

Myth 2: Every room should be painted white or beige It is not necessary that every room should be painted white or beige. Only the main living room and the entrance should be painted in a neutral color. However, neutral doesn’t mean white or beige; there are other neutral colors that can be used that do not make your home walls look drab and dull. Besides, you can make up for the neutral walls by adding colorful rugs, cushions, wall art and accessories.

Myth 3: Home staging is not necessary if your home is well designed and decorated You may have used the best designer to conceptualize and design your home but when you put it up for sale on the market, you still need to stage it. The need to stage your home is not a criticism of your taste; your home needs to be staged because it has to have a wider appeal and should be able to attract a larger set of people so as to ensure that it sells quickly.

Myth 4: It is better to leave a house on sale vacant as it makes the space look larger This is a completely wrong notion. Usually, empty spaces look smaller and you do not understand the potential that a room holds when it comes to furnishing. Also, some rooms tend to have an odd layout and such spaces become questionable unless you can actually see how that space can be used up. Also, furnishing a room allows you to compartmentalize it thereby making it look larger than it is.

Basically, you need to remember that it is essential that you make a good first impression if you want the house to be sold quickly. A person needs to be captivated by your house and should instantly feel at home there. Home staging will enable you to do this and will ensure that your house is sold as quickly as possible.

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There is nothing more enjoyable than spending the evening in ones own garden and have a drink or two in the piquant atmosphere. The whole ambiance gets even more electric if the garden furniture is attractive and enhances the feel of the garden. Here are a few tips that can help select furniture for the outdoors.

Deciding On The Material

It will really assist in deciding what type of material you want the furniture to be built of. You can select wooden furniture which definitely looks attractive and strong. But, if the user lives in a place where the air is usually moist, it is likely for the wood to get attacked by fungi. Although this should not prevent anybody from choosing wooden garden furniture, it is good to bear in mind that such furnishings cannot look fresh for too long. Therefore, if the user does not want the furniture to spoil too soon, it’s best to invest in other materials such as metal.

Metal

Metal garden furniture is normally built from powder-coated aluminum and steel. Such furniture had been a very popular way to deck gardens during the Victorian era. Garden furniture made out of metal has both durability and style features that make it the favored choice of furniture.

Rattan

Rattan garden furniture is often made by combining with wood. Outdoor rattan garden furniture is definitely the most stylish and sophisticated kinds of furniture one can utilize in the garden, on the patio, or in the conservatory. There is no better feeling than sitting outside on the deck enjoying sunset with the barbecue going. Rattan furniture has been popular for several years, primarily because the usage of rattan as the material has been here since the very beginning of times. This is a kind of vine which grows in the tropical areas. When heated, it becomes flexible and can be skilled using this technique.

The best way to design an outdoor is by decorating the furniture items of different shapes with greenery. Create hideaways where you can entertain in all kinds of weathers. But, at the same time, it’s not good to spend a lot on costly pieces, particularly bearing in mind that they will be staying outdoors the whole year through.

If one wants a good deal on the garden furniture, it is definitely a good idea to surf online. The user will be able to find unique pieces at pretty reasonable rates. Some stores also offer free shipping, saving on the total cost. And for things like deck chairs, garden hammocks, garden umbrellas, and other items, you can select from a huge variety of colors and designs. The garden will look like a well put-together space.

At the end, you must understand that garden too is an extension of a living space and must be kept in a beautiful manner. Therefore, you should spend time and money on choosing the right garden furniture as you would do when designing a living room.

Bathrooms and kitchens sell homes, so staging the bathroom is one of the best ways to get your house sold and off the market. Staging this space does not have to involve spending too much money either. The key phrase to shoot for in preparing your bathroom is, “spa-like atmosphere. You want buyers to peek into any of your bathrooms and have the impression that they are luxurious places to rest. To achieve this look and feel, consider the home staging ideas below and remember to use lots of creativity when staging any room to sell.

Step 1
Paint warmly. When choosing a color, you want to avoid flashy colors because they are not too calming. A spa-like atmosphere involves warm colors. Jewel tones, deep browns, reds and whites will help you relax in your bathroom. Paint is an inexpensive way to drastically change the look and feel of a room.

Step 2
Light up a good smell. Candles in any room offer another sense of rest and relaxation. You want to choose complementary colors of candles that will help make the room appear more cohesive. Set the candles around the bathtub and sink. Candles come in several scents. Make sure to select one that isnt too strong. Something smooth and calming will do the trick.

Step 3
Mix and match soaps and other spa items. Buy an inexpensive wicker basket and put inside a nice selection of soaps, oils, pumice brushes, eye masks, bath pillows, face and foot scrubs. Place the basket on your bathroom counter next to a neatly-folded set of European cotton wash cloths. If you have limited counter space, purchase an inexpensive round table with foldable legs. Drape a white table cloth on it and set the basket and wash cloths on top.

Step 4
Egyptian softness and comfort. Egyptian cotton offers a superb blend of softness, strength and quality for years to come. Consider replacing your towels with Egyptian cotton towels that will match the rest of the bathroom. You want to purchase at least one set of bath towels and hand towels. Purchase a few sets of wash cloths. A few of the wash cloths will go in the wicker basket on the counter and the other towels can go on matching bathroom hardware. Purchase a set of matching bathroom rugs too. And lastly, include a big fluffy Egyptian cotton white robe, as this also adds to the feel of a spa.

Step 5
Bathroom accessories. Include a set of marble, metal or ceramic bathroom accessories for the bathroom. Make sure they match the overall theme and color of the bathroom. Include a toothbrush holder, soap dispenser and dish, cotton ball container and tumbler.

Step 6
Music to the ears. For the ultimate spa-like atmosphere, include relaxing music in the background when potential home buyers come by for a visit. This will surely add to the sense of a relaxing and luxurious spa.

If the bathroom is the next room in your home that needs to be staged for sell, consider the easy do-it yourself home staging ideas above to make it happen. The bathroom spa-like atmosphere ideas above will surely help you ensure a quick sale.

Increasing curb appeal does not always mean adding elements and sometimes necessitates removing them. Take pictures of your house and view them in color then black and white. Doing this helps to see things differently and spot problem areas. An element of home staging is creating curb appeal that makes a home stand out from the rest of the competition.

Step 1
Tackle all of the cleaning projects first, then repairs, and lastly, accessories. In this way you won’t end up working over problem areas and merely cover them up but will actually restore your home to the way it was meant to be.

Step 2
Let’s start at the street and walk in with our guests to see what they see. One of the first things that will catch the eye is a mailbox. If yours is shabby, fix it up. This can be done by simply getting a new one or by painting the old one, adding new house numbers, topping the post with a metal post cap or surrounding it with flowers.

Step 3
If you’re going for quaint, nothing does the trick better than a white picket fence. There are different styles that each have their own unique feel. Taller style fencing can be used to give more privacy in a neighborhood where one is very close to one’s neighbors. Wrought iron gates add majesty and grandeur to larger homes.

Step 4
As you walk up the path, how do you feel? Do you want to continue on or run away? Slate pavers, pebbles, tiles and bricks all make beautiful walkways in a range of prices. Lining your walkway with potted plants or flowers adds life and color. Rake and mow the lawn and clean up any overgrown weeds, etc. Trim dead tree limbs and any branches that could be hazardous to the roof.

Step 5
Gardens and landscaping can contribute greatly to curb appeal. Use plants that require the amount of sunlight and moisture that your yard naturally provides. Mulch and stones can add beautiful texture to your garden. Overflowing flower boxes, placed under windowsills, give a nice cottage feel. Be sure to water! Nothing says “GO AWAY!” better than a bunch of dead plants. If you have a balcony, this is another perfect place to utilize flowers. Have them spilling over the edge for an old Tuscan vibe. Who doesn’t want to live in Italy?

Step 6
As you near the house, do you see dirt and grime? Clean your windows and use a pressure washer on decks, patios and siding. Empty the gutters so the new residents don’t move in to do manual labor. This is just good karma!

Step 7
Don’t be afraid of color. Rich, warm tones invite people in. There is also the belief that painting a house yellow helps it sell but this philosophy has limited application. If your house is white, you might want to use accent colors, but first, consult a professional. You can go very right or very wrong here.

Step 8
Do you have a porch? Hanging wooden shades on either side sets it off as its own room and gives more privacy. Seating contributes to the ambiance and function of this outdoor space. Light your porch, or any front door area, with soft, yellow-white lighting. This romanticizes the home instantly. Lanterns are one of the best ways to do this and they come in all styles from quaint to modern.

Step 9
One of the most important things you can do to increase curb appeal is to make your front door welcoming. Repaint or re-stain it and maybe replace the old hardware with newer, unique pieces. If there is enough money in the bank, you may even consider adding some glasswork to your door.

Step 10
When viewing a house, most people will try to see into the back yard, so include this area in your preparations. Weed and mow the lawn and fix any broken fencing, etc. For a real bang, add some outdoor seating such as a garden bench. This is a beautiful and simple tool in outdoor staging.

In the Evening
For evening curb appeal, turn on that golden light by your front door. String low voltage lights along the driveway, walkway, etc. to lead the eye toward to house. Light your house numbers and make sure they’re clean and on straight. Ensure that any indoor lighting, visible from outside, is contributing to your home’s appeal. Decorative street lamps are a throwback to older times and can be a valuable addition.