When my brother wanted to sell his house he called a friend that was a real estate agent and put the house up for sale. His house was beautiful, but there it sat for months. People would come in, look around and leave. He called me one day all depressed that it wasn’t selling, but stated that “a ton of people have looked at it”. So I thought about his predicament and realized he did all the right things. He painted everything beige, purchased new beige rugs, took all the personal belongings out of the scene, and my sister-in-law a true cleanaholic, cleaned even more. What was missing? It was missing that feeling of home. It was lacking personality. At the time I had my own interior decorating retail business, I had all the details and accessories to make it a home again. Not realizing that this was something that people did/do for a living, I set out to “stage” his home. The bathroom now had a warm faux finish colour wash-the kitchen had a pretty hand painted vine going all the way around, and the foyer had two antique hall tables with fresh flowers in a vase, a beautiful oil painted, a vintage gold leaf mirror, and details, details, details.

We arranged vintage cookbooks on the counter in the kitchen, and placed a big bowl of fruit on the kitchen table. In the powder room I added a baskets filled with spa treatments such as towels tied up in a ribbon, scented hand made soaps, creamy lotions, and other treats. We brought some topiary plants to bring in some of the outdoors. Small details, but nonetheless, details that made potential buyers feel warm and comfortable. Potporrui was simmering on the stove top, and there was a fire glowing in the den. His house sold within a week of the new scene that was created.

Contrary to what my brother thought it wasn’t just about doing the minor repairs, painting and changing the rugs, it was about preparing the house to be sold by creating a warm and inviting look and feel.

Just some practical tips on staging your home to be sold.

Make the house sparkle by cleaning it thoroughly.
Kitchens are the heart of the home so make them as warm and inviting as possible.
Bathrooms should be open, airy and delightful; by making sure they are spotless, odor free, clean and crisp.

Don’t forget the back yard-if you have a dog, make sure to remove all landmines. For patios and decks, bring in plants and potted flowers, this adds color quickly. If you have a picnic or patio table, set it with bright, plastic dinner plates and coordinating accessories.

If you are looking to create a stage for your house on the real estate market, here are just a few items that will come in handy.
Mirrors
Live Plants
Floor & Table Lamps
Area and Throw Rugs
Ottomans
Afghans
Pillows
Baskets

Wondering how much it will cost to have a personal stager come into your home and create a scene? Any where from $500 to $5000 depending on the number of rooms that are to be staged and the area – large metropolitan and coastal areas command a higher price than rural areas, but most listing agents will agree - a homes sells better and faster when a professional stager is used.