Less is More: 5 Staging Tips the Pros Do Not Want Sellers to Know

Most sellers stage their home before a home sale.  In fact, sellers are always encouraged to pursue home staging because it makes it easier for the home to sell while also bringing in higher offers.

However, professional stagers can be expensive.  Thankfully, sellers can stage their own home. But they have to be careful.  

Sometimes home staging is not about putting more into the home, but taking some décor out and letting the buyer think about what to put in.

Too Much Decor and Furniture

The worst thing sellers can do when staging is add too much to a room.  While adding décor and furniture that fills a room is fine when the sellers are decorating for themselves, it is going to stop a buyer from imagining themselves in the house.  Minimal decorating is needed to help get the creative juices flowing in a buyer’s mind.

When considering a room, if there is a question about whether or not the décor is getting too cluttered or is too obnoxious, it probably is.  Always go with less is more while staging for a home sale. It will help to ensure the rooms do not end up feeling too cramped.

Let the Furniture Be Free

For some reason, sellers everywhere have decided that all large pieces of furniture have to be pushed up against the wall. This makes all rooms have similar layouts that are not conducive to a conversation.

Change this up and move that furniture away from the wall.  While it may feel strange at first, putting the furniture in close proximity of each other to make conversation easier will make the room more appealing for buyers.  

The Small Touches

While a room does not need every piece of décor to be added in, some items should be in the room.  Otherwise, the buyer is simply walking through a hospital room with white walls and white linens. Small touches like fruit in a bowl in the kitchen will make the house feel like home.

Sellers should always have decorative towels hanging in the kitchen and bathroom.  Items that are used frequently in the kitchen should be set out. A new cutting board and utensils on display will make the kitchen look well used.  The house should smell good, but not have an overpowering smell.

Staging Certain Rooms

There is no need to stage every room in the house.  While rooms like the bathrooms, kitchen, master bedroom, and living room are all areas that should be staged, the rest of the rooms in the house should be simply cleaned well. But the extra staging does not need to happen.  

Keep in mind that a room that allows a buyer to imagine their own belongings in it is going to be much more helpful than another room with generic décor covering the walls.

No Longer the Homeowner’s House

Even though no one has purchased the house, it should not be considered the homeowner’s home.  They need to take a step back and think of the house as a project that they are decorating for another person.  Personal décor tastes do not count here. It is all about potential buyers.

This extends to taking down anything that could be connected to the family.  Pictures of the family and of the family’s interests should be packed away. No political, religious, or even sports team memorabilia should be up.  All of these personal items reminds a buyer they are walking through a stranger’s home.

Home staging is not an easy task.  That is why a home staging company charges a homeowner so much for their services.  There are a number of aspects to consider when choosing what to stage a room with. But a great place to start is to think about what not to have in a house.  Personal items and too much furniture or décor can have the opposite effect. Plan carefully to get the best results from home staging.