Staging

It's true what they say about staging a house to sell.  Whether you live in a castle or a cottage, your potential buyers' first impression  is so important.  You want them to be embraced when they walk in the door -  not by clutter, personal photos, and mementos, -  but by an inviting home they can see themselves living in.

We have worked with a redecorator a few times, and our home was in pretty good shape.  The OCD part of my personality doesn't like too much stuff in closets and drawers, so, that was all under control.  The redecorator, my friend Beth who is known as The Lone Rearranger, is a genius at seeing your things in a different way.  For instance, we had what is typically the eating area of our kitchen set up as a sitting/reading area for me, and the kitchen table was in the family room bay window overlooking the pond.  I love to use rooms in different ways which are not always expected. 

Before we listed our house, I called Beth for a staging session.  This girl hits the floor running, and with the help of my husband and son, our house was ready for the For Sale sign in less than two hours.  During that time, we eliminated  three chairs, two ottomans, a loveseat, a sofa, and all personal photos.  We changed up the sitting area in the kitchen by returning the table and chairs to their expected location, making it once again an eat-in kitchen.  We made the floor space of the bay window into a sitting area, and put the sofa at a better angle for enjoying both the television and fireplace.  We even tweaked one bedroom by putting the double bed on an angle which instantly made the room appear and feel larger.

When house-hunting, I prefer to see houses vacant, but most people can't visualize what a room will look like unless it is already furnished.  Now when people enter our home, the thinking has been done for them.  All they need to do is imagine their own furniture placed around the rooms instead of ours.