Selling? 6 Staging Secrets of Model Homes

Posted on Feb 26 2016 - 12:27pm by Suzanne De Vita
#11

staged homeIt’s no secret staging can raise the value of a home—in fact, it can boost a sale price by as much as 10 percent. The best staged homes—the ones that garner the full 10—strike the balance between lived-in and never-owned. How can you apply that science when staging your home?

Look no further than model homes, which draw buyers by blending the form-follows-function principle with the preferences of today. To stage your home to that effect:

  1. Remove anything from the room that doesn’t fit the intended purpose of the space, and vice versa. Take televisions out of bedrooms and designate an eating area in the kitchen, for example.
  2. Delineate sections in a room with area rugs, and “float” furniture away from walls and on and around the space. Avoid closing off accessibility by allowing at least three feet of walk-through space around furniture arrangements.
  3. Group solid furnishings, like sectionals or bookcases, with visually lighter pieces, like a glass side table or raised bench, to convey spaciousness over sparseness.
  4. Have at least one light fixture for every 100 square feet of space, especially if your home lacks natural light. Use pure white lamp shades on all light fixtures, and replace any incandescent bulbs with CFLs.
  5. Mix general and task lighting in rooms that see the most traffic. Install lighting between open-air shelving or underneath overhead cabinetry in the kitchen, and place a small lamp on a desk or workspace in a child’s bedroom.
  6. Accessorize sparingly. Display only a handful of books with like-colored bindings in bookcases or shelving units, add one (thriving!) house plant to a side table, or hang one statement piece of artwork (scaled appropriately) over a bed or fireplace.

Stage to the model home aesthetic with these tips—and learn even more about readying your home for its close-up here.

Suz_ThumbSuzanne De Vita is RISMedia’s online associate editor.

 

11 Comments so far. Feel free to join this conversation.

  1. Teri Pacitto March 5, 2016 at 10:45 am -

    This is a great article and should be read by home sellers as well as real estate agents. Preparing a home for sale should be at the top of any home sellers list.

    Too often I see homes languishing on the market due to poor presentation and preparation for sale.

    Windows that have window valances need to be addressed as well as often we see homes that are dark and dated and this alone deters home buyers.

    As we move into the Spring selling season now is the time to prepare our home sellers.

    • Donna Chorey March 6, 2016 at 9:28 am -

      I agree with the complete article. Too much clutter, too many knickknacks. Too many baby pictures or family pictures everywhere distracts from you really want the potential buyer to focus on.

      Sellers don’t like to put their clutter away. They are going to have to box it up sometime anyway, why not do it before the list their home.

  2. Myers & Myers Real Estate March 5, 2016 at 11:43 am -

    Great article. This is a must read for sellers and real estate agents.

    As real estate agents, we need to coach our clients in the presentation of the home.

    It is amazing how many homes I enter that are not presented properly for selling.

    In many cases a little bit of paint and cleaning would go along way in selling a home for top dollar.

  3. Sharon Staples March 7, 2016 at 10:24 am -

    This is a great little article to help sellers start preparing their home for sale. Too many sellers and Realtors ignore this aspect of selling a home, which is a shame, as great presentation and preparation can quite literally make the seller money!

    As a Realtor I have a stager as part of my team who advises and assists all of my sellers in the staging of their homes for sale. It’s part of the service we provide. From condos to million dollar homes, they can all benefit from the art of staging to show them to their full potential, and our sales stats prove it!

  4. Bart Rosenberg March 9, 2016 at 9:16 pm -

    It’s a shame buyers are fooled by staging, and can’t see through to the “bones” of a home. Watching too much HGTV!

  5. Fred Franks October 27, 2016 at 12:42 pm -

    Great article on staging, I sent this article to two of my sellers to see the importance’s of staging your home to sell fast… Thanks for the article and i hope it helps my two customers understand the benefit!

  6. Venturi Team Realtors December 4, 2016 at 5:31 pm -

    Very well presented article, several of the facts present here are often forgotten. The more the seller can present a home or property for sale in a way the buyer can visualize it as a living space goes a very, very long way in helping to facilitate the final sale.

  7. OK Cash Home Buyers May 23, 2017 at 8:18 pm -

    Seriously, this is such a great resource! thanks for sharing

  8. Owner Finance OKC May 25, 2017 at 2:58 am -

    Wonderful article, thank you for sharing

  9. Sooner House Buyers May 30, 2017 at 4:51 am -

    Very nice write-up. Great article Thanks for sharing

  10. Jim Morrison June 21, 2017 at 12:27 am -

    Now that’s something to learn, thank you for a very clear explanation, a very informative article.