Finding the balance between well-done and over-done staging can be tricky when selling a house. There’s often a fine line between the advice for what to do and what not to do. Here are the five most common home staging “tricks” that do more harm than good.
1. Awkward furniture arrangements
We know that we stress the importance of cleaning out clutter. Certainly, paring down the furniture might also be part of the job as too much furniture can cramp rooms quickly. That doesn’t mean get rid of EVERYTHING in a room though. Rooms with little furniture or overly stylized furniture layouts tend to feel cold and uninviting for home buyers. Awkward furniture arrangements have the same effect: home buyers know when a room is staged in a way that doesn’t suit it’s function at all. Shoving all the furniture to the walls just to highlight how large a room really just makes it look weird not spacious.
2. Too neutral
Again, as REALTORs we know that a neutral color palette on walls tends to impress buyers more than loud color schemes. However, a home that feels bland and boring does not impress anyone. Neutral paint colors throughout the main living areas create a continual flow, but that doesn’t mean everything needs to be beige either. There are many shades of green, grey and even pale blues that can act as a neutral without feeling flat.
3. Staging with things you love
Do you love art and collectibles and have them highlighted all over your home? That might be fantastic to live in but doesn’t usually translate for buyers, who’s tastes may differ greatly from yours. It might seem like a good idea to stage your house around these items, but it’s probably best to scale back. Edit, edit, edit all personal photos, collections and art to allow buyers to picture themselves living there – not you.
4. No warmth
Warmth comes in a lot of different forms when staging a home. Be sure to open windows for natural light and add lamps to bring in additional light. Also use rugs, plants and some well-planned decor to add warmth to rooms. Even if you love a modern aesthetic, bare walls and floors often just feel cold to buyers.
5. Hiding everything
Don’t ruin a beautifully staged home by hiding everything in the closets. Your home buyers will check there! Potential buyers want to see how much storage space is available and throwing open a closet only to see all of your hidden stuff isn’t going to help them. It may even have the opposite affect, causing them to wonder if there’s enough room for all of their belongings.
Want even more personal advice on how to stage your Nashville home to sell this spring? Give us a call at DeSelms Real Estate 615.550.5565 and speak with one of our award winning agents today!