by
Jeanette FisherThere are some home staging companies out there that will try to
convince you that you need to bring in truckloads of furniture to stage
an empty house, but I don't think that's necessary, and it may even be
counterproductive. After all, the whole idea is to encourage home
buyers to envision their own furnishings in your home when they walk
in. On the other hand, you don't want someone to walk in and get a
feeling of coldness and sterility, either.
When I have an
empty house to stage for sale, I begin by putting up window coverings
to lend a feeling of softness to a room, because fabric adds texture,
which the mind translates as added softness. By window coverings, I'm
not talking about blinds. I'm talking about soft fabrics. Blinds can
add an even greater feeling of sterility to a room. Keep the coverings
pulled back, though, to allow as much light and air into a room as
possible. That will make the room feel larger and more friendly.
You
can also add inexpensive panels to a room, either plain or lacy,
depending upon the style of home and the actual room you're staging.
For instance, if you're doing a bedroom, where privacy is important,
you don't want the panel too sheer. The same applies if there's a view
you want to block out. Use something that is less transparent, but not
so solid that it doesn't let light through. The worst thing you can do
is make a room feel dark and closed in. Always strive for warmth and
airiness when you're staging a room.
The next thing I'd
recommend is to put a round table in a breakfast room or kitchen, and
sometimes even in a dining room. I also add an absolutely gorgeous
fabric skirt that reaches all the way to the floor, surrounded by four
chairs, even if they're garden chairs.
I also space a few chairs
around the house, in case buyers want to sit and talk. The longer I can
keep them in a house, the better my chances of selling it, and people
are most comfortable sitting around a round table. Psychologically,
sitting at a round table means that no one can be at the head of the
table. Everyone is equal and will be more open to expressing themselves
openly and honestly.
There are lots of other staging ideas, of
course, but these are my favorites, and I've had a great deal of
success with them--without having to spend very much money!
Read more about staging our Faux Flip featured on
Flip That House for Habitat for Humanity.
This bedroom actually looked smaller until we added a few furnishings.