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Home Staging is Different than Interior Design

How Home Staging Is Different Than Interior Design

by:  Teri Danahey, ASP/REALTOR 

 

It used to be that preparing a home for sale meant cleaning the carpets and windows, packing away clutter, hiding the childrens’ toys, making sure the beds were made daily and the dishes were cleared from the sink.  Later, preparing a home for sale meant placing fresh flowers, having freshly painted walls and good smells like cinnamon coming from the kitchen.

 

Today, savvy real estate agents will counsel their home sellers into staging the home so that buyers can clearly see the features of the house and easily envision themselves living there. 

 

Staging a home to sell is completely different than interior design.  Interior design considers the needs of the family and how they live and then designs the home specifically for them with furnishings, colors and appointments.  Staging, on the other hand: 

 

·        Minimizes the current occupants of the house (i.e. no family photographs!)

·        Reduces the amount of furniture to enhance the size of the rooms

·        Neutralizes specific design features so that the home will appeal to more buyers

 

For example, a family may use the family room with a grand stone fireplace primarily for watching TV.  The large screen TV might be the focal point of the family room and the value of the fireplace would be minimized   Staging would bring the fireplace into the forefront possibly by reducing the amount of furniture in the room, rearranging that furniture to feature the fireplace and possibly even removing the TV! 

 

Very often furniture is placed along the walls of a room, including under a window.  Staging would eliminate the obstacle to the window so that a buyer could freely go to the window and look out at the view. 

 

While the bulk of staging surrounds de-cluttering, cleaning and removing unecessary furniture and accessories, it could also include:

 

·        Neutralizing a specific wall color, warming up white walls or removing wallpaper and borders

·        Removing wall-to-wall carpeting to reveal hardwood floors

·        Replacing outdated lighting fixtures, adding lighting or using brighter bulbs

·        Adding non-descript artwork where there is none; removing artwork that is “too interesting”

·        Adding plants, flowers and indoor trees to add life, color and height

 

Staging also addresses the important curb appeal of the home and could include:

 

·        Washing windows and removing screen door for a nice view of the front door

·        Painting the front door and shutters for a fresh look

·        Replacing the address numbers and mailbox with a fresh design

·        Replacing / updating the front door hardware (also makes it easier for real estate agents to enter and show the home!) 

·        Placing a brand new welcome mat and updating the entry lighting fixture

·        Power washing the siding and sidewalk leading up to the house

·        Trimming or removing overgrown shrubs

·        Mulching the beds and adding flowers into the bed and/or in pots

 

No doubt about it, selling a home is inconvenient and staging a home can make living in the home during the marketing period even less convenient.  For example, the staged TV may be awkwardly placed and hard to watch.  The appliances that used to be on the countertop may be stored out of sight in a staged home.  Some favorite furniture may be removed.   And, of course, the house must be maintained in “show ready” condition at all times during the marketing period.  It is difficult!!  But the rewards are considerable.  In 2005, staged homes yielded an average 16% higher price than unstaged homes.  As the market softened, staged homes reduced the time on the market and continued to yield a higher price than unstaged homes. 

 

Homesellers have a natural emotional involvement in their home and probably furnished it to perfectly suit their taste and lifestyle.  Thus, sellers may not be objective when it comes to staging and would be well advised to ask an impartial outsider for help.  Staging suggestions are often difficult to hear because they seem to eliminate treasured items and touches.  Sellers should remember that it is not about their home, it is about a house for sale.  So, when your real estate agent suggests some changes in décor, know that it’s not personal and a small investment in staging can pay off in big rewards. 

 

Note:  Please view the dramatic staging and sale results in some of these resources :

 

Note:  Teri Danahey is an Accredited Home Stager (ASP) – Realtor.  As an ASP, she is able to consult at no charge with sellers on the most desirable presentation of their home for marketing purposes. 

Contact Information

Teri Danahey & Daniel Fevre
Prudential New Jersey Properties
1260 Springfield Ave.
New Providence NJ 07974
908-464-5200
Fax: 908-464-1133
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