Dynamizing for Opening Night!

1st tip: don’t rush! Don't be in a rush to get a home on the market.

Home Staging is often thought of as (only) this step, but I hope after reading this post you understand there is a lot (a lot!) that leads up to the actual “staging”.  It would be nice if all you had to do was move some furniture around and paint a couple rooms, but sorry….that won’t cut it….at least, if you want to sell your home quickly!  And, we are attempting to sell in that small window up front (the 1st 4 weeks)

I always introduce this step to my clients as the final step before we finally place the home on the MLS. This step has huge benefits, but no more important than the first 4 Big D’s.  Those are De-Cluttering, De-Personalizing, Detailing, and Deep Cleaning. If you skip them, you will lose.  If you skip them, you will stay on the market MUCH longer and accept a worse offer.

In my way of thinking, home staging is about using as little as possible to get the biggest response. Too much of anything takes away from what you want focused on. You may have a client or friend who has no boundaries in spending when creating a home staged to sell, but you are doing them and yourself a disservice when you add and add and add and add stuff. You will find out that the saying of “less is more” is never more appropriate when getting a home prepared to sell quickly.

Have you ever walked into a house that had a piece of art that magnetically pulled your attention towards it?  Was it difficult to take in the rest of this room?  Do you remember anything else a week later? Often a home stager will side on too much instead of using too little, and this is usually a huge mistake.  

Always remember what you want them to really “see” when they enter each room. Have a plan. Start there. When you understand what will impress them the most in each room, you then need to build the room so they won’t miss this specific item.  For example, if the buyer enters the master bedroom and they do not notice the bed then you’re doing something pretty wrong.  Things HAVE TO register immediately.

You will find there are many ways to lead them to notice a particular architectural feature or a gorgeous view or an upgrade or gorgeous floors, and the way you “stage” is how it is done. Too many home stagers don’t consider a room’s best features, but would rather follow a set list of rules they learned in class or online.

Once again, take your time on this step. Do it right the first time and you will be heading to the closing table within weeks.

Staging to me is a combination of Feng Shui, common staging techniques, and human psychology. Opening Night will come sooner rather than later.  Just make sure you understand that spending the most money is not an insurance of accomplishing the task….it is how you do it.

You want the buyer to walk out after taking in all of the benefits of buying your home. We don’t want them impressed with the decor…we want them to be impressed with the value!