Staging the Colonial

Hello World!  Welcome Friends!  We are coming up on a month of being in our new home, but I didn’t want to leave you guys hanging in regards to the staging questions I’ve received regarding our Colonial.  In this post you will see rooms that I’ve never shared on the blog, plus I’ll let you know my tips for getting a house staged well for a quick sale. 

The yard must be manicured and as close to perfect as you can get it.  The doors and windows need to be clean as does the porch, sidewalks and driveway.  Mr. Dedicated spent hours power washing our porch, sidewalks, and driveway.  Curb appeal really is of the utmost importance.  Another tip, is to leave your blinds and shutters open as day turns into evening.  Turn on all of the inside and outside lights.  This attracts all who might be passing by your home!  We are naturally drawn to look towards light.  So, with the shutters open and lights on, it creates a warm and inviting look that pulls people in!

Make sure the foyer or entry hall is clean and welcoming.  Not cluttered, but have enough pretty decor that it doesn’t take away from the home, but adds to the beauty of the home.  Go for the model home look when you are staging your home.  

Make sure your realtor has a good photographer that he/she works with.  The photos can make or break you!

All rooms need to be clean and vacuumed on a daily basis.  Pillows fluffed and throws and blankets folded.  Get in the habit of picking up after yourself so that when a showing is requested, you won’t be running around like a crazy woman trying to get the house picked up and clean. 

You want your space to appear large and comfortable and above all spotless!  Remove any furniture that doesn’t fit well in your design scheme or is too large for the space.  You want prospective buyers to be able to move about easily without hitting their knee or stubbing a toe on furniture that is in the way. 

I did some rearranging to make the hearth room seem larger.  The piece with the log cabin on top was in the hearth room.  I moved it into the dining room since this room had the space to accommodate the piece and does not impede the walkway. 

I typically do not set the tables when staging.  Some stagers do.  I like to give a cleaner look and want the buyers to focus on the room and not on my tablescape.

The chest in the dining room used to be here where the gold slipper chair and end table sits.  Remember to make use of corners to free up walking space. 

I took the leaf out of my trestle table; so the space would feel larger.  I did keep my center tray on the table. 

Clean off those countertops!  I prefer a cleaner look on a daily basis; so this was an easy one for me. 

I’ve never shown you the master bedroom before; so, welcome!  The highboy, end table and dresser have been cleaned off.  

I’ve also never shown you the master bathroom.  I painted this one right before we put it on the market.  The walls were bright yellow and the ceiling a dark green!  Also, all of the trim and doors were an almond shade.  I plan to do a couple of posts in the coming weeks of the before and afters of the Colonial house. 

Key tip: Have close to nothing on the bathroom counter tops!  No one wants to see your toothbrush!

Sigh!  Little Dedicated’s room!  This room is what sold the house.  The sweet couple who bought our house are expecting a little girl.  She should make her arrival sometime this month.  The mom to be fell in love with this room apparently the second she saw it!  At first, they wanted everything in the room.  But, I couldn’t part with my furniture from when I was a young girl!  Too many memories!  We did bring the chandelier and the curtains and valance with us to the new house.

Such a pretty room!  

Here’s another room I never showed you.  This is mine and Mr. Dedicated’s combined office.  That is his desk in between the windows.  

My desk is from Pottery Barn as well as the wall organizers above the desk and computer.  

Little Dedicated’s playroom.  

Another tip, you must keep toys, books and dvd’s picked up and in their place.  

The upstairs guest bathroom.  This is the only room I didn’t get around to painting.  

Again, the backyard area and pool areas must be clean.  The sky looks gorgeous in these pictures!

I will miss that pool, but I have plans to put a big, rectangle pool in at the new house.  I’d love to do it this year, but it will probably happen next year. 

So, a quick breakdown of the tips:

The yard must be tidy and manicured.  Bushes trimmed, no weeds in the flower beds. 

All porches, patios, sidewalks, and driveways must be clean.  Use a pressure washer if you have one.

The house must be clean and orderly. 

Remove all furniture that does not fit well.

Make sure it is easy to navigate through your house. 

All counter tops must not have any clutter on them.  That includes the bathroom counter tops.

No dishes in the sink! 

All trash cans should be empty. 

No clutter on top of dressers, end tables, chests, and dining tables.

Open all shutters, curtains and blinds to let in as much natural light as you can!  The lighter and brighter the space, the quicker it sells!  If it looks dark inside, the house will sit on the market.  (Like my new home!  It sat on the market for over 80 days!  It was way too dark.)

Closets should not be stuffed!  Clean out all closets of items you are not currently using.  Store them in the garage or in an off site storage unit. 

Stage your home like it is a model home!

To date, I have owned and sold 3 houses; the first one was pre Mr. Dedicated.  All of the houses I have owned have sold within days of going on the market.  I truly believe it is due to my attention to detail when it comes to staging.  The Colonial was put on the market on a Friday and by the following Wednesday we had a cash offer.   If you want more staging tips, I’ll provide the links below to our home prior to the Colonial.  That home sold in 4 days and we had 5 offers on the table.

This home was such a blessing for our family and it was the home I brought Little Dedicated home to from the hospital.  When I left the home for the last time, I cried all the way to my Mom’s house!  I have such wonderful memories in this pretty house of our little girl growing up and our family being knit together.  

Click the links below to head to the Staging Posts:

Staging the Foyer, Voice Studio and Dining Room

Staging the Kitchen and Breakfast Room

Staging the Family Room

Staging the Master Bedroom and Other Rooms

Staging the Upstairs, Exterior and a Video Tour

Staging the Office

I hope you enjoyed checking out the Colonial staged to sell!  Next week I will be sharing our new pantry painted and organized!  

Click the links below for any posts you might have missed:

How to Choose a Good Furnace Repair Contractor

The Importance of Recycling Around the Home

What Makes a Good Real Estate Agent?

Make it Pretty Monday

The Sunday Showcase

New House – First Project

Thanks for stopping by!  Have a glorious day/night depending on where you are in the world!  Go with God and remember to be kind to one another!

Toodles,

   

 

 

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