Hard to believe it's been a little over a month since I launched my facebook page and website. It truly is amazing how quickly time passes and how much happens in a brief thirty days. I have already done my first home staging (hooray) and although I had some moments of sheer panic, when I did my final walk through I was truly proud and a bit giddy with what I had created.
I wanted to stay, to curl up on a bed in one of the cozy bedrooms and take a much needed nap. At that moment the impact of staging really hit me. Making the potential buyer want to stay. Stirring up enough emotion that they can see themselves calling this house home.
Buying a house or anything for that matter really is based so much on emotion. We not only buy what we find visually appealing, but what warms our heart and brings us joy. A well-staged home should do both.
I remember selling my house over ten years ago. A home that was filled with treasures, memories, mementos and stuff, lots and lots of stuff, but it was lovely stuff because it was my stuff and I was emotionally attached to every piece of it. After all, everyone commented on how warm and welcoming my home was, so why would I ever remove anything?
The answer is, because all of my treasures, memories, mementos and stuff were preventing potential buyers from seeing themselves in the space. They saw someone else’s home and although warm, welcoming and well decorated, it did not feel like theirs. They could not visualize themselves living there as the home was taken, occupied by someone else’s life, so why would they want to stay?
I did sell my house, but only after decreasing the contents substantially.
I started with all family photos and anything personal in nature.
I removed several pieces of furniture and packed away everything on all surfaces that did not add to the space.
I thinned out closets, cupboards and all storage areas.
I took down several pieces of art and did my best to show off the space as opposed to “all of my lovely stuff”.
Some could say it was coincidence, or luck, or timing but I feel pretty confident that doing this allowed the family that bought my house the ability to see themselves and all of their lovely stuff in the space, making them want to call my house their home.
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