Thank you to Andrea Sutton with Sutton Place Interior Design for her expert advice on staging.  Below are her “Top 10 Staging Tips”

1. Clear it all out. As unsentimental as this might seem to you, buyers want to be able to imagine themselves in your space; seeing clothes in the closet, family photos, and random tchotchkes prevents them from doing so. You want the space to look BIG, CLEAN, SPACIOUS, and UNCLUTTERED.
2. Freshen up the style. Furnishings that seem homey and comforting — yet fresh and contemporary — give an aura that your home is updated and well cared for. Neutrals work best; just add colorful touches here and there.
3. Mirrors! Use mirrors liberally to make your area look bigger, lighter, brighter, and encourage sunlight to bounce all over the walls.
4. Don’t forget the outdoor areas. Those spaces add as much interest for the buyer as the interior rooms. The buyer will see the space as additional living area and your home feels bigger.
5. Create vignettes. Set up little scenes that help buyers visualize their life in your home. A nice corner with a comfortable chair, a lamp and a few books help the buyer imagine a space for quiet relaxing moments.
6. Small furniture, big space. It’s the trick of the trade: downsize your furnishings to upsize the room. Remove your nightstands, extra dressers, chairs and bookcases from your bedroom to make your master bedroom look neat and large. For master bedroom, we also recommend keeping it as gender neutral as positive.
7. Smart accessories. Cleared kitchen counters of appliances, spice racks, towels, and cooking utensils and leave only a few things: a couple of cookbooks and a shiny tea kettle for example.
8. Boost curb appeal. This is something you always hear, and with very good reason. Many people thinking of touring your home will do a quick drive-by first, often deciding on the spot if it is even worth a look inside.
9. Get your house sparkling clean. From shining floors and gleaming windows to clean counters and scrubbed grout, every surface should sparkle.
10. Make your home pet neutral. If you have pets, make sure to clean the carpets to ensure buyers do not notice an odor or fur on surfaces. You may not care if your pet hops on the sofa but it can give buyers the appearance of an unkempt home.

Most of these are easy to do and can be accomplished in a short period of time. If you have a larger project, consider the investment vs. the profit it may bring in your sale. Statistics show that staging your home properly resulting in a sale in an average of 42 days as opposed to the 198 days on average for a non-staged home. If you are not sure where to begin, contact a professional. The small investment can bring big results when done properly!

For interior design help, contact Andrea Sutton http://www.suttonplacedesign.com/

For help buying or selling a home, call Ben Bowen at 704-572-6070

Cheers!

Ben Bowen