Home Staging For Dummies®
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Copyright © 2008 by Wiley Publishing, Inc., Indianapolis, Indiana
Published by Wiley Publishing, Inc., Indianapolis, Indiana
Published simultaneously in Canada
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Library of Congress Control Number: 2008924958
ISBN: 978-0-470-26028-9
Manufactured in the United States of America
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Christine Rae is an internationally recognized trainer in the home staging industry. She has been providing ground-breaking staging programs since 2001, after a 32-year career in executive business management. In August of 2005, she developed and launched her innovative certification program throughout North America (Canadian Certified Staging Professionals and Certified Staging Professionals). Through that program, she has personally instructed over 2,600 entrepreneurs on how to start and grow a successful home staging business.
Christine has received many industry awards; among the most recent is the 2007 Real Estate Staging Association Staging Innovator of the Year. Christine has coauthored the Home Staging Business Guide e-book and countless articles in industry trade publications, like Canada’s Real Estate Magazine. She is editor and contributing writer for the staging industry trade magazine Staging Standard. She has acted as subject matter expert for CE Network, an online staging program for real estate agents, and an assortment of other real estate one-day programs. She is a platform speaker with thousands of hours dedicated to the staging industry. For information about her staging background go to www.christinerae.com.
Christine’s other credentials include Interior Redesign Industry Specialist, Canadian Vice President of Real Estate Staging Association, Affiliate Member of Women’s Council of Realtors and Interior Design Society, Certified Dewey Color Instructor, Certified Home Marketing Specialist, Certified in Management, and Professional Manager.
When not traveling the world teaching, Christine lives in Canada’s Niagara Region. She shares her life with “the Dutch Accountant” Ary, has a son, Lee, a grandson, Lucas, and an adorable Yorkshire woofie named Timmy.
Jan Saunders Maresh is a nationally known journalist and television personality specializing in sewing and home decor. Home sellers and real estate agents bank on her training as a Certified Staging Professional, Certified One-Day Decorator, and a Certified Dewey Color Instructor and her more than 25 years of design experience. Jan is also the bestselling author of 15 books, including Sewing For Dummies, Second Edition (Wiley, 2004).
In 2005, Saunders Maresh founded Naked Room Solutions, a home staging and interior redesign company. She speaks for Realtors and teaches home decorating, staging, and color classes at national industry events, paint and fabric stores, and home furnishing and design centers.
Even though our names are on the cover, it took an army of people to help bring this book alive. We are two cogs in a great big wheel. We couldn’t have written this without Wiley Publishing and the incredible Dummies team. Thank you Mike Baker for working our book into the publishing schedule so it hits the market at the right time and for your continuing guidance and support in making sure this project is a success.
Thank you to Traci Cumbay for your patience, courtesy, and understanding, and for making us look brilliant, clever, and funny. You offered continuous encouragement throughout the writing process, and we both really appreciated your help and guidance through the rough patches and those killer deadlines.
Thank you to all the folks at the Certified Staging Professionals organization. The staff is passionate, supportive, and so proud. We couldn’t have made this book happen without the special help from Angela Brooks, JoAnne O’Donnell, Lynelle Hartman, Leigh Hagen, Nairn Friemann, Gina McNew, and the many CSP graduates who shared freely their photographs so we could bring you great examples of what we speak about.
Personal thanks go to the family of Angela Brooks, who had to do without her for so many nights while she edited, researched, and secured photographs for this book. And to Angela: Thanks for supporting and believing in us.
Finally, thank you to all the people who buy and read this book; we appreciate and are very grateful you did. Both Christine and Jan are personally donating 10 percent of any proceeds made to the CSP Pay It Forward campaign for Habitat for Humanity; we are sure they appreciate you, too.
From Christine: Thanks to Jan for her amazing spirit and knowledge of book-writing, for her knack of knowing what the editors were looking for, and for sharing this opportunity.
Thanks also to Ary, who always believes in me, and supports and encourages me while watching the pennies and doing without me in many ways.
From Jan: Thanks to Christine for her willingness to share her incredible knowledge and experience of staging with me, my fellow CSPs, and now the Dummies’ readers. Your commitment to excellence, innovative ideas, and raising the bar in the staging industry will outlive us all.
And thanks to my husband, Ted, for your patience, understanding, support, and tolerance of the crazy deadlines. Thanks, too, to our son, Todd Moser, for being so understanding about what I do. I promise I won’t rent out our living-room furniture over your winter break again.
A great big thanks to my business partner and fellow CSP, Char Curry, who kept our business growing and running smoothly by managing all of our projects during the writing of this book.
We’re proud of this book; please send us your comments through our Dummies online registration form located at www.dummies.com/register/.
Some of the people who helped bring this book to market include the following:
Acquisitions, Editorial, and Media Development
Project Editor: Traci Cumbay
Acquisitions Editor: Mike Baker
Copy Editor: Traci Cumbay
Editorial Program Coordinator: Erin Calligan Mooney
Technical Editor: Linda Barnett
Editorial Supervisor & Reprint Editor: Carmen Krikorian
Editorial Assistants: David Lutton, Joe Niesen
Cover Photo: Leigh Hagen, LH2 Photography
Cartoons: Rich Tennant (www.the5thwave.com)
Composition Services
Project Coordinator: Lynsey Stanford
Layout and Graphics: Claudia Bell, Stacie Brooks, Laura Campbell, Reuben W. Davis, Melissa K. Jester, Brent Savage, Christine Williams
Proofreaders: Jessica Kramer, Nancy L. Reinhardt
Indexer: Christine Spina Karpeles
Publishing and Editorial for Consumer Dummies
Diane Graves Steele, Vice President and Publisher, Consumer Dummies
Joyce Pepple, Acquisitions Director, Consumer Dummies
Kristin A. Cocks, Product Development Director, Consumer Dummies
Michael Spring, Vice President and Publisher, Travel
Kelly Regan, Editorial Director, Travel
Publishing for Technology Dummies
Andy Cummings, Vice President and Publisher, Dummies Technology/General User
Composition Services
Gerry Fahey, Vice President of Production Services
Debbie Stailey, Director of Composition Services
Title
Introduction
About This Book
Conventions Used in This Book
Foolish Assumptions
How This Book Is Organized
Icons Used in This Book
Where to Go from Here
Part I : Preparing Your Property for Sale
Chapter 1: Matchmaker, Matchmaker, Make Me an Offer
Turning Your Home Back into a House
Seeing the Property Through the Buyer’s Eyes
Recognizing What Staging Is and Is Not (Hint: It’s Not Decorating)
Why Real Estate Pros Embrace Staging (And You Should, Too)
Setting the Stage: Three Steps to Sold
Making Staging Happen with Minimal Stress
Chapter 2: Discovering What Buyers Want
Comparison Shopping: Buyers Do It and So Should You
Identifying and Upgrading the Money-Making Rooms
Speed Dating: What Happens When Buyers Start Looking
Hitting the Target Market
Making the Most of What’s Memorable about Your House
Chapter 3: Finding the Fixes You Can’t Ignore
Having Your Home Inspected Before You Sell
Addressing the Fixes That Make Your House Safe
Working with a Home Inspector
Making the Changes That Sell Your House
Chapter 4: Color Me Sold: Using Color and Light to Sell Your House
Grasping Color’s Emotional Power
Staging with Color Psychology
Finding the Right Way to Let There Be Light
Chapter 5: It’s Not What You Have; It’s Where You Place It
Focal Points: The Start of the Selling Process
Adding Angles to a Square-Shaped Room
Balancing a Rectangular Room
The L-Shaped Room
Sparing a Bowling Alley–Shaped Room
Addressing an Unexpected Angle
Part II : Three Staging Steps Toward Hitting a Home Run
Chapter 6: First Base: The Staging Consultation
Knowing When and Why to Call a Stager
Knowing What to Expect from a Complete Staging Consultation
Setting Your Priorities: What Are the Top Recommendations?
What’s This Going to Cost Me?
Can I Do My Own Staging Consultation?
Chapter 7: Second Base: Earning Equity with Elbow Grease
Earning Equity: Steps for Every Room
It’s De-lightful, It’s De-lovely, It’s De-cluttered
Painting for Perfect Walls and Woodwork
Hiring the Elbow Grease: Working with Vendors
Chapter 8: Third Base: Showcasing Makes Your House Photo-Ready
The Ins and Outs of Showcasing
Accessories: Jewelry for Your Rooms
Hanging Mirrors and Art for Maximum Impact
Finding Ideas for Accessories Functional and Fanciful
Uncovering Out-of-the-Box Showcasing Ideas
Chapter 9: Home: Opening Your House to Buyers and Agents
Romancing the Home with Photos
Night Lights: Making Sure Buyers Find You
Offering Broker and Agent Tours
Living in Your Staged Property
Keeping Your House Show-Ready with an Open House Checklist
Part III : Working Through Your House, Room by Room
Chapter 10: Curb Appeal: Making a Winning First Impression
Color It Sold: Addressing Exterior Color
Welcoming Buyers with Fabulous Front Doors
Bright at Night: Lighting Your Property
Addressing Driveways and Sidewalks
Roofs: Tending Your House’s Top
Gussying Up Your Yard
Chapter 11: You Had Me at Hello: Entrances, Exits, and Special Places
Making an Entrance Grand
Selling Stairways and Hallways
Exits: Stage Them Right!
Handling Unique Spaces at Exits and Entrances
Chapter 12: A Whole Lot of Living to Do: Living, Family, and Rec Rooms
From Formal to Laid Back: The Family of Living Rooms
Bringing Luxury and Elegance to Living Rooms
Finding Focus and Balance in Family Rooms
Getting the Great Room into Selling Shape
Staging a Recreation Room, Bonus Room, or Basement
Getting Your Rooms in Shape with a DIY Checklist
Chapter 13: A Feast of Dining Room Staging Ideas
Running Through a Dining Room Staging Checklist
Placing Furniture — But Not Too Much of It
Improvising to Set Up Your Dining Room
When You Don’t Have a Formal Dining Room . . .
Chapter 14: Cashing In on Kitchens and Baths
Kitchens: Staging the Home’s Focal Point
Bathrooms: Tackling Tub, Tile, and Toilet
Upping the Wow Factor with a DIY Staging Checklist
Chapter 15: Inviting Sweet Dreams with Beautifully Staged Bedrooms
Getting Bedrooms Ready for Buyers
Mastering the Master Bedroom
Welcoming Buyers to the Guest Room
Taming Kids’ Rooms
Making Bedrooms Their Best with a DIY Checklist
Chapter 16: Office Affair: Stage ’Em Something to Talk About
Sizing Up the Space
Restoring the Function
Building a Workable Work Space
Bringing Finishing Touches to the Home Office
Spiffing Up an Office with a DIY Checklist
Chapter 17: Behind Closed Doors: Staging Closets and Other Hidden Places
Running Down Things to Do in Every Closet
Defining Closet Upgrade Options
Finding the Function and Setting the Stage in Closets of Every Kind
Organizing the Laundry Room
Bringing Basements up to Selling Speed
Getting the Garage in Order
Part IV : Addressing Special Staging Considerations
Chapter 18: Dealing with Sensitive Issues
Eradicating Scent of Wet Dog, Eau de Cat, and Other Signs of Pets
Protecting Precious Goods (Or, “Grandma’s in That Jar!”)
Quashing Collection Fever: Show Buyers Your House, Not Your Beanie Babies
Selling Your House During the Holidays
You See Beautiful Wallpaper, Buyers See Work
Chapter 19: Staging When You’re Building, Rehabbing, or Flipping
Climbing the Three Steps of Staging
Colors Speak Even When They Don’t Say a Word
Finding Eye-Opening (And Sale-Making) Improvements
Building and Staging with the Buyer in Mind
Chapter 20: Staging Your House the Feng Shui Way
Introducing Feng Shui
Overcoming Clutter’s Harmful Effects
Making the Most of the Five Natural Elements
Staging to Feng Shui the Sale
Chapter 21: It’s Not Easy Being Green: EcoStaging
Looking Into Rebate and Eco-Grant Programs
Using Earth-Friendly Products for Cleaning and Painting
Finding Flooring That Goes the Eco-Distance
Finding Practical Ways to Conserve Water
Part V : The Part of Tens
Chapter 22: (Almost) Ten Mistakes Sellers Often Make
Overpricing the Property
Choosing the Wrong Professional
Going It Alone: For Sale by Owner
Listing Your House Before You Stage It
Not Doing Your Homework
Failing to Target the Right Buyer
Undervaluing the Power of Curb Appeal
Neglecting the Floors
Not Washing the Windows
Chapter 23: Ten Reasons to Hire a Staging Professional
Utilizing the Skills of a Certified Staging Professional
Seeing What the Buyer Sees
Selling the Property to All Five Senses
Saving You and Your Agent Time and Money
Stagers Play the Bad Guy So Agents Don’t Have To
Highlighting Your House with Great Photographs
Selling Your Property Faster
Relying on the Stager’s Toolkit
Chapter 24: Ten Tricks of the Trade That Help You Sell Your House
Bringing Fresh Air In
Running a Fresh Air Machine
Choosing Eco-Friendly Cleaning Products
Hanging Art with Heavy Duty Wall Hangers
Professional Art Hanging with a Level and Hanging Tool
Saving Your Walls with Wall Respecters
Adding a Citrus Scent
Saving Your Back with Furniture Sliders
Filling Cracks and Holes Easily
Misting Naturalaire Home Cleansing Spray
Chapter 25: Ten Ways to Prepare Your House (And Yourself) for the Sale
Emotionally Disconnect from the House
Make Room for the Buyer’s Vision
Pack Up and Store Half of Your Stuff
Organize Closets, Cupboards, and Drawers
Refresh the Exterior
Inspect Your House Before the Buyer Does
Invite the Buyer In
Buy New House Numbers
Make Every Surface Shine
Seek Professional Showcasing Help
Chapter 26: Ten Reasons Sellers Don’t Stage Their Properties (But Should)
We Don’t Have Time for Home Staging
Location and Price Will Do the Work
I Get Compliments on My Home All the Time, So I Don’t Need to Stage It
My Neighbor’s House Sold Without Staging
My Agent Said I Don’t Need to Stage My House to Sell It
If It’s Good Enough for Me, It’s Good Enough for Anyone
Staging Is Just De-Cluttering and Cleaning, and I’ve Done That
Homes Have Been Selling for Years Without Staging. Why Now?
I Can’t Afford It
It’s a Hot Market — The House Will Sell Without Staging
: Further Reading
A complete and proper home staging takes an occupied house from okay to wow, and it elevates a vacant property from cold and empty to warm and welcoming. It gives home sellers an opportunity to secure more equity and to sell their properties faster.
If you have a house that’s just sitting on the market drawing no offers, or if you’re getting ready to list a property for sale — as a real estate professional or as a homeowner — staging the property gives you a marketing edge. Your staged property stands out from the competition in the neighborhood and from the unstaged houses in your price range — and did we mention that staged properties sell faster?
In a soft market and with foreclosures on the rise, home sales are slowing all over North America, so staging your property has gone from a nice thing to do to a necessity.
Whether you’re interested in home staging for personal or professional reasons, you can get what you need from this book. The basic truth is that staged properties sell faster than those that are unstaged. And a staged vacant house sells faster than an empty property. In a hot market, a property that has been staged sells for more money, and in a slow market, staged properties sell faster than those that aren’t. So why isn’t everyone staging their properties? We’d like to know.
We wrote this book to show you how to prepare a house for sale so it sells faster and secures more equity. We know that reading this book and doing what we suggest gets you closer to a sale, so we’ve done our professional best to share what we know about preparing a property for sale so it can be as trouble-free an experience as possible. Yes, it’s a lot of work, but it’s well worth doing.
To assist your navigation of this book, we’ve established the following conventions:
We use italic for emphasis and to highlight new words or terms that we define.
We use monofont for Web addresses.
Sidebars, which are shaded boxes of text, consist of information that’s interesting but not necessarily critical to your understanding of the topic.
As we wrote this book, we made some assumptions about you and your needs. We assume that you might be
A homeowner getting ready to list a house with a real estate professional and wanting to know what to do to get top dollar
A real estate professional or property stager who wants to use this book to help clients ready their houses before you list or showcase them
A real estate professional who wants to know more about the ins and outs of staging to gain a marketing edge
A homeowner looking for information that will sell her already-listed house faster
Interested in finding out more about staging as a career
Rehabbing or flipping properties and interested in how staging helps properties sell faster
A builder who wants to know how best to sell a vacant new property
If any of these sound like you, you’ve come to the right book!
Unless you’ve been through a recent move, you may not know how the market has changed and what the home seller and real estate professional do to ready a property for sale. But you’re in luck because you have this book.
The following sections give you a rundown of where you can find what, so you can use this guide to your best advantage.
In this part, we tell you what buyers are looking for in a new property and help you identify what you’re selling, so you can go into the selling process with your eyes wide open. We give you some of the basic principles of staging and show you how to start putting those principles into action, starting with color, light, and furniture placement.
Property staging is not decorating! Our three-step staging process helps you look at your property through the eyes of the buyer — warts and all — and then tells you what to do to get your property sold. In this part, you find out what to expect from a staging consultation, the kinds of things you’re going to need to do to get your property in shape, and how to show off your work through photographs and to real estate agents.
What you do in a bedroom isn’t necessarily what you do in a dining room — staging-wise or otherwise. In this part, we give you the goods you need to get each room into showing shape by taking into account its purpose, its architectural features, and the things buyers are going to want from it. We take you through the front door and out the back with stops at every room (and closet) along the way.
Sensitive issues can get between you and a sale. In this part we tell you how to deal with your mother-in-law’s teacup collection, your affinity for sports paraphernalia, or your kid’s pets. We give you the ins and outs of staging when you’re flipping or rehabbing a property.
You find in this part an introduction to the Feng Shui practices that can help direct energy (and buyers) through your house, and we wrap things up by giving you eco-friendly staging ideas.
In this part, we share ways to avoid common mistakes home sellers and real estate professionals make when it comes to staging properties. We run you through reasons to bring in a professional stager and show you our favorite staging products, tools, and ways to get your house (and yourself) ready for the sale.
Throughout this book, we guide you toward important points by using the following icons:
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Most For Dummies books are set up so that you can flip to the section of the book that meets your present needs. You can do that in this book, too. We tell you where to find the information you may need when we refer to a concept, and we define terms as they arise to enable you to feel at home no matter where you open the book.
Does your living room need special attention? Head straight for Chapter 12. Want to find out what you can expect from a consultation with a professional stager? Chapter 6 has what you need. If you’re an overachiever or want to ensure that you find out everything you need to know to get your house in tip-top shape before you put it on the market — well, then turn the page and keep on reading until you hit the index.
In this part . . .
Putting your house on the market is kind of like dating. You don’t show up for a first date in your comfy sweats with the salsa stains down the front. You want to smell good, look good, and make a good enough first impression that you score a second date. Before the first potential buyer comes through your door, you want to get your property into first-date shape. This part of the book shows you how to take a long, hard look at your house as a product you’re selling. Consider these chapters a reality check for anyone getting ready to put a house on the market.