Here's why there is no one-size-fits-all solution to home staging
There’s nothing cookie cutter about it
By now, we’ve determined that staged homes sell for more money… but I encourage you stretch your mindset about home staging one step further…
Think beyond home staging as ‘putting a couch here and a bed there,’ and into the realm of home staging as as an art in capturing and presenting the energy of a space when marketing a home for sale.
This is the styling mindset that can truly make a lasting impact on home buyers, and that will sell your property for the most amount of money.
We’ve all seen vacant homes that are staged in a ‘cookie-cutter’ way .
Yes, these spaces are functional, and they’re usually decorated in a way that’s considered to be ‘pretty.’
Yet, often these properties feel cold and uninviting, in a way that just doesn’t feel good.
That’s what I call ‘cold staging’ and it’s my goal to NOT make your property listing feel that way.
Cold staging is:
the all-white, matching furniture set with sterile chrome legs that feels like you would break it by just sitting in it, and quite frankly belongs in a dental office
using hard plastic boxes in place of a real mattress; kids might even startle themselves when they undoubtedly end up jumping on the bed while touring the property
the lukewarm sparkling water on the kitchen counter that has never been opened (and is also probably dusty) but is there to add a pop of green to the kitchen counter
Sounds inviting, doesn’t it?
Actually, I would argue that properties staged in this way serve as a disservice to selling the space.
Warm staging, on the other hand, helps buyers feel at home.
Humans prefer warm & inviting spaces, because these types of spaces feel safe.
If you think back to the roots of human evolution, in nature and at our very core, we crave safe shelter. Yet, once our basic human needs have been met or achieved, our goals become more identity-oriented.
So many home buyers subconsciously benefit from walking into a home they are considering buying and feeling at ease: they’re in a space they can identify with, in a room that feels familiar - be it through objects that spark curiosity, and/or decor they find interesting.
This is where the magic happens. I like to call this ethos of home staging ‘lived-in staging’ or ‘warm staging.’
Warm staging & curated home preparation feels:
familiar to the target buyer of your home
like the previous homeowners lovingly maintained the space
colourful and/or thoughtfully curated
cozy & inviting, in a more authentic way
As you can tell, properly presenting your home for sale (to ultimately sell to the right buyer, for highest amount of money) takes research, consideration, and experience.
Home staging is not a cookie-cutter, one-size-fits all solution, so it is imperative to work with the right team of experts to help make your home stand out.
Further reading: check out Dwell magazine’s Fruitbowl Manifesto for more inspiration on the ethos of this style of home preparation and staging advice.
That being said…
While ‘lived-in’ staging feels warm, inviting, and appears effortless, effortless it is not.
Make no mistake, there is a fine line between carefully curating home decor in a space for sale, and simply listing a property on MLS unprepared.
For example, warm staging does not imply that you can leave an overflowing garbage can on display.
Future home buyers still don’t want to think about someone else’s mess or dirty laundry.
MOST SELLERS DON’T HAVE THE TIME TO EXECUTE ALL THE STEPS of successfully prepping, marketing, and selling their home to the right buyer for the highest amount of money.
I collaborate with sellers to streamline the process, providing white-glove, concierge-style service to help ease stress, making the selling experience easy and fun so home sellers can focus on enjoying the next chapter in their journey.
