Home Staging 101

For many people shopping around for a new home, it’s impossible not to notice how impeccable everything looks inside. “My house never looks like this!” they think, moving from one exquisite room to another, admiring how clean and put together everything looks. They see the potential for the home, the different looks, and see themselves living right here, right now.

 

If you’re in the real estate game, you know what’s going on. The potential buyer’s current home never looked like this, and before you came, neither did the house they’re viewing! Home staging is a crucial part of selling a home, but it’s very different from simply decorating. Here’s a primer if you’re looking to become a home staging professional or are just looking to get that home off the market!

 

Home Staging versus Decorating

 

When “home staging” comes up, a lot of people just think “making a home look nice.” That’s partially true, but you want it to look nice for the people looking at your home, not for you. Decorating is how you personally want to see your home; staging is how potential buyers can envision themselves in the space.

 

This means removing the personal and thinking broadly. Neutral colours, no clutter, and putting away anything emotionally valuable, like family portraits. You want the people looking through the space to consider how they would do it, and this means making the canvas sparse of your favourites and thinking generally. Keep it simple, neutral, and focused. Don’t go overboard!

 

Buy to Impress

 

One thing you shouldn’t do is go to a store, pick out items, and then return them later. Most places of business will see right through your scheme, and return policies are making it more difficult. Speaking as a small business, it’s also really annoying. You make a big sale, only to have it all brought back a week or two later? It’s incredibly frustrating. Buy items with the intent of using them again and again!

 

This is why live edge, natural wood furniture is a good choice. They’re durable, meaning they’ll survive the transportation between houses; they’re coloured naturally, meaning the furniture is neutral for just about any living space; and they’re impressive! When you’re working with the layout, lighting, and spatial restrictions, you have to choose furniture that’ll show them the positive potential. A live edge table, be it a kitchen or coffee table, is impressive enough to draw the eye, but works with the room to show its potential.

 

The ability to move furniture into different spaces while still creating the same effect is crucial, and that’s why pieces like the Harvest Coffee Table can be very important for home staging!

 

Community Focused Home Staging

 

It’s great to work with the community on projects, too. When you choose locally sourced items, you’re showing what the potential buyers could do with what the wider area has to offer. It’s great to showcase not just the home’s potential, but the community’s potential!

 

Get inside the minds of viewers and create the perfect impression of wide-ranging potential – stage your home the right way!