Staging to sell a home is worth every penny

Every home seller wants two things: top dollar and a quick sale. Reaching those goals may hinge on how the home is staged, no matter its style, size or price point.

“If all things are equal and you go see three to seven homes in the same price range, with the same square footage and location, the shiniest penny is what’s going to sell,” says Kent Welch, owner of Showhomes of Kansas City, a company specializing in staging vacant homes from its warehouse of furnishings.

Sheen comes from a carefully edited environment that highlights architectural features, layout and flow.

“It puts the eyes of the buyer looking where we want them to look,” Welch says.

Even in this seller’s market, sellers need to help buyers envision themselves living in what is currently someone else’s home. Visualization is an important tool in real estate: An empty home can leave buyers wondering how to use space, while too many belongings in an occupied residence can distract them. Home stagers find the right balance of furniture and accessories to give buyers a good idea of the opportunities in the home.

In vacant properties, stagers start from scratch, adding only what’s necessary and most impactful. In occupied homes, the end goal is the same, but to get there, stagers must work with clients to subtract most of their belongings and everything personal.

“It’s not uncommon for us to tell sellers to pack up half of their house, especially for people who have been in their homes more than five years because of all the stuff that tends to accumulate,” says Kathy West, owner of Details Home Staging Solutions.

Selling your home can be an emotionally charged life event, but you can ease the stress by starting to detach from the home early in the staging process. A professional stager doesn’t have emotional attachments to your things and can objectively and respectfully speak about what needs to go.

“I tell people, ‘This is what I’m going to do and here’s why,’ ” says Helen Bartlett of Refined Interior Staging Solutions. She uses three core principles of the industry: decluttering, depersonalizing and neutralizing. “Less is more” is the mantra here.

Anything distracting like family photos and collections needs to be packed away so buyers look at the house, not your cute baby or what you wore on your wedding day. Not planning on taking some furniture to your new home? You might as well put it on Craigslist now to open up space. Is your closet bulging with clothes? It’s time to pare down and improve functionality in your closet.

West gives sellers a customized to-do list that they can tackle on their own time.

“I prioritize the top 10 items for them, and if they have time to do the others, that’s great,” she says.

Always on the list are safety aspects, from locking away firearms, portable electronics and prescription medications to health records and bills. Take your kids’ names off the walls along with references to their schools and activities.

“You need to protect your family’s identities and personal data,” West says.

Then it’s time to show off.

Give every room a purpose and a focal point. “You want to show as much square footage as possible, but the room still needs to have personality and appeal,” West advises.

Bartlett achieves this with average-sized furniture but larger accessories, like lamps and art. “It’s more important to have fewer things but ones that make an impact,” she says.

If there were a formula for the living room, it would be: sofa + coffee table + side tables + two accent chairs + rug = enough. “I rarely use a loveseat,” Bartlett adds. “It limits creativity. Accent chairs aren’t matchy-matchy, and they give you a chance to use different colors and textures.”

Stick with a décor theme that matches the house, but don’t get kitschy, a la faux grape vines in a Tuscan villa or “Gone Fishing” signs in a coastal cottage. Sunset colors in the former and blues in the latter can evoke a sense of place. Reserve colors for accessories and art, and keep the rooms neutral.

“People react to color — they either love it or hate it,” Bartlett says.

The dining room is an important space people connect with emotionally because of family gatherings.

“It’s special because it’s not used every day,” Bartlett says. This is one room to add drama, whether it’s a striking chandelier or interesting chairs.

Consider taking a leaf out of your dining table and removing a couple of chairs or even a hutch to enhance traffic flow and augment the space. Bartlett says not to set the table, as the look is contrived because people don’t really live that way; a centerpiece is the best option.

What sells a kitchen is the workspace and the countertop, so demonstrate its full potential by moving most everything off surfaces.

If you have some money to invest in upgrades, spend it on quartz countertops, which are a low-maintenance alternative to granite, or a new tile backsplash. Make sure all appliances are spotless and avoid cooking the night before a showing, especially foods like fish or broccoli, which have a tendency to hang around. Instead, eat out or grill out. And don’t bother baking cookies for the scent; just use essential oils or flowers.

You have to also stay on top of scents in the bathroom. Scrub down showers to get rid of any musty odors and purchase a new curtain liner. Remove toiletries from sight.

If you have a fireplace mantel or bookshelves, minimize knickknacks and cover your books with jackets so they aren’t demanding attention. Balance the look with items of similar color and texture.

“It’s OK to show gaps in openings,” West says. “It helps the eye continue to move around the room.”

It’s not just rooms that need staging; don’t forget storage areas, including all closets, the pantry, garage and basement.

“Buyers are making observations and evaluations about how people are using those spaces,” West explains. “If a buyer opens a cabinet and things start falling out, the message is that there’s not enough storage.”

In closets, keep only two seasons at a time: spring/summer and fall/winter. Replace bowing closet poles and pick up shoes off the floor.

“This is the time to weed out what you haven’t used in years and donate it or throw it away, but if you’re not mentally or emotionally ready to let go, just pack it up and do it later,” West says.

Kids and pets can derail your best staging efforts. Try to involve your children with reminders to put the toilet seat down and make their beds. If you have pets, take them to a sitter. The smell of dogs and cat litter boxes may turn off buyers. “If they smell it, you’re not going to sell it,” West says.

If, after all this, the house still needs something extra to make it the shiniest penny, most stagers double as interior designers and can help organize contract work, such as a new paint job or replacing carpet.

West says that some of her clients complain about the effort of staging their home but that they always thank her after the sale goes smoothly.

“The clock ticks really fast that first month,” West says. “Doing this work beforehand is a lifesaver.”

This story was originally published May 20, 2016 at 8:00 AM.