Do Your Own Home Staging (eBook)

FOREWORD xi
INTRODUCTION xiii
1 MAXIMIZE YOUR CHANCES FOR SUCCESS:
MAKE THE MOST OF THIS BOOK 1
The Sequence of Events in the Home Staging Process 2
2 UNDERSTANDING HOME STAGING 4
What is Staging? 4
The Developing Industry of Home Staging 5
Marketing Strategies Behind Home Staging 6
Relationship marketing 6
Target marketing 7
Developing Your Staging Strategy 9
The Key to Selling Quickly and for More Money 9
Preparing your home for sale is like dating! 10
Why invest in a house you are leaving? 10
3 HOME IMPROVEMENTS 12
Ten Recession-Proof Home Improvements 12
ENERGY STAR windows 12
Water-saving toilets 12
Water heater 13
Radiant heat 13
Landscaping 13
Doorless showers 13
Cork floors 13
Bamboo countertops 13
Energy efficient lighting 13
Garage doors 14
Return on Investment in Home Improvements 14
iii
C O N T E N T S
iv Do your own home staging
4 SET THE STAGE 16
Developing a Staging Strategy 16
What is your property identity? 16
Who is your target market? 17
Examples: How to use your property identity and target market to create a staging strategy 18
Home Staging for Specific Areas 19
Primary areas 19
Curb appeal 19
Front entrance 25
Living room 28
Kitchen 30
Master bedroom 33
Master bathroom 35
Secondary Areas 36
Dining room 36
Bedrooms 37
Bathrooms 39
Family or great room 40
Office 41
Rec room or games room 41
Laundry room 43
Basement 44
Backyard 45
Garage 46
Hallways and stairways 47
Closets and linen space 48
5 MORE STAGING TIPS 50
Incorporate the Senses 50
Smell 51
Touch 51
Taste 51
Hearing 51
Sight 51
Decorating Basics 55
Painting 55
Secrets of a great paint job 58
Various painting tips 62
Space layout and furniture arrangement 63
Contents v
Cozy ideas for large spaces 64
Hanging pictures 65
Area rugs 66
Cleaning and Simple Home Improvement Tips 66
Remember, Love Is in the Details 67
Little red flags 70
Don’t Forget Curb Appeal 71
Basic gardening 71
Decluttering and Storage Solutions 74
Furnishings you’ve kept ‘just because’ 74
How to Have a Successful Yard Sale 76
Applying the four Ps of marketing: Product, price, place, and promotion 76
Money handling and sales 83
Dealing with customers 84
Adding value 84
Get help 85
Safety tips 85
After the sale 86
6 REAL HOME STAGING EXAMPLES 87
Examples of Specific Areas 87
Curb appeal 87
Front entrance 88
Living room 88
Kitchen 89
Master bedroom 89
Master bathroom 90
Dining room 90
Bedrooms 90
Main bathroom 91
Hallways and stairways 91
Closets 92
Examples of Staging Techniques 92
Create a lasting impression 92
Create a focal point 92
Expose special features 93
Remove window screens and drapes 93
Neutralize personal taste 94
Lighten up 94
vi Do your own home staging
Keep an eye on peripheral vision 95
Open traffic flow 95
Use angles 95
Define the space 96
Suggest a use 97
Sell a lifestyle 97
Dress up for the occasion 98
Show scale in vacancies 98
Be creative 98
Create more space 99
Keep it simple 99
7 HOW TO LOOK FOR GOOD PROFESSIONALS 100
When to Hire a Professional Home Stager 100
How to Hire a Professional Home Stager 101
What makes a home stager a professional? 101
How much does a professional home stager cost? 103
How to Hire a Real Estate Professional 104
Find out who they are 104
Ask how they will market your property 104
How to Hire a Home Inspector 105
Presale home inspection 106
What home inspectors look for 107
Most common defects 107
What to expect with a home inspection 107
8 PACKING AND MOVING TIPS 109
Start Packing! 109
The Perfect Packing Practice 110
Packing Tips 110
The Big Move 112
A guide for a stress-free transition 112
Moving with children 113
Moving with pets 115
9 THE NEW FIRST IMPRESSION 117
How to Take Great Photographs 117
Equipment 117
Get to know your camera 118
Wide-angle lenses 118
Focal point 118
Contents vii
Lighting 118
Manipulate contrasting elements 119
Portrait or landscape 119
Don’t show off your ceiling 119
Mirror, mirror on the wall 119
Distraction 119
Hot spots 119
Trick the camera 120
Make it straight 120
Prepare Your Photos for the Internet 120
Make photos count 121
Watch what you say online 121
Where to post your listing 121
APPENDIX I — GENERAL CHECKLISTS
Effective Sign Designs 123
Furniture Layout Grid 124
Master To-Do List 125
Moving Checklist 126
Open House Checklist 128
Packing Shopping List 131
Who to Notify Checklist 132
APPENDIX II — HOME IMPROVEMENT CHECKLISTS
Basement Improvements Checklist 135
Bathroom Improvements Checklist 136
Bedroom Improvements Checklist 137
Closets and Linen Space Improvements Checklist 138
Curb Appeal Improvements Checklist 139
Dining Room Improvements Checklist 140
Family or Great Room Improvements Checklist 141
Front Entrance Improvements Checklist 142
Garage Improvements Checklist 143
Hallways/Stairways Improvements Checklist 144
Kitchen Improvements Checklist 145
Laundry Room Improvements Checklist 146
Living Room Improvements Checklist 147
Office Improvements Checklist 148
Rec Room/Games Room Improvements Checklist 149
Yard Improvements Checklist 150
viii Do your own home staging
APPENDIX III — HOME STAGING CHECKLISTS
Basement Staging Checklist 151
Bathroom Staging Checklist 152
Bedroom Staging Checklist 153
Closets and Linen Space Staging Checklist 154
Curb Appeal Staging Checklist 155
Dining Room Staging Checklist 156
Family or Great Room Staging Checklist 158
Front Entrance Staging Checklist 160
Garage Staging Checklist 161
Hallways/Stairways Staging Checklist 162
Kitchen Staging Checklist 163
Laundry Room Staging Checklist 165
Living Room Staging Checklist 166
Office Staging Checklist 168
Rec Room/Games Room Staging Checklist 169
Yard Staging Checklist 171