Staged To Perfection: How To Style Your RI Home To Sell Fast
My friend Brooke is a busy stylist who also happens to run a very successful home staging business. (Staging is a way to transform your house, once you've decided to put it on the market, to make it more attractive to potential buyers.) Today, I've asked her to share some of her best tips for making people fall head over heels in love with your place. Here's what she has to say:
Since June - the best month for home sales - is in full swing, I figured I'd share my surefire tips for staging your home to sell fast at the price you deserve.
The most important thing to remember is that the home buying processes can be overwhelming, so you need to create a space that makes potential buyers immediately see themselves living there. Basically, it's about setting up the space, so that there is no need for the buyer to use their imagination.
Step 1: Arrange the furniture to point out the assets of the space.
Recently, I was working on a client’s condo that had beautiful glass doors that bookended a stone mantle in the living room. The doors led out to a private porch. This was an amazing feature, but the way my client had the couches blocked the view of the doors, causing potential buyers to walk into the room without even noticing them. We changed this by orienting one couch to face the mantle, so that when you walked in, you were immediately drawn to that stone mantle and the light coming in from those two glass doors on either side. This made the space seem much bigger, sunnier and fancier.
Step 2: Make the most of small awkward spaces.
One of the best things about Rhode Island is the abundance of historic homes. However, with that charm, often comes those little nooks and crannies that many buyers have no idea what to do with, so they end up looking like a lot of wasted square footage. But you can make those cool little areas work to your advantage...with a little creative thinking. Try creating a sitting area or library in a bay window, a home office or den in an attic space. This way you're making a room within a room by utilizing space that would normally be messy storage or just remain open and empty. This adds more value to your square footage.
Step 3: Accentuate with the right art.
First things first, stay neutral! Put away your family photos and take down any artwork that is political or religious in nature. Instead opt for decorative pieces to bring color to the rooms and support the style of your home. Abstract paintings, decorative ceramics, landscape photos and botanical drawings can all add splashes of color to you home. This makes the space feel warmer and more inviting without adding too much of a specific personality that can alienate buyers if it clashes with their sensibilities. If you don't have the right art, it's worth it to purchase some affordable pieces to create the right look. I recommend checking out Lore Collection in Downtown Providence. They have great affordable decorative ceramics as well as smaller scale fine art. Also, Lore is highly curated to be a lifestyle gallery, so everything in the store is home decor friendly. Other options for affordable smaller scale fine art include Yellow Peril Gallery, Grin Gallery and AS220, all in Providence.
Step 4: Clean inside and landscape outside.
Make sure you keep a clean home, free of dust bunnies and pet hair. Get rid of any unnecessary clutter, less is definitely more when it comes to selling your home. Make sure the grounds of your home are well maintained and add some color with flowers and plants inside and out. Hide things like outdoor trash cans in places that are easy to reach but camouflaged from plain sight.
After that just plan your move because you should get an offer you can’t refuse. Happy house hunting!
More About Brooke
From: Providence, RI
Site: stateofmindstyling.com (While Brooke's site is being updated and redesigned, be sure to check out her FB page by clicking here.)
Likes: ice cream, anything colorful, animals, accessorizing and bargain hunting
Dislikes: waiting in line, walking in the rain and constant complainers
Zodiac Sign: Sagittarius
Brooke Erin Goldstein is a creative professional living and working in Providence, RI. She has a BFA from RISD, majoring in textiles. Brooke worked in the fashion industry for 5 years before starting her own businesses. Since then she has been working for herself providing personal and creative services for over 10 years.
Photo Credits: All photos courtesy of Brooke Goldstein.