Guest Post: Staging Your Home to Sell

I'm so excited to be bringing you a guest post today from someone who is uber important: my mom.  My mom blogs over at Home Sweet Hollywood about all kinds of decor and home tips, and what it is like to live in the heart of Los Angeles.  Today she is going to be giving some of her tips for home-staging when you are trying to sell your house.  She kinda knows her stuff on this topic: her last house in Santa Clarita (a suburb of Los Angeles) sold in just seven days--and for full asking price.  Make sure you visit her at Home Sweet Hollywood and show her some love!

Wow, what a nice intro...thanks babe!  I'm excited to be here and to share some staging tips.

As Falon said, I recently moved from the suburbs back to my hometown...
the Hollywood/Studio City area.

In order to get going with my big plan I needed to sell my house. I immediately started cleaning out and purging stuff (even more than I usually do). Another thing I did was stage my home with neat, clean spaces.

Staging your home for sale is all the rage for one reason...it works.  If you're not doing it when selling a home, you're most likely leaving money on the table.  Not cool.  Make your dining space look inviting but don't set the table for dinner...that just looks fake.  Your goal is to stage without it looking staged...make sense?

It's all about creating a feeling of a certain lifestyle. The scene you set should show the potential buyers what a lovely life they will have if they buy THIS home.

You want them to be able to picture themselves having breakfast or a cup of coffee in your lovely kitchen.

Of course you love your family photos and memories, but pack 'em up. Don't remind the buyer that another family lives here, you want them to picture themselves living here. A good replacement for photos is a stack of books...looks neat and clean.

Beds should be made neatly with updated, clean bedding.

 You're going for uncluttered, so even if you have to pack up some of your clothes, it's worth it to show that your closets are spacious...plenty of room. 

It's all about creating a feeling...so they think if they buy your house, they too will live a neat and tidy lifestyle.

I even slightly staged my refrigerator. Don't laugh..they will look in there...Snoopymcsnoopersons...buyers look everywhere!  If your fridge is dirty or messy, it will help if it's cleaned up.

Nothing tops fresh flowers and healthy live plants around the house.  They provide an organic luxurious feeling and make a room come alive.  But no fake plants...I repeat NO fake plants...never never never. FRESH, always...no excuses.

Staging is really about common sense. Think about what you would like to see when looking at a home.

Clean, uncluttered, well-maintained, neutral.

 We're talking about your biggest asset!  If you want top dollar it's totally worth the time and effort to make your home look its very best.

Thanks for  stopping by, Mom!  If you want to read more about life in La-La Land, head over to Home Sweet Hollywood!  And, if you are interested in a little giveaway, check back later today!