Happy Wednesday, friends! A few weeks ago, I spent a lovely afternoon with my younger sister. She and her husband are thinking of putting their house on the market this summer and she wanted a few thoughts on how to stage their home. We went room by room with paper and pen to strategize how best to stage each room to showcase its fullest potential. Come see a few ideas we came up with for home staging!
My sister lives in a perfect location. The schools are great and the neighborhood is child-friendly. So, I don’t think they will have a hard time selling their house. The homes are around 20 years old so a little updating and freshening up is all that is needed! One thing my sister and I discussed is how to make a great first impression even before buyers walk through the front door. So, my sister, Stephanie, spruced up her front entry with a pretty wreath, fresh flowers and a welcome mat. The pretty black door with the gold accents really pop. Potential buyers will want to see more!
Next is the entry way! This is currently how her foyer looks. Stephanie already has a pretty mirror, but we want to make a statement when folks walk through the front door.
These are our inspiration pictures via Better Homes and Gardens. Steph already has a pretty mirror so we want to add a small table or a shelf as a place to land keys or a purse at the end of the day. She is currently working on touch up painting this area and will stage it soon.
Also via Better Homes and Gardens:
Such pretty ideas!
On the opposite wall of the front door is a nice secretary. My sister plans to leave the secretary in its place and switch out a few accessories and maybe add a small lamp.
This is the builder-grade light fixture in the entry way. And while there is nothing wrong with this one, we thought a larger, more custom-looking fixture would look better. And in this case the cost is zero!
I had this light fixture in the basement at our lake house before I went on my nautical light binge and switched it out. The light came from Lowe’s and is large, substantial and holds three bulbs. This is how it looked in our basement. It has been sitting in my garage ever since, so why not use it? I think it will add brightness, and bring a custom look to their entry way.
And here is the light installed! My sister’s husband switched out the old fixture with the new, adding a modern touch to the foyer. And more wattage! (so much so it’s hard to photograph!)
This is the difference between a builder-grade light fixture and one that is more custom. Every other house for sale in the neighborhood will most likely have the brass fixture and buyers will notice the difference! Keep in mind you can often find nice and affordable lighting at thrift and consignment stores. You can also check Facebook Marketplace and Craigslist for bargains on lighting. (TIP: Be sure to turn all of the lights on when showing your house. This will bring attention to the pretty fixtures and make the house appear more light and bright!)
Directly off of the foyer is a home office with pretty French doors. This room has worn many hats over the years, being an office, a bedroom, then a guest room. It’s time to take it back to its original purpose in order to stage the house properly and show off its potential! This is how it looked before.
Stephanie painted the blue walls with a more neutral color called Kilim Beige. (Sticking to neutral colors like this or Accessible Beige is a smart move, too.) She moved the twin bed upstairs and brought her desk and chair downstairs. She removed the mirror from the dresser and it instantly became a credenza! Steph put all of her office supplies in the drawers and added matching lamps, a printer and art work. Beautiful!! Now buyers will see the real potential in this house!
What a difference! Great job, Steph! Simply rearranging pieces of furniture she already has is smart and economical.
Steph moved the twin bed to an upstairs bedroom where her desk formerly sat. Now the upstairs bedroom is staged as a little girl’s room and the downstairs room is now an office again. Perfect!
Upstairs in her husband’s office, Stephanie continued to work her magic. This is how her husband’s office looked before.
A coat of a soft gray paint (Gray Owl) and a bit of rearranging of furniture lends itself to a neat and organized space. I love how she softened the corner by placing the bookcase on the diagonal. Steph condensed the contents of three small file cabinets down to two and cleaned out the closet for more out-of-sight storage. Of course, this room can easily serve as a bedroom, if need be. Even more versatile!
On the opposite side of the room my sister added a beautiful vintage sideboard to also serve as a credenza and office storage.
A quick before and after. The light gray walls and new furniture placement look great! There is much to be said for a fresh coat of paint and de-cluttering.
My sister is on a ROLL! She is systematically going room by room, de-cluttering, painting and staging each space. She’s already cleaned out her closets and donated 7 bags of clothing and shoes to Christian Ministries. Not only is she getting her house ready to sell for top dollar, but helping those in need. And look at her neat closet! Buyers will know this is a huge closet with plenty of storage.
Getting your house ready to put on the market is a huge undertaking. Especially if you want to get top dollar, and who doesn’t want that? Preparation is key. Stephanie is doing it the smart way by getting a big head start, and meanwhile she and her family can enjoy the fruits of her labor! When they decide to put the house on the market, it will shine and sell quickly! Then, they can take their extra cash and put it towards their next home! I’m so proud of my sister. She jumped in with both feet and is working hard to stage their house so it will sell quickly. On to the next phase in their lives as empty nesters! Great job, Steph!
A big thank you to my sweet and talented sister for sharing with me her before and after pictures so I can share them with you! They really prove how far she’s come in just a few short weeks! I hope you have a great day. Thank you for stopping by and supporting my blog! Are you working on a Spring project? Do tell! Until tomorrow! xoxo Dell