Did you know that staging a home can greatly improve the changes of getting an offer to purchase? Open House Genie is pleased to offer staging ideas that will help visitors to your property imagine themselves living there. Even if you already know this, you might not know what kind of staging works. What are the right choices to make? How much should it cost to stage a home? We're here to help with some great ideas so check out our suggestions.

Staging a vacant home is a lot different than staging a home occupied by its owner. Let's start there.

It's not practical for an agent or the owner to purchase a lot of new items to stage an already full house! That's why de-cluttering is the most important thing a seller can do, or an agent can coach a seller to consider. Removing personal mementos, photos, children's collages and your flip flops will allow the buyer to see a relatively simple canvas. You must get them to imagine their own things in your home and you have about 15 seconds to make an impression that this is possible. If anything were to be purchased, Open House Genie recommends the following for an already-furnished home:

1. Fresh flowers in two rooms
2. Clean windows and mirrors -- hey, clean the whole house!
3. Do whatever you can to remove the smell of cigarettes. We love the aromatherapy candles at Bath and Body Works!
4. Purchase a new door mat
5. Clean the door handles throughout the home
6. New throw rugs from Ikea, if appropriate, are cheap and can freshen up a room
7. Remove all pet bowls, toys and fur

It's OK to create a sign even from your printer that says: Welcome! Someone will see it.

In this economy, many homes are now vacant and should be staged even partially to set you apart from the competition. There are furniture companies in San Diego that work with real estate agents to offer discounts on furniture rental -- try Brooks or Cort. They do require a three month minimum and will convert to month-to-month rentals after that. Try to not exceed $400 per month.

Furniture alone won't cut it. At Open House Genie, we're a firm believer that two, crisp $100 bills can be converted into a house full of wonderful staging items that can be used again and again. Target, Bed Bath and Beyond and Cost Plus are gold mines for things like vases, rugs, table settings, napkin rings, glasses, pretty fabric flowers and candles.

Create vignettes that suggest living but don't over do it. For example, you can create a lovely scene at a fireplace mantle by propping up a sweet used gilded mirror (Try Pat's Furniture in North Park), combined with scented candles in sparkling holders, and mixed with one or two generic small images in frames. Don't light your staging candles.

Towels in the bathroom are a cheap no brainer! When doing open houses in San Diego, we have discovered that buyers love "the little things" so we make sure to get fluffy towels at Target and then a special ribbon at a fabric store to tie it all together. But it has to look like Bloomingdales on a $200 budget.

Invest in staging materials, agents. Have a few color themes going and reuse again and again. Store items carefully as if you have the making of your own retail establishment. Believe us, in the future it's so much easier to shop out of your storage locker/garage or spare bedroom then visiting stores over and over again.

A few listings spending $200 each on staging materials will set you on your course for a long time. Sellers will so greatly appreciate your efforts.

There are plenty of staging companies in San Diego, but we simply prefer our own economic method ~ and it works. By the way, take all your photos AFTER your beautiful efforts!

Article by Open House Genie
Copyright 2008
Used, copied or quoted with permission only.