An essential consideration when putting your home on the selling or even renting market is home staging. In other words, how is your home going to look to a potential buyer or tenant, especially in online photos but also in person? It should be full but not cluttered, warm and inviting but not too personal, and appear updated or easily updated. This balance isn’t always as achievable as it may seem at face value. In addition, an arrangement that photographs well won’t always be the most functional or intuitive set up. Enter Corken + Company and their team of organizers and home staging experts.
Before & After from Perch Staging:
Staging Services
Most all of Corken + Company’s projects for sale are staged. We have seen its value proven time and again. In fact, according to the National Association of Realtors, every $100 spent on home staging has the potential to recoup $400. Why keep a $1 when you can make $4?? Staged homes sale or rent faster and for more money. It should be a consideration in any seller’s budget in the same regard a buyer would budget for inspections.
Your home is special. We already know it. It’s where your life has happened: memories framed on the wall, greeting cards magnetized to the fridge, all you’re beautiful stuff in all of it’s assorted glory. But, we don’t sell how we live. Just think of it as the biggest sales presentation of your life. This isn’t personal. This is business. That is why Corken + Company trusts professionals, such as stagers and professional organizers, to take care of the whole process with you in mind.
We know it can be difficult being impartial with your own belongings or even know what can stay, what needs to go, and what can be repurposed. Instead of stressing, leave it to us and our staging team. When the offers come pouring in above asking you’ll be glad you stepped out in the selling storm with your cutest umbrella and matching pair of wellies. After all, it’s all in the presentation!
Tips & Tricks for Staging Like A Pro (from the experts):
- Open blinds and curtains always. The more natural light the better! (Make sure your windows are clean though!)Black out curtains should be swapped out for sheer or nearly sheer curtains. They should also always touch the floor or can even pile there. This makes the room feel and photograph bigger and grander.
- For art, less is more. Pick one or, at the most, two blank walls in each room and have proportionately sized art hung at eye level. These are all important elements of visually guiding the eye through a room without distracting it. Photos will only be taken of one or two walls in the bedroom anyway. Those should be the walls with art.
- For bedding, more is more. Turn down the comforter halfway down the bed to reveal coordinating sheets. Add a throw draped across the end to give the bed dimension. Add a couple sets of matching pillows. These should all be color coordinated; pick two colors and only one or two shades of that color to stick to. From there, play with texture and pattern to give it depth and dimension. Beds are important! We all need sleep so a cozy bed to jump into at night is enticing for any potential buyer. Furry pillows and chunky knit blankets work wonders!
- Rugs are essential, even on carpet. Again they must be coordinated and the correct size proportionate to the room or they can distracting instead. But, anything that adds texture or depth to a room will make it feel homey and inviting.
- For bookshelves, turn your books so the spine faces inward. The pages are softer on the eyes, neutral in photos, and less distracting during showings. Also think about balancing the negative and positive space on shelves. They shouldn’t be full nor should they be nearly empty. Add dimension and color with a small basket or artificial plant.
- If you’re living in the home while it’s on the market, keep your everyday essentials (toiletries especially) in a basket under the sink. That way it will be easy to take them out when you need them but put them away for showings. Clean kitchen and bathroom counters is key.
- In general, less is more. Depending on the size of your room and the size of your furniture, leave some empty, open space. Not every wall needs a hutch. Not every corner needs a plant or a chair.
- You should consider getting a storage unit. Remember, filling closets and garages isn’t always the best route even though it may be the most convenient. You want your home to seem like it has an abundance of storage not that you’re bursting at the seams.
