|
|||||||||||||
Printer-Friendly
Email this Story
Post a Comment (0)
Tips from a home stager
A home must undergo preparations before it is put on the market. Personal items should be taken down and a thorough cleanup should be done. This can be difficult for homeowners who have put a lot of heart into the decor of their home. The details of the overhaul also can be hard for many real estate agents to envision.That’s where Lisa Falconer comes in.
Falconer, a home decorator and stager who works throughout Northern Virginia, started redesigning homes 12 years ago. Since then, her business, Inspirational Design by Lisa, has taken off. As a home stager, Falconer assesses a home's furnishings before she rearranges the rooms for the best possible presentation and use of space.
Some items never make Falconer's cut: Anything personal, including family photos, religious memorabilia and personalized magnets, are packed away. Falconer said buyers don’t want to go into a home and see other people’s faces when they are trying to envision the home to be their own, she said.
“It’s just temporary,” Falconer said she tells homeowners who are upset with the process. “You live one way and you sell your home another way.”
Falconer got her start watching her mother – a Realtor and home decorator – redesign other people’s homes. Falconer never took classes for home design, but became knowledgeable by sifting through piles of magazines her mother collected for ideas. Falconer explained that design and staging don’t come easily to many people because “it’s something you’re born with.”
A lot of things Falconer points out to homeowners may seem like common sense. For example, if carpets smell of pet or smoke, Falconer suggests carpet cleaner. But, she said, some homeowners aren't as cognizant about what potential buyers notice.
Clutter – by far -- is the biggest distraction for the buyer, because it makes a room appear smaller. A lot of clutter on the countertops in the kitchen is a huge mistake because “the kitchen sells the home,” she said. A few suggestions include placing the portable appliances in a cabinet, hiding pet food dishes, removing photos from the refrigerator and even washing and putting away dishes in the sink.
Too much furniture crowded into one room also hinders the potential buyer’s ability to see the home’s square footage, which according to Falconer, is what the buyer is essentially looking for.
If you have a small room, don’t be afraid to push furniture against the walls, but if you have a large room, she said, use the furniture to your advantage by creating clusters of space for different purposes. For example, a large basement can be divided into a game area and a television area based on the size of the room. Don’t spread furniture so far apart that you inhibit conversation, she said.
Before starting on the interior, focus on the outside. Curb appeal is the most important thing a homeowner should focus on, she said.
“Within the first two minutes, [the buyer] will know if they want to go in or not,” she said, adding that in a tough market buyers are looking to move in without having to make changes or repairs. A few of Falconer's suggestions include trimming trees back, applying fresh mulch or fresh paint, or even resurfacing the driveway.
Before beginning any project, Falconer asks the homeowner’s budget. She often suggests updating decades-old furniture or repainting old siding. She realizes some homeowners can’t afford such improvements, but she suggests them anyway.
If other homes in your neighborhood also are for sale, “your home has to look better,” she said.
For more information, contact Falconer at 703-307-5796 or lapieretti@yahoo.com, or visit her Web site inspirationaldesignbylisa.com.
Contact the writer at hhager@timespapers.com.
You must be logged in to post a comment.