I have been selling homes as a Realtor in Burlington County for 5 years and have been staging homes for the real estate market for 2 years. I have helped many sellers determine what repairs to make, what needs to be updated, and what it would take to market their homes with staging.
And then it happened... (queue the scary music)
My own home is for sale! I know the stats-- staged homes sell faster and for more money. As part of my marketing plan, I needed to stage the house! So-- would I be able to take what I dished out? Live what I preached? Take my own advice? (Here's where my clients gleefully cheer, "ha-ha, now SHE has to do it!)
OK, first things first. De-cluttering. We all hear the word; we all know we have to do it, but until you're selling your home, you usually aren't forced to do it.
What needed to go?
• The family photos: Packed away! People are distracted by faces and I want them to focus on the house. Also, my goal is to help buyers see themselves living in my house, not me. Family photos may give buyers the sense they are invading on my territory. I did leave out a couple of travel photos-- my theory is that pictures of me in exotic locations may help buyers envision a lifestyle that can be theirs! (Because my life is soooo glamorous... )
• Extra furniture: I determined what I really want to move with me. Did I buy it in the last decade? Have the kids and pets wreaked havoc on it? Do I use it? Is there really room in my new home for it? If not, it was sold in the moving sale or on Craigslist, or donated.
• Anything that doesn't bring on my "happy face": I use this method all the time in de-cluttering. When I consider the item, I take note of what my face does. Do I scrunch up my face and think, "oh yeah, Aunt Mable gave me that." Do I get a worried look and think, "what am I going to do with that?" Or-- do I smile and say, "Oh, I always loved that!" I pay attention to my face and if the item doesn't make me smile, it is outta here! I keep only the things that bring me joy!
Once I determined what I'm keeping, I packed away anything that is not useful or beautiful and left out only my best items for staging. I packed anything smaller than my hand-- it's a much cleaner look to have one beautiful item on display rather than several small ones.
OK, now that's done and I have a lot less I have to deal with! I can tell you it's a really good feeling to unload stuff that's just been taking up space! What wasn't packed or sold, got donated or trashed. It is also much easier to keep everything clean since there's not nearly as much stuff!
Next on the list: Repairs, painting, and updating. Carpets and windows were replaced, bathrooms updated, painting done just about everywhere. A ton of work, really. Still recuperating. And this was all BEFORE the actual staging of the home began!
Am I going to be able to keep this up?
Stay tuned for my next post:
My First Hand Experience with Staging my NJ Home-- Part Two: The Staging
Michele Rose is a Realtor and Professional Home Stager in Burlington County, NJ. She has been assisting both buyers and sellers with their real estate needs for the last 5 years. In 2007, she formed Rose-Colored Staging to help sellers market their homes with professional home staging.
Hi Michele~ I guess the real test is being able to put into practice what we preach, so to speak. It sounds like you have it allunder control so far. Good luck with it and I hope you sell it quickly!
Michele- Don't envy your having to go through the torture of moving. I've done it too much and I think the part I dislike the most is having to keep the house "staged" while it is being shown. Good luck and good post!
Hi Michele, Now you are walking the walk! Great plan you have put together and I so relate to you when you stated "I can tell you it's a really good feeling to unload stuff that's just been taking up space!" It feels great!
I'm someone who actually likes moving, crazy huh?
Vickie: Thanks, it has not been easy, but it is well worth it! We are under contract!
Kathy: Living staged has had some interesting challenges and I'll be writing about those! The house I'm moving to is temporary-- so I better get used to moving!
Cynthia: I think I understand liking to move-- it gives one a chance to reassess your belongings, decorate a new space, and start fresh!
I had the same experience earlier this year. Good for you. It's very freeing, isn't it?
(My blog post http://activerain.com/blogsview/899797/i-hate-to-see-it-go-but-glad-the-work-is-mostly-done-
Michele ~ I like your "happy face" criteria when deciding what to do with various items when you're getting ready to move! Looking forward to seeing some Before & After photos from your adventure ... hope you'll share with us!
Great post Michelle. So, do you walk around with a hand mirror to check out your facial expression?
Just kidding:you can feel your facial muscles change right?
wonderful to be under contract. I look forward to seeing what you have done to the house
Show us the before and after
Beth: It really IS very freeing! It's also surprising how much we can get rid of and still be VERY comfortable!
Maureen and Virginia: Thanks! I have failed terribly in the "before pictures" department! It's so hard when the changes have been gradual and you're living it! I'll try to get some together for the next post!
Sharon: You can't tell when you're smiling? LOL! Sure you can! :-)))
I came back to read this post after starting with part 3. I love your description of the happy face test for decluttering. I hope you don't mind--I'd like to use that in the future. What a great way to help determine what items matter in your life!