RISMEDIA, Sept. 26, 2007-Think of the first thing you saw this morning as you looked into the bathroom mirror. Now, think of yourself at an important event – your prom, your wedding or a job interview. What kind of behind the scenes work went into getting ready for that event? That process is-in effect-staging. You were putting your best foot forward and staging yourself for the coming event.
Well, that’s exactly what home staging is, staging your home for the big event-the sales process. Staging a home is all about taking the “lived in” home and turning it into the “marketable home.” And that puts the focus directly on beautifying what the eye can see, which in turn, appeals the buyer’s emotions and fantasies. Proper staging is designed to lead the prospective buyers to envision themselves living in the home by assisting them in picturing their own furniture and belongings in the home.
Real estate agents that are now helping their clients to stage their home are using a number of techniques like the use of strategically placed decorative settings of furniture and accessories called vignettes that are used to appeal to the romantic in all of us. But they are just one part of the staging process, a process designed to facilitate a smooth moving tour of the house without distractions. When done properly the result is a tranquil picture that was painted and decorated with appealing colors and an irresistible ambiance.
However, while many real estate agents are beginning to take an active part in home staging they need to remember that the prospective buyers are primarily interested in seeing the “bricks and mortar.” The home décor, albeit important, should therefore be minimal, functional, inviting and as stylish as possible. One of the key elements in achieving an ambience conducive to a smooth and flowing tour is color.
Real estate agents need to understand the psychological effects of the powerful emotional effect that color has on people. It can evoke moods and even physical sensations and therefore it needs to be a key element in considering which paint, fabric and accessory selections to make. For example on a very basic level, the experts tell us that blue houses take forever to sell, gray interiors make a home look somber and white houses sell the quickest of all. Home staging is of course more complicated than the simplicity of just a few colors, but it is a skill that almost every agent can master in about a day.
People spend a lot of time making their homes look cozy and comfortable by surrounding themselves with cherished possessions, lovingly accumulated collections and creature comforts. Decorating a home to live in, versus staging for a sale, requires two completely different interpretations. Agents schooled in home staging have learned the subtle way of accomplishing the job done by getting the homeowners to stand back and utter those famous words … mirror mirror on the wall.
The Accredited Home-Staging Specialist (AHS designation) course delves into this concept in detail, along with a thorough review of all the other critical elements involved in staging homes. It is simply the fastest and most cost effective way to obtain a very comprehensive understanding of home staging.
For more information, visit www.StagingSpecialist.com. This course has been certified and approved by RealtyU, one of the largest career development companies in the real estate industry.
