Staging Your Home to Sell
Use these tips to beat the market and make your home the most desirable one on the block.
Stephanie Paterik
Phoenix Magazine
May, 2008, p. 82-87
Patricia Craze is an eagle-eyed editor, but she doesn’t deal with words. She steps into strangers’
homes and, with a kind but unflinching demeanor, “edits out” the tired furniture, abstract art,
dated Precious Moments collections and unsightly dust bunnies.
She is a home stager with PMC Interiors, swooping in to streamline houses before sellers put
them on the market in hopes of gaining a clear advantage over the rest of the real estate on the
block. And today, there’s a lot of real estate on the block, which means those Precious Moments
figurines really have to go.
Craze says business is good for Phoenix home stagers, as more people try to sell their houses
and seek out their advice. Three years ago, when homes were changing hands in a matter of
days, if not hours, no one bothered to redecorate first.
Times have changed, but don’t fret. Snag some free advice from the Valley’s leading stagers, who
offer tricks of the trade for anyone selling a house, or for those just longing to live in a model
home.
First Impressions
It turns out your mother was right about first impressions. You don’t get a second chance to
make one, particularly in the snap-judgment land of home buying. When someone pulls up to
your house, they decide in seconds if they love it or hate it.
“It takes 15 seconds for prospective buyers to form an opinion as they approach your house, so
the first thing I focus on is curb appeal,” Craze says.
Rule No. 1: Don’t park cars in the driveway. The last thing you want to do is block the view of
your (soon to be) lovely home.
Patsi Jones, a home stager with Phoenix Home Enhancement, says you have even less time.
“People decide in the first five seconds if they like it,” she says. “You want color, something
attractive out there, like an Italian cypress tree with potted flowers.”
Make sure there is something in your yard that compels passersby to say, “How charming.”
Maybe it’s a small bistro table and chairs at the entryway, a fountain or spring flowers – anything
that adds an air of domestic bliss.
And while it may be the last thing people look at, the backyard is no less important. Keeping the
yard maintained is a no-brainer. Take the extra step of resurfacing an old swimming pool (Pebble
Tec is nice, but only when it looks new) and installing a child-safe fence.
The Grand Entry
A potential buyer will have several important moments in your home, and they can happen rapidly
and seemingly without fanfare. Anticipate the big moment when people open your door and peer
inside for the first time. What do they see?
“When I go inside, the first thing I want to see is a ‘wow factor,’” Jones says. “Every home has a
focal point. You need something that says ‘keep coming,’ as opposed to a living room with a pool
table right there.”
The goal is a room that is airy, has broad appeal and is not cluttered. It’s also important to make
an emotional connection with buyers, and Craze does this by playing up a home’s inherent style.
With very elegant properties, she emphasizes the grandeur. In the case of a simple cottage
home, she aims for charm.
“We want to pull out those emotions,” she says. “We also don’t want it to be so distinctive of a
style that it turns people off…. People in general want things to feel light and open and
welcoming.”
Craze persuades clients to temporarily part with niche decorating styles, such as ultra modern
abstract art, or country-themed dried flowers in baskets. You want as many people as possible to
picture themselves – and their furnishings – in your home, so your style, while perfect for you,
could detract the masses, she says.
Clutter is another mental block for buyers. It’s important to note that people buy houses much
differently than they live in them. In other words, a buyer may have a china cabinet full of knick-
knacks, a desk full of photos and a corner full of clutter in his own home, but he doesn’t expect
to see it at your home. Craze instructs clients to box up items they don’t absolutely need,
especially collections, which tend to distract curious buyers.
Dress It Up
Jones suggests this rule of thumb: “If you don’t see it in a model home, let’s not see it in your
house.” That means hiding toiletries, photographs, dishrags, garbage cans, newspapers,
refrigerator magnets and other items that make your home personal. If that seems too strict,
then designate a special place for picture frames, like the nightstand, and try storing items like
toothbrushes in cool leather containers with lids. Essentially, become a master of disguise.
Furniture can qualify as clutter, too, so “edit” unnecessary pieces. Or, rent nice pieces from a
home stager for a monthly fee to create the look you want. Arrange it so there is a clear traffic
pattern, making it easy to walk from one room to the next.
Stick with neutral palettes, painting walls white or warm beige, highlighting baseboards and
molding with a slightly darker color than your base. Your ceiling should be the lightest shade,
creating an illusion of height. Infuse your décor with a bold accent color, using it to draw a buyer’
s eye from one area of the home to another. Red is the popular choice with home stagers.
Then go to town highlighting the home’s selling points: Place red candles on the fireplace mantle
or bay windowsill, a clean red dish towel by the stainless steel appliances, a red container with
green apples on top of a granite island. (Complementary colors attract attention, too, Craze
says).
“It’s almost like putting up a sign that says, ‘Look here, here and here,’” she says.
Update that Kitchen
Good luck selling a home these days without updating your kitchen and bathrooms. These
remodels can be budget busters, but Craze says minor upgrades should pay for themselves
when the house sells (she defines minor as $10,000 to $15,000 for a kitchen and $5,000 to
$10,000 for a master bathroom). Change countertops and fixtures first, and if you have money
and patience to spare, splurge for new tile and cabinetry.
For kitchens, mahogany, deep cherry and classic white are colors that stand the test of time.
Natural maple and bamboo are becoming more popular, too, as people look for more
environmentally friendly options. One piece of advice: If your flooring is a dark wood, don’t pick
the same color for your cabinetry.
Send in the Pros
If doing it yourself doesn’t work, it might be time to call in the professionals. Fees vary, but
expect to pay about $150 for a 90-minute consultation. Beyond that, stagers will do everything
for you, from hiring movers to rearrange furniture to bringing in sofas, accessories and artwork
from their vast troves (i.e., storage units and other houses) to spruce up your place. Many of
them even offer “staging for living” services for people who don’t plan to move but want to
redecorate.
The biggest obstacle can be change. Oftentimes, people have a hard time accepting it. One couple
Craze worked with had bolted “a little too much” contemporary canvas art on their walls and
couldn’t bring themselves to take it down. Another client had just invested in slightly scary
security bars.
Undeterred, Craze says, “Well, let’s put a nice wreath on that barred entry gate.”
Stephanie Paterik can be reached at spaterik@citieswestpub.com
Use these tips to beat the market and make your home the most desirable one on the block.
Stephanie Paterik
Phoenix Magazine
May, 2008, p. 82-87
Patricia Craze is an eagle-eyed editor, but she doesn’t deal with words. She steps into strangers’
homes and, with a kind but unflinching demeanor, “edits out” the tired furniture, abstract art,
dated Precious Moments collections and unsightly dust bunnies.
She is a home stager with PMC Interiors, swooping in to streamline houses before sellers put
them on the market in hopes of gaining a clear advantage over the rest of the real estate on the
block. And today, there’s a lot of real estate on the block, which means those Precious Moments
figurines really have to go.
Craze says business is good for Phoenix home stagers, as more people try to sell their houses
and seek out their advice. Three years ago, when homes were changing hands in a matter of
days, if not hours, no one bothered to redecorate first.
Times have changed, but don’t fret. Snag some free advice from the Valley’s leading stagers, who
offer tricks of the trade for anyone selling a house, or for those just longing to live in a model
home.
First Impressions
It turns out your mother was right about first impressions. You don’t get a second chance to
make one, particularly in the snap-judgment land of home buying. When someone pulls up to
your house, they decide in seconds if they love it or hate it.
“It takes 15 seconds for prospective buyers to form an opinion as they approach your house, so
the first thing I focus on is curb appeal,” Craze says.
Rule No. 1: Don’t park cars in the driveway. The last thing you want to do is block the view of
your (soon to be) lovely home.
Patsi Jones, a home stager with Phoenix Home Enhancement, says you have even less time.
“People decide in the first five seconds if they like it,” she says. “You want color, something
attractive out there, like an Italian cypress tree with potted flowers.”
Make sure there is something in your yard that compels passersby to say, “How charming.”
Maybe it’s a small bistro table and chairs at the entryway, a fountain or spring flowers – anything
that adds an air of domestic bliss.
And while it may be the last thing people look at, the backyard is no less important. Keeping the
yard maintained is a no-brainer. Take the extra step of resurfacing an old swimming pool (Pebble
Tec is nice, but only when it looks new) and installing a child-safe fence.
The Grand Entry
A potential buyer will have several important moments in your home, and they can happen rapidly
and seemingly without fanfare. Anticipate the big moment when people open your door and peer
inside for the first time. What do they see?
“When I go inside, the first thing I want to see is a ‘wow factor,’” Jones says. “Every home has a
focal point. You need something that says ‘keep coming,’ as opposed to a living room with a pool
table right there.”
The goal is a room that is airy, has broad appeal and is not cluttered. It’s also important to make
an emotional connection with buyers, and Craze does this by playing up a home’s inherent style.
With very elegant properties, she emphasizes the grandeur. In the case of a simple cottage
home, she aims for charm.
“We want to pull out those emotions,” she says. “We also don’t want it to be so distinctive of a
style that it turns people off…. People in general want things to feel light and open and
welcoming.”
Craze persuades clients to temporarily part with niche decorating styles, such as ultra modern
abstract art, or country-themed dried flowers in baskets. You want as many people as possible to
picture themselves – and their furnishings – in your home, so your style, while perfect for you,
could detract the masses, she says.
Clutter is another mental block for buyers. It’s important to note that people buy houses much
differently than they live in them. In other words, a buyer may have a china cabinet full of knick-
knacks, a desk full of photos and a corner full of clutter in his own home, but he doesn’t expect
to see it at your home. Craze instructs clients to box up items they don’t absolutely need,
especially collections, which tend to distract curious buyers.
Dress It Up
Jones suggests this rule of thumb: “If you don’t see it in a model home, let’s not see it in your
house.” That means hiding toiletries, photographs, dishrags, garbage cans, newspapers,
refrigerator magnets and other items that make your home personal. If that seems too strict,
then designate a special place for picture frames, like the nightstand, and try storing items like
toothbrushes in cool leather containers with lids. Essentially, become a master of disguise.
Furniture can qualify as clutter, too, so “edit” unnecessary pieces. Or, rent nice pieces from a
home stager for a monthly fee to create the look you want. Arrange it so there is a clear traffic
pattern, making it easy to walk from one room to the next.
Stick with neutral palettes, painting walls white or warm beige, highlighting baseboards and
molding with a slightly darker color than your base. Your ceiling should be the lightest shade,
creating an illusion of height. Infuse your décor with a bold accent color, using it to draw a buyer’
s eye from one area of the home to another. Red is the popular choice with home stagers.
Then go to town highlighting the home’s selling points: Place red candles on the fireplace mantle
or bay windowsill, a clean red dish towel by the stainless steel appliances, a red container with
green apples on top of a granite island. (Complementary colors attract attention, too, Craze
says).
“It’s almost like putting up a sign that says, ‘Look here, here and here,’” she says.
Update that Kitchen
Good luck selling a home these days without updating your kitchen and bathrooms. These
remodels can be budget busters, but Craze says minor upgrades should pay for themselves
when the house sells (she defines minor as $10,000 to $15,000 for a kitchen and $5,000 to
$10,000 for a master bathroom). Change countertops and fixtures first, and if you have money
and patience to spare, splurge for new tile and cabinetry.
For kitchens, mahogany, deep cherry and classic white are colors that stand the test of time.
Natural maple and bamboo are becoming more popular, too, as people look for more
environmentally friendly options. One piece of advice: If your flooring is a dark wood, don’t pick
the same color for your cabinetry.
Send in the Pros
If doing it yourself doesn’t work, it might be time to call in the professionals. Fees vary, but
expect to pay about $150 for a 90-minute consultation. Beyond that, stagers will do everything
for you, from hiring movers to rearrange furniture to bringing in sofas, accessories and artwork
from their vast troves (i.e., storage units and other houses) to spruce up your place. Many of
them even offer “staging for living” services for people who don’t plan to move but want to
redecorate.
The biggest obstacle can be change. Oftentimes, people have a hard time accepting it. One couple
Craze worked with had bolted “a little too much” contemporary canvas art on their walls and
couldn’t bring themselves to take it down. Another client had just invested in slightly scary
security bars.
Undeterred, Craze says, “Well, let’s put a nice wreath on that barred entry gate.”
Stephanie Paterik can be reached at spaterik@citieswestpub.com
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Copyright 2008, PMC Interiors