If I’ve read one asinine real estate blog post on staging, I’ve read a thousand. The topic seems to be a fave of bloggers, probably because it requires almost no research. It’s a matter of common sense, really: declutter your situation. Clean your $@!%. Go back and clean it some more. Take down all your personal items, because you are selling a home, not yourself. Go clean some more.
I’ll say something about all the stupid staging blogs – the advice is sound. Staged homes sell quicker and for more money. The psychology behind staging is sound – make a home as clean and neutral as possible, and would-be buyers will more easily envision themselves living there.
What happens, though, when sellers give not a rip for effective selling strategy? What happens when a home is a mess, bedecked with religious or political paraphernalia, or copious amounts of family photos? I’ll tell you what: we get the hot messes that I’m showing you today in W.T.Philly. Next time you are selling a home and wondering if it’s worthwhile to slap some beige paint on the walls and get down with the Clorox, keep these “winning” pics in mind.
*Addresses have been redacted to protect the innocent guilty.
**Quotes on staging were found here.
Dude(ette), let’s talk about your kitchen. Ain’t nobody going to admire a room that looks like your pantry exploded and your countertop became a makeshift refugee camp.
I shouldn’t mock this one overmuch, because there are definitely three accessories present in this tragic little sideways washroom. Too bad that the trio were all found in the cleaning and toiletries section. Some things should stay in the medicine cabinet and/or linen closet.
If your home’s strengths include a rusty old enclosure and a trash can, I weep at the thought of what one will find inside. Who took this picture and thought it would be beneficial to selling a house?
I certainly mean no offense, but this picture has red flags all over it – and they all take the form of serene portraits of the Lord. Anything that gives away your political or religious affiliation should be banished from your home before the first showing, so that you don’t risk alienating potential buyers. Think of home-selling as a polite dialogue with a stranger, and try to avoid the same topics that are conversational landmines.
Dim lighting is one of the hardest (anti-)staging mistakes to swallow, because the solution is such an easy fix. Throw open the shades and/or use a lamp! Very few people are looking for a cave, especially not at Philadelphia prices. Let there be light!