Delightful Harrisburg Residence Staged to Sell
Lenko Design worked with the Seller to stage this delightful Harrisburg, North Carolina residence. The combination of the owner's personal belongings and LD's creativity has resulted in a warm and welcoming atmosphere.
The seller had an abundance of furnishings that needed to be paired down in order to get this home market-ready. We edited much of what they had and displayed only the best decor.
First Impressions
Impress prospective buyers with amazing curb appeal. When it comes to selling a home, you only get one chance to make a lasting first impression.
A manicured lawn, a new doormat, freshly planted flowers, and a Welcome porch sign greet guests as they enter this home.
We created a simple yet welcoming entryway by repositioning a console table, lamp, and a decorative mirror from the dining room next to the front door.
Edit Belongings
The Seller was a young and busy family. They, like many people, had an abundance of furniture and belongings. We went room by room during the Home Staging Consultation and took note of what should stay and what needed to be removed from each room.
The Seller ended our consultation time with a 25+ page Home Staging Report that included everything they needed in order to complete the staging process.
Let’s take a look at some of the transformations.
Living room
Living Room Before
In the Living Room, we maintained the sectional layout for maximum openness. By adding colorful artwork to the mantle we drew attention to the focal point, which in this room is the fireplace. The oversized reclining chair was swapped with a smaller-scaled chair from another room.
HOT TIP: Remove family photos to protect your privacy and allow potential buyers to envision their own family living in the home.
Living Room After Staging
By keeping only pieces that improved upon the rooms and emphasized the focal points, each room had a defined purpose in order to show potential buyers how they could use the space.
Dining Room
Dining Room Before
The area rug was placed under the dining table to help anchor the table in the center of the room. Excess and visually distracting wall decor was removed from the walls.
To create an even more spacious room, the oversized console cabinet was moved into the Living Room. The scale of the cabinet worked better under the wall-mounted TV and was more proportionately scaled for the Living Room.
Dining Room After Staging
Formal Sitting Room
This room is located immediately to the left of the Foyer and was being used as an office/craft room.
When staging a home for sale, it is important to stage a room with its intended purpose so a future buyer can visualize the room as it was designed by the builder.
Formal Sitting Room
Once the majority of the crafting supplies were boxed up and moved out of the room, we could then place the piano and oversized recliner in here.
Kitchens and Bathrooms
The Kitchen is the “Heart of the Home” and should be staged so showcase its features.
Kitchen Before
When living in a home while it is for sale can be challenging. The house needs to look like a model home, yet be lived in!
If possible, pack up any dishware or appliances that don’t need to be readily accessible. Tuck away daily use items as best you can in the cabinets or pantry.
Kitchen After Staging
When staging a Kitchen, it’s important to clear off all of the countertops, but then add in personal touches so it exudes a homey vibe.
For a simple vignette next to the stove, we used a wooden cutting board propped up against the backsplash with an olive oil container in front of it. These little details create memorable moments that catch the viewer’s eye!
Primary Bathroom
Primary Bathroom Before
A crisp clean clutter-free bathroom will speak volumes to potential buyers. They want to see the spaciousness and cleanliness, not any of your personal hygiene products.
In this bathroom, we chose to keep accessories to a minimum. The neutral fixed finishes (white cabinets, white tub, white shower, and beige flooring) allow for some pops of color. We kept the area rug for the colorful visual interest and displayed pink beige towels that picked up the lighter undertones found in the area rug. The warm wood-tone basket on the countertop anchors the pretty marble and gold soap dispenser. The tub features an orchid, a pleasantly scented candle, and textural bathing items.
Primary Bathroom After Staging
Defining The Purpose of the Room
As previously mentioned, when staging a home for sale each room should have a defined purpose so that a buyer can easily distinguish what the intended purpose of the room is and how they might use the space in the same way.
Let’s talk about bedrooms for a minute.
The Primary Bedroom
In this home the furniture placement in the Primary Bedroom was not ideal. The bed was placed between the windows on the shortest wall. Instead, the bed should be placed on the longest wall.
Primary Bedroom Before
Do you now see how rotating the bed opens up the room tremendously and displays better flow and balance throughout?
Primary Bedroom After Staging
This home had a total of five bedrooms plus a huge bonus room they were using as a bedroom/playroom. It’s important to first ensure the Primary Bedroom is staged and then decide the priority level of the ancillary bedrooms.
Guest Bedroom
The Guest Bedroom was full of boxes and random items that needed to be removed from the home and put into a storage unit. The room was a decent size, but too much furniture was making it feel smaller than it really is. The double nightstands were overcrowding the space when entering the room, so we opted to remove one nightstand.
Guest Bedroom Before
Guest Bedroom After Staging
The area rug was oriented incorrectly, so I asked the Seller to rotate the rug so it fit parallel to the bed frame. The Seller had the teal bed linens in a closet that we used on this bed. Simple styling on the nightstand add just the right amount of visual interest.
Guest Bedroom After Staging
Home Office
In a multi-bedroom home, it is ideal to show a home office when possible.
Once you stage the Primary Bedroom and at least one other bedroom is staged as a bedroom, you could consider staging any other ancillary bedrooms as a home office.
Home Office Before
We transformed what was once a little girl’s bedroom into the Home Office. With so many people working from home nowadays, it is always a great idea to show potential buyers where they could put their workspace.
Home Office After Staging
All of the miscellaneous children’s items were removed from the room. The desk from the Formal Sitting Room was moved up to this room. A simple, yet effective layout shows how this space is large enough to be someone’s office.
Creating lifestyle moments throughout the home helps homebuyers envision themselves living in the house. Invoking positive feelings by styling vignettes with accessories, lamps, artwork, and pillows helps to create memorable aspects of the home that will stick with buyers as they view it. Details are what make a house stand out from the rest.
Savvy home sellers realize that creating a “show home” environment will entice buyers. Going the extra mile and paying attention to every single detail will pay off in the end!
Bonus Rooms
If you are fortunate to have bonus rooms in your home, highly consider staging these rooms because they are added selling features and should be showcased.
Laundry Room
As a busy family, this laundry station became a major drop zone. The Seller needed clear direction for what to pack and remove from this space.
Laundry Room Before
After all of the unnecessary items were removed, we styled with fluffy white folded towels, filled jars with laundry items, and styled a metal tray for the countertop.
Laundry Room After Staging
Kids Playroom
There was a lot happening in this room. The Bonus Room was being used as the children’s bedroom and play area.
A good majority of the toys needed to be removed from this space as well as one of the beds. We placed the bed into another bedroom allowing us to create a defined play area.
Kids Playroom Before
The room looks so much more spacious and organized!
Kids Playroom After Staging
Is Home Staging worth it?
Professional home staging can lead to faster sales, higher selling prices, and increased buyer interest.
Staged homes have improved online appeal, evoke emotions, and showcase the property's potential. Although it requires an investment, the benefits outweigh the costs.
Staging emphasizes the property's strengths and can mitigate limitations, with a unified design showcasing unique features and helping buyers envision their life in the home.
This home seller did the hard work needed to sell quickly and for top dollar.
So YES, Home Staging is worth it!
FREE Home Staging Investment Guide
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Tiffani Michalenko
HSR Certified Home Stager & Expert eDesigner
