“People shop with logic but buy on emotion,” says internationally recognized home staging expert Debra Gould, president of Six Elements Inc. Known as The Staging Diva™, Gould decorates her clients homes to sell for top dollar. Most earn a $20,000 to $70,000 profit on her real estate staging services.
Debra Gould offers these house staging tips for home sellers:
1. Use higher-wattage bulbs. Bright rooms appear larger and more inviting.
2. Avoid furniture close to doorways, which makes rooms feel cramped.
3. Decorate for the target market. If you have three bedrooms and no kids, create a child’s room when it’s time to sell.
4. Spruce up kitchens and bathrooms with new cabinet hardware and paint. You can even paint laminate counter tops using melamine paint!
5. Buy fabulous bedding, shower curtains and towels. They’ll enhance the perceived value of your home and you can enjoy them once you move.
6. Show ample space in rooms and closets. Excess furniture, sports equipment, toys, clothing and clutter should be donated, discarded or stored off the premises before you list.
7. Use fresh flowers in key rooms and planted urns beside the front door.
8. Remove all photos, diplomas and religious items. They remind buyers it’s your home not theirs.
Debra Gould offers more home staging tips and hundreds of before and after photos of homes she has decorated to sell for top dollar. To find a home stager in your area, check out The Staging Diva Directory of Home Stagers.
©2006, Six Elements Inc.
™ Staging Diva is a trademark of Six Elements Inc.
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