Heart and Soul Designs - Changing your Home into a House

Spring is in the air... is it time to move? If moving is on your to do list, you may want to have your home Staged to help sell it faster, and easier. This is a relatively new process, which began in California a few years ago. As the name suggests, you stage your home so that potential buyers can see your house as a product, rather than your collection of family photos, memorabilia and personal decorating style.

By having an impartial pair of eyes present your house as a product, the moving process can be much less stressful. Statistics show that potential buyers spend less than 10 minutes taking the tour, so the impact of your house is immediate, and you only get one brief chance for a great first impression. More importantly, you will receive the equity you deserve from your house, and your house will sell faster. Part of the theory is that you have to pack your personal items anyways, so why not start early.

If your house is bursting at the seams with excess furnishings, out of season clothes, along with tons of family pictures, now is the time to get them packed and into a storage unit rather than storing them in the garage or basement. Why? You dont want these spaces to seem smaller than they really are either.

Another easy tip is to keep your lights on, even when youre not there. It will automatically brighten up the rooms when your house is being shown. The obvious still needs to be done, which would be the minor repairs along with being clean and tidy. Try to have some greenery (silks are great for this) in the common areas, such as the living room or kitchen. This adds some life to the house, but not a personal statement. Add to this some live cut flowers (white is best) tulips or roses if in season and add these to the bathroom or bedroom. Again, it adds life to the rooms, without being too personal.

If you are really ready to sell, consider having this done professionally, before you even call a real estate agent. This way you maintain control of how, when you get the work done and on your schedule. The obvious question is also the cost of having a professional coming in to do this. The answer? Much less than the 1st price reduction, not to mention much less stressful than living in a house that has to be maintained as a showcase.

Remember that Home Staging is not the same as Interior Decorating, they do however compliment each other.