Proper staging is essential to generating buyer interest when selling your home.   Therefore, Jigsaw reached out to local real estate expert John Corrales to inquire about how the professional staging trend has affected his marketplace.  “This period in the real estate luxury space is one of the most interesting markets, because the final sale price of homes has such a wide range.  Making the investment in high-end staging is vital, because we are seeing the emotional aspect for buyers translate to $100,000 or more for our sellers in many purchases,” states Corrales, realtor for Forbes Corrales in Manhattan Beach, California.  http://www.forbescorrales.com In this blog, the Jigsaw Designers will show you how to increase the selling price of your home through simple staging tips. 

Step one is obvious and that is to declutter your space.  Let’s be clear, this doesn’t mean just putting the stack of mail out of plain site, this is full court press…organizing under your cabinets, replacing 10 framed photos with a small grouping of images, and please no family photos.  This allows the potential buyer the ability to visualize themselves actually living in the space.  Meanwhile, hide the toaster, the ironing board, the kids finger paintings, and yes, do this in every room.  The key is to let each space express its individual function and be clearly defined. 

Another major component to selling a home is storage.  Decluttering your closets, especially in the master bedroom and kitchen are of the utmost importance. 

Before/After

Next, is maximizing space.  One easy way to show off or give the illusion of a larger space is to float furniture away from walls. Grouping furniture into conversation groups and creating an easy flow for traffic shows off how the room can easily function.  Some fun grouping ideas could be to create a space for drawing, wine tasting or playing a musical instrument.  In the following image a Jigsaw designer simply added a bar cart for a cocktail area to create the illusion of more designated space when staging this small condo. 

Meanwhile, lighting is another key component to staging your home to sell.  When placed properly, lighting can create a warm and inviting environment for your potential buyers.  Make easy updates by hanging pendant lamps or placing appropriate watt lamps on tables or in corners to enhance the mood for your shoppers.  Pairing table lamps on both sides of your bed in the master suite brings balance to this {often shared} space. 

Threes please…this tried and true design rule of placing accessories in groups of three are pleasing to the eye.  Dotting a table with three candelabras or vases make for a clean modern aesthetic, or placing different items in a triangle shape with the larger items in the back will make a balanced ensemble appealing to buyers.  Be mindful to vary the height and style of your items to keep the look more personal versus looking like a showroom floor.

Finally, kitchen and bath are always a top priority for buyers.  If budget allows, updating the drawer pulls and cabinet doors will increase the appeal of your home.  Other simple fixes like painting dated cabinets or tile in crisp white will leave a clean palette for the new buyer to visualize their ideas for the space.  Minimize visible tools like espresso machines and mixers in the kitchen, and add special spa-like touches to the bath with candles, cloth hand-towels and updated accessories.  And of course, clean out and declutter your bathroom cabinets.  Buyers like to see what they are buying so they will inevitably take a sneak pique. 

For more questions and tips about staging your home to sell, please leave a comment below or reach a Jigsaw designer on the Jigsaw website.  www.jigsawdesigngroup.com.  We love hearing from you.  Check us out on Facebook, Pinterest and Google+ for more fun ideas!  Oh, and don’t forget to subscribe to the blog for weekly blogposts.