Simple Staging to Sell Your Home

One of the best pieces of advice I’ve been given about staging is that if you’re on a budget polish the home, but skip the furniture. Sure if you have a spare console table or bar stools you can throw those in, but better to do so with nice things rather than use a rough sofa you’ve left in the basement a bit too long.

If you need to recreate a space to really show where things like seating can go, use a rug! It will define the space and give the buyers a visual of how their own sofa could work in that spot.

Really the goal of staging is to make the home more inviting. You want it to feel stylish but fairly neutral, making it easier for the buyers to imagine themselves in the home. You don’t want the home to feel completely empty, but it doesn’t need to be fully furnished either.

One of the great things about staging a vacant house is the lack of clutter, especially in the kitchen.

The Kitchen

In the kitchen a buyer wants to see counter space, so the trick is to style but not overcrowd. Create stations with things like a coffee tray or baking area. Making these little moments will ensure a clean and visually appealing space.

Things to style the kitchen:

• Two wood cutting boards leaning against the backsplash
• Simple black and white matching soap and lotion bottles
• Soft, simple towels
• A few beautiful cookbooks with one displaying a recipe
• Pretty white or gray utensil jar near the oven with wooden spoons and spatulas
• A few glass lidded jars of various sized filled with grains, pasta, and rice
• Simple ceramic or glass vase with fresh flowers (or a really good fake)
• Curated coffee station on a tray

Stick to Neutrals

If you have very specific design tastes, your style could be a turnoff to buyers. Home staging companies are intentional about choosing furniture and decor that appeals to a wide range of people.

When styling a home, I like to stick to inviting, neutral colors and make it interesting with a balance of cool and warmth, spicing it up with textures.

I like to go with white for most items like pots, plates, towels, etc. Adding colors with woods, metals, baskets, cork, and of course a few plants!

The Bathroom

To ensure a fresh and chic look, it’s best to keep it simple. You really only need a few things to make the bathroom more appealing. You can arrange a beautiful vanity tray with some flowers, perfume vials, fragrant soaps, and bath salts. Add soft, fluffy towels on the holder, stacked or rolled by the sink – stick with white, it feels cleaner.

Here are a few items to consider styling in your bathroom:

• New fluffy, white towels
• A simple brown or clear glass soap and lotion set
• A set of 3 chic skincare items
• A small basket to hold the extra towels or skincare items
• A beautiful and simple (I cannot stress this enough!) tray to hold a collection of things

Oh and don’t forget a roll of toilet paper, someone may need to use the restroom!

As for the other spaces, it’s important to address the dead zones. No space or nook should give the buyer pause. You need to style these rooms to give the buyer an idea of what it could be. Perhaps an office space? A little bar? Kid’s corner? When in doubt, give the space a purpose.

Still unsure of the benefits of staging? Check out more about it here.

*Main image credited to @studiomcgee

Brooke Rothchild

With my love of all things design and food, it was only natural for me to start a blog. I want to share with others my adventures as I travel, eat, read, photograph, and discover my way through Sacramento. As a Realtor, it’s important to me to know what’s happening in my community. And why not share that with you?

brothchild.golyon.com/