Creating Empty Space When Selling

When it comes to staging a home, new furniture, cleaning and organizing seem to be the hot topics. There is however, an important dynamic in staging that is not often addressed which is what I call "empty space". This tends to come into play more so for homeowners living in their home while selling.

Empty space is important because it offers the perception of having an abundance of space(square footage). The buyer gets the impression that there is more than enough livable space. The balancing act comes into play through strategic staging tactics that still demonstrate how the home is used without "over-decorating" the space.

Here are some helpful tips for opening up the space without losing ambiance.

Move furniture away from the wall. Like this...

via The Evergirl, see the house tour here.

I call it "furniture arrest", where all of the furniture is up against the wall. Moving furniture away from the wall and placing a sofa table behind, or perhaps nothing, just gives the room an airy feeling. 

There are very few cases where a chair should be square up against a wall.

Remove layered drapes and hang them high.

Window treatments warrant their own post for later, however for creating space, removing heavy swags and layered panels is a good start. This will open up the space, let the light in and make the room feel bigger. Solid colored panels are always a good bet. Drapes should be hung high, not at window height.

Clear the countertops.

Clearing the countertops can help open up the kitchen space however, creating purposeful decor is important. Too much empty space can call attention to any defects and also lose the emotional impact needed to connect with buyers.

Use white hotel bedding.

via Williams Sonoma Home

Hotel striped bedding is a great way to calm the visual space in the bedroom and create the perception of more room. Live plants in the room are also great. 

IKEA has fiddle leaf fig trees for $12.99 right now! Such a great deal.

Keep surfaces clear of clutter.

Via Wisteria

Dressers, tables and shelving should stay clear of personal belongings. Candles should be new and flowers should be real or look real. (no dried flowers) Accessories can be grouped into 3's (like above) to make a visual impact. Spreading things out makes the space look more cluttered.

Try some of these tricks at home and see what you think! 

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Before & After: Home Staging in CT

We recently staged a home in Connecticut that I must share. In 10 years of staging, this house is definitely in my top 5 favorite houses that I've seen. It was built in 1919 and has more character in the front door than most houses have in their whole footprint. So, when we got the opportunity to visit the home back in Jan., make renovation recommendations and then stage the home for sale, I was so excited. This is a bank owned home and currently on the market. I would buy this house in a New York minute if it were in my neck of the woods. Here's the story...

Before: The house is no doubt fabulous from the outside however, especially in the winter, it's important to create some color contrast and open the shades for a welcoming effect.

AFTER; The house was painted and the front door painted deep red.

Before: The entry was dark but the dark brown contrast on the trim was great, so we kept that and had the walls painted a gray color instead of brown. 

After: 

Can we discuss this original dutch door!! 

What a major feature to highlight in the real estate photos!

(I can't even deal!)

Before: This yellow wall color is dated and the furniture is not good.

After: Simple staging and neutral wall color,

Before: Dated bedroom. And also, notice the wall color stops at the top of the window line. 

When you have a ceiling pitch like this, paint it all the way up to the ceiling.

After: The gray color, painted to the top of the pitch, makes the ceiling look higher and the room look bigger. 

Before: The kitchen caused some debate between myself and the (bank hired)contractor. 

I thought the "before" was workable. As a professional stager, my recommendation is based on a "spend the least amount of money to get the greatest return" mentality .  It's all in the merchandising.

My recommendation: Save those white quartz counters. Keep the brass knobs because brass is back.  Switch out the stove and oven.

Change the lighting to something like this with some aged brass elements:

I thought the bookcase and the slate floors were fine..

Could be staged like this with a round zinc or gate leg table, accessorized with cloches and orchid:

via Pinterest

However, I was over ruled and they decided to do an entire reno.

AFTER

I would be curious to know if the house would have sold without renovating the kitchen but, we'll never really know. Maybe when the house sells, the new homeowner will share what they loved about the house and we can get some insight on the features they love most.

So anyway, the master bathroom needed to be reconfigured for a double sink.
BEFORE

AFTER:

The original faucets were saved!! YES!

The other bathroom AFTER:

The walls were painted gray and the original lighting was saved.

This house is so fabulous.

More photos

The house is listed for sale by New England Realty Associates in CT

Here is the old listing

Perking up the old shed.

Selling your home can be a tedious process with a list of action items that seems never ending. Somewhere at the bottom of the "to-do" list, between cleaning the garage and listing items on Craig's List, you might just find your lonely little garden shed waiting for a perk me up.

Here are some inspirational photos for adding quick charm to your shed. Give yourself a Saturday, a can of paint, and a few creative tactics and voila! You can perk up your whole back yard.

Outdoor plantings can make a big impact!

Organize the interior.

Paint the door a bright color

Bring in a little home

 A little drama. 

Boxwoods go a LONG way! 

When in doubt, plant a boxwood in a great container.