5 Ways to Turn Any House into a Show Home We've all been in or seen photos of show homes. The majority of people will say they are gorgeous and wish that their home "could look like that". Expensive draperies and furniture aside, any home can look  like a show home and impress visitors and potential buyers. One word: staging. That show home looks roomy, open, clean, and gorgeous because time and effort have been taken to make it appear that way. Staging doesn't have to be complicated or difficult. Here are five ways to stage any home for very little cost: 1. Do a Mini Make-Over Take a walk through the house and make note of any repairs or minor adjustments that could be made. Is there paint that needs refreshing? What about leaky faucets? Feel a draft from any of the windows? They may seem small, but a quick coat of paint in the kitchen could mean the difference between sold and still-on-the-market. Buyers are always looking for homes that appear to be structurally sound and also attractive to the eye. Keeping paint shades neutral also opens up the space and makes the house look larger. Remember that show home? Likely the colours were neutral in tone, allowing the viewers to imagine their own possessions in the space. 2. Keep it Clean Probably the number one reason people love show homes is that they are immaculately clean. Not only clean, but free from clutter. The aesthetic sides of our nature love clean lines and clean houses. The human side of our nature loves to keep and store things, which means clutter! When attempting to sell a house to a buyer, it is their aesthetic side that you want to appeal to, so encourage your buyers to thoroughly wash every inch of their house (even the blades of the overhead fan), put their family pictures away (depersonalizing helps potential buyers envision themselves in the house rather than the current owner), and store away all of the toys, knick-knacks, extra pillows, etc. Have them envision a show home in the process. Maybe even give them a picture and tell them that is the goal for how their house should look. 3. See the Light! Humans are attracted to light, especially sunlight. Show homes do a great job of bringing in natural light or creating light in corners where there isn't any. Opening the curtains and turning on the overhead lights or lamps can turn a room into a cold and shadowy place to one that is warm, inviting, and cozy. Even if the room has a lot of natural light, a lamp creates an inviting "come sit under me" feel that buyers will respond to when they see it. As a real estate professional, you may want to invest in a few generic lamps that can be used during your photo sessions or open houses. 4. Go With the Flow To make the home seem larger, consider the 'flow' between rooms and within the rooms themselves. You should be able to move in a circle within each room if the furniture is positioned correctly. These circles increase movement throughout the room, something that show homes do exceedingly well. As well, remove any furniture that prevents you from easily moving between rooms. Think of yourself as a small car. Could you move between the rooms or would you hit furniture? An 'open flow' within a room and between rooms will not only encourage potential buyers to take a look throughout the house, but also provide the feeling that the home is functional and will work with any furniture or possessions they may have. Open and easy flows also help make the house seem larger. 5. Return to Square One This may seem counter-productive, but those show homes do just that: they show the house in its basic form. A show home is nothing but walls, floors, windows, siding, etc. with furniture added to give an idea of where to put the furniture. That show home clearly shows the foundational aspects that you would be getting if you were to purchase it. The same should apply to your staged home for sale. You should be able to see baseboards, walls, nooks, closet carpeting. This ties in directly with the decluttering. Square one doesn't have the excess that a life brings, which is exactly what you want to show your buyers. They can have their blank slate to then build their own life in that house, make their own memories. Returning rooms to square one also means that each room should only contain the items necessary for its intended purpose. The kitchen should contain the items necessary for preparing and consuming food. The dining room should contain a table and chairs. The living room should have seating and entertainment items. The bedrooms should have beds and items for storing clothes. You get the idea. Returning those rooms to their intended purpose will also make them seem larger, making the house overall seem 'larger', as it looks as though there are a lot of rooms for a lot of different purposes. Show homes have mass appeal because they appeal to the masses. They are clean, uncluttered, functional blank slates that encourage people to picture themselves living there. With a bit of time and effort, any house can look like a show home, making it more attractive and interesting to potential buyers. "It's not what you look at that matters, it's what you see" - Henry David Thoreau ~ Tanya Spilchak, Education Coordinator |