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Here's a piece about how staging supposedly dramatically transforms a room. and perhaps could make or break a sale?
In this particular example, the owners were worried potential buyers would forget to look at bay window and fireplace.
So they hired decorators to put a bench by the bay window, and change the frame hanging above the fireplace.
The only reason the "after" photo looks better is that it is professionally photographed and color corrected, giving potential buyers a view of what it could look like with abundant lighting of the right color temperature.
It's not that the bench by the window or watercolor artwork add any value.
There was nothing wrong with the old setup, and I don't see how anyone could miss such a large bay window and fireplace. When you look at a house, don't you look everywhere anyway?
The added bench just gets in the way of me standing by the window and looking outside, and makes the place feel smaller.
You don't need extra furniture. You just need to declutter and take professional, well-lit photos.
It is possible the angle of the first photo actually shows the size of the bay window area better than the staged one.
The angle on the second photo is pleasing, and it shows off the table better, but I might argue it actually makes the table look bigger and the room look smaller. I can see far more wood floor in the first photo, than the second.
And since we're being critical, I object to white upholstery for the same reason I object to white carpet. Particularly in a dining room.
I see flippers in some real estate markets, they buy a house that is distressed and needs a major over haul. I see one house that was bought maybe less than a year ago, put back on the market. Yes, definitely looks like a before and after picture, now it looks like it could be a house in Architectural Digest or House Beautiful. It's all tricked out in beautiful wood furniture, throw rugs, fancy pillows. It's gorgeous but how much work was actually done for the renovation, I would be more concerned with the electrical system, plumbing, and the integrity of the building. I remember looking at it before the renovation and it did have good bones and potential, very nice details that are missing in newer homes, but it nothing was ever done to it, and I think the previous owner never did anything to update. A older couple or gentleman owned it and he/they probably moved somewhere else smaller or to a retirement place. Nice paint job and flooring work, I noticed, too.
Talking about pictures, I have seen pictures that were so elongated to make the hallways longer, rooms enlarged, that when you actually get to the house, you are very disappointed to see that it is way smaller. I don't think they should do things like that because people would be expecting a lot more when they actually view the property in person.
I think anything you can do to enhance the appearance of your house/condo is worth the effort. You want a prospective buyer to walk in and be wowed at how clean and well decorated the place is, and imagine how it would look with their belongings in there.
I have even heard where some sellers put something on the stove cooking that puts out a good aroma to make the place seem even homier.
Well, if you have relatively neutral or trendy furniture as above, you're probably alright not staging, or doing it yourself. But I tell ya', if I were to sell my house, I would NEED a stager!
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