When considering staging, remember that it isn’t an expense, but an investment.  Good home staging adds value to the home and more than pays for itself!  Additionally, studies have shown that staged homes typically sell much faster than unstaged homes, saving sellers from the costly burden of paying a monthly mortgage and utilities for a home they are trying to sell.
With Lake Michigan home staging comes the process of “pre-packing.”  The earlier you begin to sort through and pack away “stuff”, the less stress – and the less cost – you will feel later when your home is listed and begins to be shown.  By donating items that are no longer used, and in general by reducing the amount of items to be moved to your new property, your professional moving expenses will be lessened.
Experienced stagers focus first and foremost on using what you already have, and only recommend new purchases when absolutely necessary, typically for needed repairs and/or updates that enable your home to pass inspection.  This of course is critical, since a failed home inspection effectively kills a looming real estate deal, and significantly reduces the perceived value of the home. 
Necessary updates are oftentimes as simple as a new coat of paint, new light bulbs in recessed cans, and basic, new flooring.  Chances are that if things in your home seem old and tired to you, they will for prospective buyers too.
Another essential aspect of staging is basic home cleanliness.  Just as you expect a hotel room to sparkle when you enter it, so do prospective buyers when they walk through your home. Luxury Home Buyers tend to walk through numerous Lakefront homes, and more than anything, what stands out to them are the homes that are unclean. Rather than see the home’s features, they picture in their minds how much they’ll need to do before the home is ready for them to move in. 
Buyers also react to smells, and temperature settings.  It’s important make sure your home smells fresh and clean, yet not overly perfumed to mask odor.  Scented sticks with pure essential oils are ideal – a soft, appealing scent rather than the strong, masking scent that comes with household sprays.  As for temperature, somewhere between 68 and 70 degrees is ideal.
Finally, be sure to accentuate the positive features of your Lake Michigan property.  For example, if you have an outdoor kitchen or a nice deck for entertaining, keep it looking great!  Maybe your home has a great master suite, or game room, or pantry … whatever your home’s best features are, be extra diligent in making sure they look great and offer maximum appeal. 
Staging is essential, yet it can also be exhausting at times!  But remember that investing sweat equity in your Lake Michigan Real Estate now allows you to realize a quicker, more equitable sale on the property, and gets you in to your new home just that much faster. Happy staging!
Pamela Gafa 
Interior Designer
Accredited Staging Professional
Posted by Luke Bouman on
Email Send a link to post via Email

Leave A Comment

e.g. yourwebsitename.com
Please note that your email address is kept private upon posting.