The Complete Idiot's Guide to Staging your Home to Sell

by Layton Turner, Marcia; Dana, Julie

• ISBN13: 9781592576111
• ISBN10: 1592576117
• Format: Paperback
• Copyright: 2007-02-06
• Publisher: DK Publishing, Inc.

Summary

You're no idiot, of course. You know the competition for home selling in today's market is at its fiercest-and that buyers refuse to settle for anything less than the best home at the best price. It's going to take more than a splash of paint to get your home ready to sell, much less sold. The Complete Idiot's Guide[Registered] to Staging Your Home to Sell shows you exactly how to declutter, decorate, and display your home for maximum value. In this Complete Idiot's Guide[Registered], you get: Room-by-room style strategies to give buyers what they're looking for. Design tactics to help your home appeal to the widest range of buyers. Cost-effective techniques to highlight your home's positive points. Tips on how to downplay possible negative features, such as smaller rooms or minimal storage space. Photos of real homes to show you exactly how it can be done.

Author Biography

Julie Dana is a professional interior re-designer and an accredited staging professional who owns her own decorating business, The Home Stylist. She has authored several articles on thrifty decorating and home staging tips and contributed her expertise and photos of her clients-' homes for The Complete Idiot-'s Guide to Selling Your Own Home.
Marcia Layton Turner is a best-selling, award-winning author who co-authored The Complete Idiot-'s Guide to Selling Your Own Home and has written articles on home decorating and design for Woman-'s Day, Business Week, Realtor, Black Enterprise, and many others.

Table of Contents

In the Beginning	p. 1
What Is Staging?	p. 3
Why Stage?	p. 3
Gaining a Competitive Advantage	p. 4
Aiding Innate Buying Preferences	p. 4
More Than Common Sense	p. 5
How It Makes a Difference	p. 6
Why It Makes a Difference	p. 6
Staging Statistics	p. 7
When Do You Stage?	p. 8
Making the Best First Impression	p. 8
You Had Me At Hello	p. 9
Keys to Doing It Yourself	p. 9
Doing Your Homework	p. 11
Know Your Price Point	p. 12
Get an Appraisal	p. 12
Amenities for the Money	p. 13
Style Impressions	p. 14
Making Comparisons	p. 15
Are You Above or Below Standard	p. 16
Neighborhood Lifecycles	p. 16
Assessing Your Home	p. 17
Your "Before" Pictures	p. 17
The Sniff Test	p. 19
Styling Trends	p. 20
Setting Budgets and Priorities	p. 23
How Much to Spend	p. 24
Doing the Math	p. 25
Typical Scenarios	p. 26
Which Rooms Are Money Makers	p. 28
Initial Steps	p. 33
To Declutter Is Divine	p. 35
Do I Have To?	p. 36
Why Oh Why?	p. 38
Gives You More Square Footage	p. 38
Shows Off Pretty Features While Reducing Distractions	p. 38
Allows the Buyers to Visualize Themselves Living There	p. 39
Hides Your Personal Issues	p. 39
Saves Time	p. 40
What to Declutter	p. 40
Personal Papers	p. 40
Mementos and Gifts	p. 41
Repair Projects	p. 42
Is It a Clothes Rack or Fitness Equipment?	p. 42
Reading Material	p. 42
Toys and Playthings	p. 43
Redundant Furniture	p. 43
Plants and Floral Arrangements	p. 43
Medicines and Personal Care Items	p. 44
Fun Paraphernalia	p. 44
Seasonal Clothes	p. 46
Pets and Their Belongings	p. 46
Kitchen Confusion	p. 47
Garages	p. 47
Cleaning Supplies	p. 47
Outdoor Spaces Get Cluttered, Too	p. 47
Techniques for Decluttering	p. 48
Set a Date and Keep It	p. 48
Set a Goal for Bags and Boxes	p. 48
Set a Goal for Packing for the Move	p. 48
One at a Time	p. 49
Reward Yourself for Your Efforts	p. 49
Sayings to Live (and Declutter) By	p. 50
What to Do with the Clutter	p. 50
Clean Sweep	p. 53
A Clean House Is Half Sold	p. 54
Clean from the Top Down	p. 54
Ceilings	p. 55
Walls	p. 56
Floors	p. 57
Room by Room	p. 58
Kitchens	p. 58
Bathrooms	p. 59
Pet Areas	p. 60
Outside	p. 60
Nontoxic Cleaning Alternatives	p. 61
Remodeling Choices to Consider	p. 63
Making Major Changes	p. 64
What They Have That You Don't	p. 64
Why You Need to Keep Up with the Joneses	p. 66
Take a Good Hard Look Under the Hood	p. 67
Inspectors Have Gadgets	p. 67
Do-It-Yourself Inspection	p. 68
Airborne Safety Issues	p. 68
Smoke Detectors	p. 69
Mold	p. 69
Lead Paint	p. 69
Asbestos	p. 70
Radon	p. 70
Other Hazards	p. 70
Mechanical System Check	p. 70
Keeping You Comfortable	p. 71
Don't Fiddle with That Roof	p. 71
Electric Avenue	p. 72
If Water Runs Through It	p. 72
Foundation Station	p. 73
Inside	p. 73
Kitchen	p. 73
Bathrooms	p. 77
Floors	p. 78
Basements	p. 79
Additions and Add-on Rooms	p. 79
Calling in the Pros	p. 79
Architect	p. 80
Bricklayers or Stone Masons	p. 80
Carpenters	p. 80
Carpet Installers	p. 80
Concrete and Cement Workers	p. 80
Contractor	p. 80
Drywall Installers	p. 81
Electrician	p. 81
Hardwood Floor Specialists	p. 81
HVAC Installers	p. 81
Landscape Architect	p. 81
Lawn and Yard Maintenance	p. 81
Painters and Paper Hangers	p. 82
Plumbers	p. 82
Roofers	p. 82
Curb Appeal	p. 83
What Exactly Is Curb Appeal?	p. 83
Driveways	p. 85
Sidewalks	p. 86
House Color	p. 87
Trim and Accent Color	p. 88
The Roof	p. 89
Doors	p. 89
All Hands On Deck	p. 92
Pools and Water Features	p. 92
Accessorize to Impress	p. 93
What's Your Number?	p. 93
Mailboxes	p. 93
Welcome Mat	p. 94
Adornments	p. 94
Lighting	p. 95
Pets	p. 96
Landscaping	p. 96
Room by Room	p. 101
The Entrances and Exits	p. 103
The First Interior Impression	p. 103
What They See	p. 104
Getting Through the Eye of the Needle	p. 104
Spend Money Here	p. 105
Make Minor Repairs	p. 106
Declutter and Clean	p. 106
Foyer Arrangement and Style Choices	p. 108
If You Don't Have a Foyer...	p. 109
Room with a View	p. 110
Stairways and Hallways to Get You Places	p. 111
Make It Functional and Clutter-Free	p. 111
Stylish Additions	p. 112
Exit, Staging, Right!	p. 114
The Living and Family Rooms	p. 117
Minor Repairs	p. 118
Fireplace	p. 118
Flooring	p. 119
Paint	p. 119
Declutter and Clean	p. 120
Furniture Placement	p. 122
Floor Space	p. 123
Lighting	p. 123
Staging with Style	p. 125
Decorating Tools	p. 126
The New Decorating Approach	p. 128
The Dining Room	p. 131
Reclaim the Space	p. 131
Whipping It Into Shape	p. 133
Repairs	p. 133
Declutter and Clean	p. 134
Arranging	p. 135
Brightening	p. 136
Stylish Eating	p. 136
Styling a China Cabinet	p. 137
Staging Secrets	p. 138
If You Don't Have a Dining Room	p. 140
The Kitchen	p. 143
Minor Repairs	p. 144
Tiles	p. 144
Stove Hood	p. 144
Countertop	p. 145
Flooring	p. 147
Walls	p. 147
Lighting	p. 148
Declutter and Clean	p. 148
Sink	p. 149
Refrigerator and Appliances	p. 149
Trashcan	p. 151
Countertops	p. 151
Hanging Rack and Tools	p. 152
Adding Style	p. 152
To Be Purchased	p. 153
To Remove	p. 153
The Bedrooms	p. 157
Focus on Buyer's Goals, Not Yours	p. 157
Purpose of the Bedroom	p. 158
The Focal Point of the Bedroom	p. 158
Other Furniture	p. 160
Bedroom Staging Example	p. 160
Selling the Bedroom	p. 161
Making Minor Repairs	p. 162
Declutter and Clean	p. 163
Making It Light and Spacious	p. 165
What's the Wattage?	p. 165
Make It Look Spacious	p. 166
Show Storage	p. 167
Arrange the Bedrooms	p. 167
Make It Stylish	p. 170
Make the Bed	p. 171
Room Accessories	p. 172
If You Don't Have Very Many Bedrooms	p. 173
The Bathrooms	p. 175
Minor Repairs	p. 176
Walls	p. 176
Floors	p. 177
Counter	p. 177
Grout and Caulking	p. 178
Fan	p. 178
Clean and Declutter	p. 179
Personal Equipment	p. 180
A Thorough Cleaning	p. 181
Staging to Sell	p. 181
Enlarging the Bathroom	p. 181
The Spa Image	p. 182
The Powder Room	p. 186
The Closets	p. 187
Show There Is Room to Grow	p. 187
Match Closet and Purpose	p. 188
Minor Repairs Worth Doing	p. 190
Play Up All the Space	p. 191
Declutter	p. 191
Clean	p. 192
Brighten	p. 192
Staging Your Closet to Sell	p. 193
The Kitchen Pantry	p. 193
The Linen Closet	p. 194
The Master Bedroom Closet	p. 196
The Coat Closet	p. 197
The Hall Closet	p. 197
Creating the Illusion of Space	p. 198
The Home Office	p. 201
Setting Up a Home Office	p. 202
Remember Its Purpose	p. 202
Creative Spaces	p. 204
Declutter and Clean	p. 204
Computer "Decor"	p. 204
Closet Considerations	p. 205
Lighting Necessities	p. 206
Furniture Arranging	p. 206
Styling	p. 208
The Basement, Garage, and Attic	p. 213
The Basement	p. 214
Unfinished Basement	p. 214
Finished Basement	p. 215
Declutter and Clean That Basement	p. 215
Removing Odors from Down Below	p. 216
Make It Bright and Spacious	p. 216
Establishing Living Zones	p. 211
Adding Style to Your Basement	p. 218
The Garage or Carport	p. 219
Declutter and Clean That Garage	p. 219
Styling Your Garage	p. 220
The Attic	p. 220
The Laundry Area	p. 222
The Finishing Touches	p. 225
Staging the Exceptional Home	p. 227
Vacation Homes	p. 228
Clear Out and Clean Up	p. 228
Props Set the Stage	p. 229
Reeling in Renters	p. 230
Rental Properties	p. 231
Do Your Homework	p. 231
Who's Your Audience?	p. 231
Decorate for Them	p. 232
Estate Sale	p. 233
Getting Into the Cycle	p. 233
The Work to Be Done	p. 233
A Flipped House	p. 234
Vacant	p. 235
Cheap Furniture Outlets	p. 235
Basic Furniture Requirements	p. 235
Historic Home	p. 237
It's Show Time	p. 239
Photos Worth More Than 1,000 Words	p. 239
Taking the "After" Photos	p. 240
Return to the Scene of the Crime	p. 240
Oh, the Places They'll Go	p. 241
Taking Control	p. 242
Secrets of Stunning Pictures	p. 242
It's the Equipment	p. 242
Wait for a Sunny Day	p. 243
Open House Options	p. 244
Four Types of Tours	p. 245
Real Estate Professional Open House	p. 246
Broker's Open House	p. 246
Public Open House	p. 246
By Appointment Tour	p. 241
Game Time	p. 247
The Nose Knows	p. 247
Bring the Outside In	p. 247
Lights On	p. 248
Valuables	p. 248
Furry Companions	p. 249
Last Minute Prep Work	p. 249
Parking	p. 250
Your Ultimate Goal	p. 251
Appendixes
Glossary	p. 253
Staging Checklist	p. 257
Timeline Estimator	p. 265
Resources	p. 269
Index	p. 273
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