A well-staged home is all about showing off the best your home has to offer. Before setting the stage, consider the style you want to highlight. Start by taking a look around your neighborhood. Buyers typically choose a neighborhood before choosing a home, so your home should reflect the same elements that drew the buyer to your area. Whether it’s a condo in the heart of the city, a large country club house, two acres with room for horses, or your basic traditional family home, every neighborhood has a character. Your home is more likely to sell quickly if it reflects that personality.
Let’s take a look at four generals “types of style” when evaluating the personality of your home:
classic sophistication
Style: elegant and formal.
Accessories: fine china, teacups, silver, crystal, art pieces
Colors: cream, tan, brown combined with black, sage green or plum
Value-added upgrades: granite slab countertops in the kitchen, high-end kitchen appliances, or a whirlpool tub
classic suburban
Style: Relaxed, Comfortable, Clean and Contemporary
Accessories: Colour-matched coffee mugs, Cozy throws, Wicker baskets
Colors: Pick a little color; make it flow from one space to another. Bold accent walls
Value-Added Upgrades: Pergo flooring, attractive but less expensive Corian or Formica kitchen countertops, Energy Star-rated appliances, durable Berber rugs
urban chic
Style: Relaxed or Formal, reflecting current avant-garde sophistication, elegant yet fashionable.
Accessories: Cocktail glasses, Decorative plates in silver, glass or fine earthenware, Exhibitors of Contemporary Art Books.
Colors: different shades of brown and black, metallic and cream. Touch of color, muted shade of green or plum.
Value-Added Upgrades: Green Appliances, FSC-Certified Materials, Stylish European-Designed, Energy-Efficient Vestfrost Refrigerators, Franke Sinks, Bold Kohler Designs
bohemian-chic
Style: kitsch, artsy
Props: mugs you’ve painted yourself, cool artwork on the walls, anything as long as it’s not overwhelming (a little goes a long way when it’s cheesy or cool).
Colour: Oh yeah! Colors are “in”
Value-Added Upgrades: California Closets can make the most of a small space, and Storebles can help you show your shoppers that all your “cool stuff” fits comfortably. Go ultra cool with Modern Faucets by Tres, or the latest in high-tech lighting for the home
When deciding on the right style for your home, the lesson to learn is objectivity. When you put your house on the market, it is no longer “your house”. It is a house in transition. The style you need to transform your home may be a style you would NEVER choose. The goal is not to show off your own unique style, but to demonstrate the adaptability of your home and reflect its place in the neighborhood.