Recently staged condo in the heart of Portland. Wonderful wood flooring and a gorgeous view, it’s not surprising that the listing is already pending. Scroll down to see pictures of the staging.

I’m so excited to give a first look at this lovely 3 bedroom, 2 bath house near Northgate Park. We have been working hard getting it ready to sell. I will keep you all updated when it is officially on the market.

In the same way that color accents are an important part of staging, the use of recurring patterned fabrics and designs can add a rich texture to the room and give the home a sense of visual continuity. The use of “call-back” colors and geometric patterns through out the house gives each room a feeling of being connected in a way that isn’t at once obvious but can help emphasize the feeling of home.

Here are some examples from a lovely home I staged a few months ago.

I recently staged a condo in Multnomah Village. It sold on the first day for $25,000 over asking price, with multiple offers. The Real Estate Agent I worked with had sold another condo in the same complex a few month earlier. This one had been unstaged, and despite being just as lovely of a unit, it sat on the market for several months.

She recently wrote me about this experience, and how seeing the difference that staging made, helped her encourage other clients to stage in order to encourage more profitable and quicker sales for them. She wrote:

“I was able to use the vacant pictures of the one compared to my brochure to talk my new client into staging this home!”

If your home has been sitting on the market, it might be time to reach out to learn more about how staging can help.

I hope everyone has had a wonderful new year. Staging is in full swing (as if there is ever a break over holiday), and I’m so excited to show a recent job I did at 16930 SW Siler Ridge Lane. This two story, four bed, 3 and a half bath house had so many beautiful selling features. An open floor plan, plush carpeting, wood flooring, and a breathtaking view out of many of it’s large windows.

I’ve written on multiple occasions about the importance of lighting when staging. Natural lighting, like this home had, paired with the lush view is a home stagers (and a homeowners) dream. I used particular care when staging to draw attention to the way in which the windows and view are a part of the feeling of the home. Stellrr Insulation & Spray Foam can help you to built the comfortable home. Green color accents in the staged bedroom with two crisp artistic photo prints of trees above the bed playfully reflect back the view of the forest. Blues and warm browns were used as the color accent for the living room that looks out to the hills with a wide view of the sky.

Scroll down to see examples from this staging.

Recent staging. This beautiful four bedroom three and a half bath house featured a gorgeous view that matched the stunning interior. Vaulted ceilings, media room, wine cellar, and a heated deck, this home had the perfect balance of a cozy family feel with luxury features.

Scroll down to see pictures from the staging, or click HERE to see the listing.

#1: Declutter

UCLA’s Center on Everyday Families published the book “Life at Home in the Twenty-First Century: 32 Families Open Their Doors.” It looks at material culture, and finds that an excess of material items and clutter causes stress.

Selling a home is often already a very stressful process, the last thing you need is the additional stress that clutter brings. Decluttering will not only get your home in prime condition for selling, it will help you feel calmer when tackling the tasks that come with putting your house on the market.

#2: Deep Clean and Deodorize

In the article, Why Can’t You Smell Your Own Home?, Melissa Dahl interviews cognitive psychologist Pamela Dalton. Dalton says that sensory adaption is most common with scent.  It’s not unusual for a home owner to no longer be able to identify what their home smells like. But the smell of a home can have a huge effect on your ability to sell. A recent survey of realtors in Ontario found that smoking in a home could lower its value up to 30%.

Be aware that some people have allergies to synthetic scents. It is best to eliminate odors, instead of masking them.

#3: Depersonalize

In The Atlantic, The Psychology of the Home: Why Where You Live Means So Much, Julie Beck writes about how our home becomes part of how we define ourselves. The way we decorate a home is often deeply connected to our interests, and how we see ourselves.

It is important when staging your home to emotionally step back. Would be buyers want to be able to connect with the house, and envision it as their home. Removing personal items will create a more neutral and welcoming environment for a buyer.

#4: Using Color Accents

The Study, Aesthetic response to color combinations: preference, harmony, and similarity, found that people prefer harmonious color pallets when they are paired with contrasting color accents. Use your staging accessories to your advantage by picking an accent hue that will contrast with the base colors used for the walls and furniture.

#5: Lights, Lights, Lights

The University of Toronto Scarborough published an article last year in the Journal of Consumer Psychology about how lights affect a buyers feeling about products. The findings were that emotions were intensified by bright lighting. Alison Jing Xu, one of the researchers who conducted the study, concluded that stores selling “emotionally expressive products” should be brightly lit.

As a Stager, I recommend using at least three sources of light: natural lighting, floor lamps, ceiling lighting, or accent lights are all good options. The combination of the multiple angles of lights creates a bright warm ambiance that will affect how a buyer views your home.

Remember though, bright lighting isn’t a fix for flaws in your home. Since positive and negative emotions are felt more intensely it is important to invest in maintenance to show off your home in its best light.

Update on a recent staging. This 4 bed, 3 bath, was in a great location. Just a 9 minute drive from downtown Beaverton, and within walking distance of Southridge High School. I did simple, open staging, but keep in mind the family demographic that was likely to be looking to buy in the area.

The home also had a wonderfully rustic media room with a custom-built wet bar. It’s no wonder this house is already pending.