Today, I want to share a project with you that perfectly illustrates why preparing your home for the market really matters. And I don’t just mean a new coat of paint and home staging. Those are important, but what I really mean is making strategic updates that truly impact your bottom line.
Case in point: The clients who hired us for this project weren’t new to staging. In fact, they had already staged their property with another home stager and weren’t getting any offers.
Confused and disappointed, they reached out to me for a consultation to figure out what they could do to sell the home and get the price they really wanted for it. Here’s the full story and a peek behind the scenes of this transformation…
Whenever I come out to a property, there are two aspects of the home I look at. If a home is already listed and it isn’t getting offers, we have to ask… what’s not working?
In other words, we have to diagnose the situation. In these clients’ case, we determined that the style and scale of the existing staging did not meet the home’s price point. Potential buyers were walking in and what they saw was not meeting their expectations.
The main problem we identified was that the fixed elements in the home, as well as some of the finishes and the home staging, did not match the price point of the home. It’s easy to cut corners and assume that potential buyers won’t notice, but the opposite is true. The disjointed feel of the home was off-putting and even made several spaces feel smaller.
So to recap the existing issues...
• the style and scale of previous staging did not meet the price point
• the mismatched color scheme created spaces that felt dated and disconnected
• the fixed elements of the home did not reflect the price point
Now, the second aspect I always consider for a home — what will make it irresistible to ideal buyers?
The answers to this question, as well as to the ones above, give us a good direction for which updates will need to be made. Can you guess what we did in this space?
Before creating a furniture design plan, I had to find an on-trend wall color to match the existing trim color (this is one trick that saved our clients lots of money because painting baseboards and crown molding, doors and door frames...lets just say it adds up pretty quickly) and update the entire look and feel of the home. Fortunately, I spent considerable time becoming a Certified True Color Expert™ — so finding the right color was a very easy decision to make!
In addition to the walls, we also painted the kitchen cabinets, the wet bar, and the millwork in the living room. These made a HUGE difference to the impression of the space.
We also swapped out the light fixtures in the common areas of the house with more on-trend and style-appropriate finds. These did not break our clients’ bank account and all added up to the new luxury look and feel of the home.
But I won’t let you just imagine it… let’s look at some Before & After photos.
The style and scale of the furnishings (who has conversations that far apart?) and the dark millwork and the wine bar to the left, made the space feel smaller and closed off.
In this room, the light color of the bookshelves brighten this space, and new furnishings create a completely different feel than the one above. Traditional details and mixed metals uplevel the luxury of the space, while the rug adds effortless elegance.
Pro Tip: An easy way to balance the masculine elements in a room, such as tile or wood flooring, would be to always bring an area rug (a feminine element).
Before, this kitchen looked like it belonged in a cottage type home, which this home was not. Remember, most buyers prefer move-in ready homes. Also, it is important that the fixed elements in the home reflect its price point. Buyers are not going to easily part with their hard earned dollars just because we want them to. We have to justify the asking price.
Light-colored furniture with luxurious style elevate this space while keeping it livable and welcoming. Oversized light fixtures help create separation between the kitchen and table, which could be used as a breakfast table or even as a work-from-home space.
Plus, now your ideal buyers can imagine how events would play out… hosting guests and sipping wine in the living room (far right)… tasting small bites at the table, and moving to the formal dining room when the meal is ready (far left). THAT is how you design and sell a lifestyle experience!
In this photo, you will see that there is a piano tucked away in the corner of this room, which you could not even see from outside and as you looked into the room. Once I toured the property I immediately saw this as a home office. SO we staged it as such.
SO much better and brighter! It has purpose, feels open and spacious. Plus, the nice thing about staging a home office is that you don’t need much really. But the staging does need to be intentional and to clearly relay a message.
Dark, slightly cramped and with dated lighting.
This formal dining room is finally worthy of its name! Updated lighting elevate the elegance, the space isn’t overly crowded, and white walls reflect light to keep the room bright and open. Plus, you can easily see the kitchen and the living space for a seamless entertaining experience.
These mismatched furnishings weren’t working with the home’s color scheme and didn’t have the aura of livable luxury that would support the property’s price point. We also knew we needed to tone down the baby blue on the walls with a more mature look.
Much better. Here, we upleveled the look with new paint, our own furnishings, and thicker bedding. (See how staging isn’t just about putting furniture in a space? There is strategy involved!)
Whoops! Forgot to grab a Before photo of this space. But wait until you see the After…
Now THAT is an elegant master retreat! The space is clear, minimally furnished, and there is harmony between the fixed elements (countertops, floors, hardware) and the wall color.
So, the big question… how well did this home sell?
This story is a case study, which means you have to know the happy ending. If you remember, this home sat on the market with NO offers for months before we got our hands on it.
After Design By Keti helped renovate and stage the property...
Isn’t it amazing what updating and staging a home can do??
If you’re having trouble with a lifeless listing, I hope this case study gives you some hope. Selling a home doesn’t have to be stressful. With the right approach and an expert strategy, your property CAN sell well on the Dallas market.
Book your 15-minute discovery call, and we’ll prove to you that it’s true!
To you and your best home sale,
Keti
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