9 Keys to Successfully Staging an Occupied Home

Anatomy of an "Almost There" Staging Home Transformation

Nothing gives me more pleasure than sharing the gorgeous work and art of my staging members!  In this staging home transformation we are showcasing a home that was "almost there" in the staging world.  It had great bones and beautiful furnishings to work with... but just needed the icing.  Laura Martin of Laura Lynn Interiors an HSR stager in Austin, TX worked with the seller to remove the stress of moving, eliminate the clutter, rearrange what they currently had and added a few modern, finishing accessories to totally complete the look.

In the staging home transformation below, you will see the 9 critical elements and design principles that went into creating the finished look...

1 Create, Symmetry Balance and Flow

Simply be rearranging the furnishings to create symmetry when viewing the fireplace and balance makes a huge difference in this space!  Before the two chairs "blocked" the view and flow of the space but now there is easy conversational flow amongst the seating areas.

2 Create a Sense of Space

I always say that the kitchen makes up 50+% of the buying decision, so it's critical to focus on this room and give it a sense of warmth and space!  Too many times I see homes online with all the counters wiped clear which exudes a sterility and coldness to the hardscaped room that is completely unnecessary.  At it's core, home staging is marketing, so anything on the kitchen counters need to emotionally connect with the buyers.  Luckily for Laura, this seller had some great items that she only needed to add to  in order create those connections.

Most importantly, when buyers walk through homes and see every appliance on the counter or on top of the refrigerator... they think, "there is no cabinet space" in this kitchen.  Laura cleverly put away the less sightly appliances and left the one appliance (luxury expresso maker) to display a lifestyle of the buyer can aspire to.

3 Create a Purpose for Each Space

Let's face it, after Covid we were putting our offices in every varied space in the home that felt convenient but for a staged home... it's a big no-no.  A formal dining room needs to be exactly that... a place to eat formally and entertain.  As you can see, Laura had to do very little but help the seller rearrange their office into another room or offsite in order to get top dollar for this home.

4 Eliminate the Clutter

I always say, "the packing starts NOW and the more your eliminate, the less you will have to unpack" in your new home.  Too many times we collect little "low, ground clutter"...you know the ones, the hamper in the corner, the magazine rack, basket of junk or low "catch-all" bin that makes the room feel a bit more... cramped.  Now is the time to free yourself from your clutter and create a more open space that the buyers can appreciate.

5 Remove the "Cheap Looking" Furnishings

People are always surprised when they go to "garage sale" their items and find out they really aren't worth much.  The truth in our "throw away society" is that we've all purchased budget items for practical NOT aesthetic reasons and the desk in the before space above... was just that item.

Laura wisely brought in her own accessories to finish out this space, give it a sense of purpose and removed the budget, desk, bins and older art.  Yep, an empty wall is more preferable then dated wall coverings.

6 Don't Be Afraid to Re-Purpose Items in More Cluttered Rooms

Laura created a purpose in this space as a kids hang-out room, so she wisely moved out the daybed and as you will see, gave it a MUCH more useful purpose in the next space.

7 Always Provide the "Vision"

Empty spaces only allow buyers to find the fault in the room:  The TV plugs hanging, the lone cabinet that seems annoying and feeling like the space is too small to make into a "mother in law" studio.  Laura wisely borrowed from the loft to create a vision and HUGE bonus in the home of a studio that can also sleep someone easily.

8 Always Add Lighting and More Pillows Please;)

More light in a space is always a good thing and in the case above where there is very little natural light, Laura layered the light sources by adding a lamp.  This way the overhead lamps appear far less harsh and now the space is adorable!

I feel the same way about pillows on a bed... two just does not cut it.  Laura layered more pillows for a luxurious feel, as well as added some fun, pattern and texture to the otherwise boring bed.

9 Moving is a Family Affair

Finding declutter solutions and packing up most of the items before listing the home makes a huge difference!  In this case, Laura got the kids involved with keeping their room clutter free and removed that pesky "low, ground clutter" to allow buyers to see the potential in the space.

Details Matter in Staged Home Transformations

These small changes in this already beautiful home made a huge difference in the sale as you can see from the photos.  The "finishing details" of staging is the true marketing and the analogy is similar to a baked cake with or without icing... the home already was a yummy cake but the finishing details added the icing that helps to get seller's top dollar for their home.