10 house-selling secrets

Secrets of a house stager

It’s a tough market for selling a house.  Maximize your chances of a sale at a good price with these house-staging tips from an expert.

Who knew that getting rid of family photos and clearing off countertops could help you snag top dollar for your house? These are just two secrets from Debra Gould, founder of Staging Diva. Gould, a professional home stager, has helped scores of homeowners clean up, rearrange, and style their homes to command top price.

That can mean anything from putting extra books in storage to getting rid of moldy caulk in bathrooms to renting furniture to fill up too-bare spaces. “The goal is to make your home clean, organized, and welcoming so potential buyers can picture living there,” says Gould. Thus the no-family-photos rule: “They make people feel like they’re invading your space,” she explains. Based in Toronto, Gould has trained a network of 800+ home stagers across the U.S. “Most owners aren’t seeing bidding wars the way they were a few years ago,” she says. “But with the right staging, you can get close to your asking price.”

Problem: A dingy door in a blah color, plus out-of-season holiday lights, made this entry less than welcoming.
Solution: Nixing the string of lights and adding black trim and a fresh coat of white paint spruces things up. Gould also swapped out the exterior sconces for larger ones that match the new color scheme.
This house sat on the market for a few months before Gould staged it.
Listed: $479,000
Sold: $459,000 (96% of list)
Staging costs: $3,000
Note: Staging costs listed are for the entire house, not just the room shown. The figure includes Gould’s consulting fee plus fees for off-site storage and rental or purchase of furniture and accessories.

Problem: Buyers could see this area of the house from the entryway. A haphazard placement of tall plants, toys, and a huge TV made it feel awkward and cluttered.
Solution: The plants were given to a friend and the electronics and toys stored. Gould replaced them with a comfy reading chair and lamp to give this sunny spot a cozy focal point.
This house languished on the market for three months before it was staged. It was the only two-bedroom home that sold in the area that season.
Listed: $329,000
Sold: $327,000 (99% of list)
Staging costs: $2,500