Make Your Kitchen Look Like A Million Dollars

Staging a home is one of the services I always offer my clients ... Here is some information on what it is, how it affects the sale and various tips on how to make your home look as inviting and cozy as possible.



This Kitchen Invites The Buyer

So what is staging?
It is the process of specifically decorating a room, or home, in order to make it more attractive to buyers. One of the most popular places to engage in staging is the kitchen, which is often a deciding factor in whether someone ends up purchasing a home.


Why does Staging affect the sale of a home?
The reason that staging works is because it plays on subtle, subconscious, psychological factors that control human behavior. When a person looks at a home and evaluates it they do so through an emotional filter, that is based on their cognitive perception of reality. By making changes that automatically trigger feelings of comfort, joy, beauty, and hope it is possible to make a space seem more intriguing, and attractive, making a person more likely to fall in love with it.

What Should You Do First?
The first thing that you want to do when staging a kitchen is to make sure that it is completely neat, tidy, and orderly. The surfaces should all be free of stains, grime, and muck, and all of the utensils showing should be brightly washed and shimmering.

Here is an example of an un-staged kitchen vs. one that is staged.

It is also important to minimize the number of features and items that are on display in the kitchen. Barb Schwarz, also said, “Staging does not require lots of expensive furniture; in fact good stagers will limit the amount of furniture to keep the space open.” That means getting rid of superfluous appliances and storing any items that don’t directly add to the decorative beauty of the space. It may even be necessary to purchase a storage unit to hold your kitchen tools until the home is sold.

Be Yourself But Keep Buyers In Mind Too

As far as style, you need to walk a fine line between being generic and unique. You want the space to stand out in people’s minds, but at the same time you also want it to be accessible to the widest audience possible. Making it feel family oriented may chase off a couple without kids, or single people. On the other hand strange, modern, and eclectic items can be a problem for more conservative potential buyers. Finding the right balance will give your kitchen a great look that will have a broad reaching appeal.

Eliminate Clutter And Emphasize Cleanliness

In general you want to avoid storage accessories such as boxes, bins, and trays. If you want to display a few attractive pieces these should be immaculate, with the rest stored away out of sight until you are ready to use them in your new home.

If you have a kitchen table that centerpiece to should get extra attention. Make sure that there are not too many chairs crowding around it making it look cluttered. Table runners and tablecloths should generally be avoided, as they can quickly grow dingy if not constantly cleaned.

In some extreme situations it may be necessary to effect minor repairs in order to get a kitchen looking perfect for staging and sale. Staging is generally different from actually renovating and is more on the decorative side of the visual arts. However minor repairs can do a lot to make the space seem more desirable.

Remember, staging a kitchen is a great and inexpensive way to make a home much more desirable to prospective buyers. It allows you to put your best face forward, creating an illusion of possibility, which people can then fill in using their own hopes, aspirations, and imaginations. If you would like more information on how I would suggest how staging a home, just give me a call ... 562-882-1581.