Going the Extra Mile: 3 Staging Tips for Metairie and New Orleans Homeowners

A recent Zillow survey again confirmed that extensive renovations are usually not the shortest path to a sale. Across the board, experts agree: it’s still curb appeal and home staging—staging that highlight’s a home’s best features while downplaying its flaws—that often prove most effective.

So, after your Metairie or New Orleans house smells like fresh-baked cookies and your walls have been freed from family photos and a roaring fire has made the living room warm and inviting...what if those basic staging moves still haven’t produced the offers you know your home deserves?

Metairie and New Orleans staging pros have a lot more tricks up their sleeves. Here are three:

1. Hide Your Demographic

Maybe you’re the parent of four, so your house is full of kids’ bedrooms, toys and playrooms. Perhaps you’re selling a home or bachelor pad with minimal decor and lots of high-tech devices. Maybe you’re putting that empty nest on the market after living in it for decades. The fact is, Metairie and New Orleans staging veterans work from the premise that potential buyers shouldn’t be able to walk into a house and be able to tell how old you are and who lives there. That does make sense, since the goal is to cast a wide net—to make the broadest possible group feel as if the place is a perfect fit for them. Broaden your home’s appeal by eliminating those items that are specific to your demographic. You want potential buyers to see the home as theirs, not as one designed for a large family, a single guy, or a pair of empty-nesters!

2. Revamp a Boring Space

Potential buyers go through a mental checklist when they evaluate a house. Functional kitchen? Check. Comfortable living space? Got it. Inviting bedrooms? Sure—but lots of other Metairie and New Orleans homes may pass the same test. Surprise your potential buyers by transforming an ordinary space into something unexpected. For example, a spare bedroom could be just a duplicate: welcome, perhaps—but indistinguishable from all the other Metairie and New Orleans homes’ third or fourth bedrooms. What if you transform it into a cozy reading nook with bookshelves and a comfortable window seat? Or create a craft room centered on a large work table, corkboard wall and shelves? Or appeal to every woman’s fantasy (okay; probably a lot of men’s, too) by creating a spacious walk-in closet with hanging racks, shelving, a full-length mirror and vanity? Smart staging can transform an ordinary space into something extraordinary…and your Metairie or New Orleans home into the one with the ‘sold’ sign out front.

3. Appeal to the Type-A Organizer

A perfectly organized house may exist only in our imagination, but a well-staged home comes close! Now—how about staging your home to give potential buyers the tools to stay organized? Extra shelving units and organizational features in cabinets and pantry make a well-organized kitchen easy to maintain. A modest investment in custom closet organizers will instantly upgrade ordinary closets. Bike storage, heavy-duty shelves, a workbench—even just a couple of wall-mounted pegboard tool organizers—can keep the garage neat as a pin. Maximize the functionality of your home by demonstrating how easy it will be to stay organized in it!

Home staging the extra mile can mean attending to small things that make a difference. Then (one of the larger things) will be to team with an experienced real estate professional—and that’s as simple as giving me a call!

Questions about buying or selling a home?
Call Terez B. Harris 
504.297.2619






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Terez B. Harris
Terez Harris NOLA Realtor Group

(504)297-2619

www.TerezHarris.com
TerezHarris@kw.com


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Terez B. Harris   Terez Harris NOLA Realtor Group   504-297-2619   www.TerezHarris.com
Keller Williams Realty New Orleans 8601 Leake Ave. New Orleans, LA 70118 504-862-0100

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