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 Are you a real estate agent that wishes homes would show better?
Are you a homeowner trying to sell your home but not quite sure how to go about staging it?
Do you wish you knew how to portray your home to make it look the very best it can be?
If so, this post may be for you. 🙂
 Awhile back, I posted that I was staging my mom’s empty home that’s currently for sale.
Part One was HERE
When I started pulling things out of my truck and hauling them into my mom’s place, it felt so… odd. These were MY things. Not my mom’s.
And it was shocking. After seeing the rooms so bare and empty, even one thing in the room caused your eyes to refocus in a very different way. You REALLY saw objects.
 So whatever I used, I had to make sure they were pretty to look at. I love this vintage mix master with the heavy porcelain bowl. And it was perfect for the kitchen.
This experience was interesting. The more I attempted to make an empty home look lived in, the stranger everything looked. It was so painfully obvious that it was empty, so overdoing some rooms while others had nothing didn’t work.
 Loose sanded down palette boards simply placed overtop a little bench created some extra instant warmth to this area.
So, I took a different approach. I placed ‘suggestion’ items to bring warmth back into the spaces. It left you with the feeling of the house saying, “This is what I could look like if you bought me and loved me back. You just wait and see!” 🙂
Pickets by their lonesome encouraged you to elevate your eye towards these vaulted ceilings
And yes, there were indeed moments of sadness. (she passed away in March) But it wasn’t long before I switched gears into design mode and went with it. I was on a mission to make my mom’s house sing. One last time.Â
Two funky drawers took the place of the microwave. And hid alllll the paperwork for the home sale. 🙂
I realize staging an empty home is VERY different from decluttering a full one. I think both scenarios bring issues into play. But it’s my belief that if you wish your home to look it’s best, depersonalizing and decluttering are VERY important. This home looked HUGE with all the roomy closets and living spaces! And newer too.
From hereon out, I’m going to allow the pictures to do all the talking. I created an online magazine spread for the benefit of our real estate agent as well as a means of an online portfolio for myself so I can show what I can offer others.
Enjoy. 🙂
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Click HERE for the fullsize online YUDU magazine spread.
And I have to just thank Layla from The Lettered Cottage. When I saw her magazine spread for the cottage she decorated, I ’bout died. I had no idea this format was available to us. Thanks for your never ending inspiration you offer my way, Layla!
What do you think about this format for helping to sell a home?
Yup, it’s still on! Click HERE to enter!
Are you a part of the fun?Â
We’re all purging as a group effort and offering up daily de-junking tips on Facebook.Â
Join in the BAD JUNK Challenge!
Sorry about your mom. You did a nice job bringing lovely back to the house!
Donna, thank you so much for this! We are currently working on getting my parent’s home ready to sell. We have stripped the wallpaper, patched walls, changed out flooring, and so much more and yet it is now devoid of any sort of personality when it used to be so full of life!
I will take these great hints and do something similar. I believe it will really make a difference, so thank you very much for this!
Kat 🙂
Awesome. I’m sure UR mother is smiling upon U.
It looks great Donna… very professional. I hope your agent makes lots of copies available for people to take home from the showings. We were given a mini “book” of the house we bought… loved that idea.
Kendra
I’m so sorry to hear about your mom, Donna. But you did good by her by breathing life back into her lovely home. You certainly have a decorator’s touch, girly. It all looks so very welcoming. And thanks for the tips. We have a rental house we need to sell in 2 years after our renters move on, so I’m gathering all the ideas I can…. 🙂
xoxo laurie
You did a wonderful job making it have charm again!! 😉 so sorry to hear about you mom..Hugs,Rachel
I think you did a wonderful job bringing warmth back into the house. Everything looks so pretty. Love the mantel. As a buyer though, I’d want more information about the house. Such as square feet, electric or gas, age of the home and stuff like that. Is there a way to add more information?
I think you added just the right amount of funky coziness to your Mom’s home. I’m sure she is looking down & giving a big thumb’s up! The pictures are a breath of fresh air from the usual realtor’s photos… they definately make the home feel more inviting. Good luck with a speedy sale! 🙂
#7 Anita, absolutely! I don’t know if the portfolio will be even used this round for the real deal but if it is, I’ll be enhancing the works to incorporate important info if need be.
Donna
Wow. This is perfect. A great way to highlight an empty home, but make it “homey”, too. Yes, the house is singing again. I’m sure this wasn’t the easiest task. I always love looking at your designs.
Blessings,
Becky C
Always thinkin’, ain’t ya!!
The home looks fabulous!! You filled it perfectly with wit and charm! The magazine spread is lovely! Really shows off the beautiful home and your mom would be proud, I am sure!!
And it is one gorgeous home. For it is definitely more than a house since you put your touches into it. Well done!!
Hugs
SueAnn
You did an amazing job! I love the magazine spread and even empty the house has warmth and charm, something that is hard to imagine in a completely empty house. As a former Realtor and stager (who dealt with many very unimaginative clients), I can say you did this perfectly. I’m sure your mom would be super proud of how beautiful you made her home.
It’s absolutely beautiful! Just the right amount to get someone begging for more!!! I want to walk around inside NOW!
The photos are so pretty! I mean that’s the word. Pretty. And stylish. And clean. Oh so clean! You are amazing! Once again! Adding old country charm to this more modern style home! I hope your phone starts ringing off its hook!!!
xo
~K
Now there is a fun business to start…’Staging For Sale’ and taking nice photos like that for the realtor will sell houses fast! Great idea.
I am so sorry to hear about your Mom, you can know how proud she is of you! Nice job. It must have been hard to be alone there.
I am very sorry about your mom Donna. I am sure that she is smiling down on you and your son and all that you have accomplished. What a wonderful tribute to put your touch into her home, even if you have to sell it. That must have been hard at times but you did a wonderful job!
Your mom’s house looks great – I’m about to sell a house and we’re doing some renovations – will have to keep some of your ideas in mind! Thanks for stopping by from Margos place! Nice to meet you! Keep up the great junking!
You did a beautiful staging! I love the magazine format!
Looks great! And that magazine thingy is really cool!
Danielle
Perhaps it would alleviate some of your discomfort if you thought of this as a public declaration of your love for your mother. Because the love DOES show here, Donna, and it will attract people without them even being conscious of it. Love always does, yes? 🙂
Your Mom’s house looks warm, inviting and amazing. I LOVE that whole YUDU magazine spread. That is sooo cool!