Home Staging...Is it worth it?

Bedroom AFTER

Bedroom BEFORE

The housing market is red hot right now!  Buyers are searching through listings online 24/7.  Whether your house is currently on the market, or you are thinking about selling soon, you should definitely consider home staging!  Studies have shown that most buyers are determining whether or not they want to see a home by the photos they see online.  Staged homes photograph like a magazine spread!  I'll throw some statistics at you at the bottom of this page, but right now let's get into a project that I just completed.  These finished rooms are not just for show!  The elements I used are perfectly suitable for everyday living, as well as preparing your home to sell.  This remodel may be a little more extreme than a typical staging, but I still would apply the same principles when it comes to the finishing touches.  In the before photo of the bedroom, you can see that the room is off balance due to the fact that there is only one window.  To visually balance this out, I used a mirror painted in the trim color and dressed it like a window. 

Old chippy bench!

How 'bout that paneling?!  I love the texture paneling brings to a room, but it must be painted!  In this bedroom, I chose Sherwin Williams Silvermist for the walls.  The ceiling is SW Muslin and the trim is a custom match to the kitchen cabinets so that the entire house flows from one end to the other.

Accessories from KalamazooKitty.com

The majority of the furniture, and almost all the accessories in this bedroom, came from KalamazooKitty! Antique side tables painted with Heirloom Traditions Paint, an old weathered chippy bench, a vintage fan and a stack of old books finish off the room.  We also added a dark stain to the beams, changed out the ceiling fan, and removed the popcorn from the ceiling.  Popcorn belongs in a bucket...at a movie theatre...with a ton of butter.  It never belongs on a ceiling!  Removing it is easier than you would think (check out Pinterest for how-to's on removing popcorn ceilings).

Adjoining Office BEFORE

The adjoining office received a make-over as well.  After removing the built-in desk and painting the walls SW Netsuke, I added several more pieces from KalamazooKitty.  An antique desk that just needed a shot of Old English, a tall bookshelf that I painted DIY Black Velvet, 2 chocolately brown slipper chairs with another antique table in between, and a vintage coat rack for scarves, hats or ties. You may also notice the unique art in all the photos!

Adjoining Office AFTER

The Michigan plank, the KALAMAZOO planks, the metal LAKE and the embossed "B" are all handmade, unique pieces that came from the booths at the KalamazooKitty West Main location.  Let's not overlook the birdcage light...another great find from the West Main location!  This small bathroom was almost completely gutted from top to bottom.  Probably more than a seller would be doing to stage a home to sell, but the finishing touches would still apply. I transformed an old buffet/dresser into a vanity with a partial drop-in sink, found the metal mirror at KalamazooKitty (not to mention the soap dispenser!), and all new tile in the shower.  To save money, we went with a simple subway tile with very tiny gray grout lines.  Classic and pretty, but inexpensive! More photos Here.

Bathroom AFTER

Bathroom AFTER

Bathroom BEFORE

The walls in this bathroom are painted SW Ecru.  A couple of old barn trusses make great shelves above the toilet with mason jars to hold cotton balls and Q-tips.  I made the towel bar and toilet paper holder out of black iron pipe fittings that I picked up at a home improvement store.  Just be sure to clean the fittings  REALLY well before hanging a white towel on it!  You can usually find the toilet paper holders at KalamazooKitty, as well.  Whether you are redecorating a room or staging your home to sell, remember to keep it simple, uncluttered and user-friendly! Not the DIY type, but you need to stage and sell your home? Fear not! 
I stage exclusively for my husband's listings and make sure all his homes sparkle like new and make potential buyers feel right at home!  Representing Jaqua Realtors of Kalamazoo, Phil Copeland is available to help you find the perfect place to call home, or help you sell your existing home and move on to the next phase in your life.  Be ready for your house to sell quickly, as Phil's homes are staged perfectly to bring in buyers from the beautiful photos online. 

Phil Copeland, Jaqua REALTOR

Remember, shopping for a home starts at home on the computer!  Still wondering if staging is worth the time and money?  Statistics show that professionally staged homes sell faster and for more money than unstaged homes.  Having your home on the market can be stressful and inconvenient.  So having it on the market for a very short period of time is ideal!  Phil can get your home listed, staged and sold in a hurry so that you can move on to your dream home...which he can find for you as well :).
To see the rest of this project, click here!

This is from Kalamazoo...to you!