Jami Lin’s Feng Shui, Interior Design, ColorAlchemy & Skin Care

Here’s an article that features some of my tips for staging a house for sale.

http://www.scrippsnews.com/node/21036

By HELEN MALANI
Tuesday, April 10, 2007

Normally I write about buying things. This week I’m writing about selling _ your home that is. I’m saddened to see friends’ homes linger on the real estate market when, with just a little effort, they could appeal to a wider audience. Just as a retailer needs to merchandise its goods effectively to attract buyers, so do home owners who are looking to sell. In real estate terms I’m talking about staging your home.

If you’re lucky to have a real estate agent with a sense of design, she may stage the home for you. If not, find a professional home stager at www.stagedhomes.com. Shop around and ask for referrals. Prices can vary greatly depending on the market, size of house and services provided. Some home stagers will apply that fee toward the actual staging of your home. The goal here is to not spend money on more things; find a stager who will work with what you already have or lend their own props to you.

For tips on doing it yourself, I turned to two pros from the Comfort Council (www.comfortcouncil.com) a Web site offering design and living tips. Both Debbie Zimmer a color expert and Jami Lin who provides Feng Shui guidance agreed the most important thing is a buyer’s first impression. Hoses and garbage cans should be out of sight. Paint the front door. The landscaping should be manicured. And “paint the area that the front door opens into,” Zimmer says, “a potential home purchase will make their decision very quickly.”

I was hoping to find a Feng Shui cure for homes that won’t sell but it’s not magic; rather one of the most basic principles of Feng Shui is that decluttering improves the flow of energy or chi. Think your home is clutter free? Think again. Visit a homebuilder’s model home in your area and see how yours compares. Then make changes. Beyond cleaning up, Lin says, “People don’t like to take their artwork (or accessories) down but artwork is very personal. Even if you think it is nondescript, don’t make assumptions. The more vanilla you can make a space the better it can be.”

Vanilla is just the term to describe an interior, which will appeal to the largest segment of buyers. Whites, beige, creams, allow buyers to picture their own furniture and style in the room. If you can invest in one change, paint the interior. If finances or time allows you to do only one or two rooms Zimmer advises that you paint the kitchen and bath.

Tips to staging your own home:

_ First impressions count: Make sure the front yard and entry are impeccable.

_ Color matters: If you can invest in one change, paint the interior in a neutral color.

_ The nose knows: The only smell in your home should be a pleasantly scented candle burning.

_ Pull up the rugs: Area, hall, kitchen and bath rugs. It makes any room look bigger.

_ One item per surface: Lin’s rule of thumb is one display item per horizontal surface, like a counter or table.

This entry was posted on Wednesday, March 12th, 2008 at 9:56 pm and is filed under Feng Shui/Interior Design. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. You can leave a response, or trackback from your own site.