It used to be that the only time I saw staging was in larger apartment buildings. Now I am seeing staging a lot more. I think one of the best things to do when selling your home or renting an apartment is staging. on average staged homes sell faster and for higher prices than non staged homes.

Why stage your home? What you want to do is create a setting that inspires the visitor to imagine themselves living there. You want to show your house in it's best light. By taking out your personal mementos you are making room for the visitor to visualize their things there.

Staging is becoming much more popular and much more affordable! What was once reserved for large companies is now available and more widely used by the public. Still not sure about staging? Try these tips from " Get Staged to Sell" ...

Inside:

1. Clear all unnecessary objects from furniture throughout the house. Keep decorative objects on the furniture restricted to groups of 1, 3, or 5 items.
2. Clear all unnecessary objects from kitchen countertops, tubs, shower stalls and commode tops. Keep only your most needed cosmetics, brushes, perfumes etc., in one small group on the counter. Coordinate towels to one or two colors only.
3. Rearrange or remove some of the furniture if necessary. As owners, many times we have too much furniture in a room. This is wonderful for our own personal enjoyment, but when it comes to selling we need to thin out as much as possible to make rooms appear larger.
4. Take down or rearrange certain pictures or objects on walls. Patch and paint if necessary.
5. Review the inside of the house room by room
6. Paint any room needing paint.
7. Clean carpets or drapes that need it.
8. Clean Windows.
9. If you need room to store extra possessions use the garage or rent a storage unit.
10. Leave on certain lights during the day. During “showings” turn on all lights and lamps.
11. Have the stereo FM on during the day for all viewings.

Outside:

1. Go around the perimeter of the house and move all garbage cans, discarded wood scraps, extra building materials, etc., into the garage.
2. Check gutters for roof moss and dry rot. Make sure they are swept and cleaned.
3. Look at all plants...prune bushes and trees. Keep plants from blocking windows. You can’t sell a house if you can’t see it! Plants are like children—they grow so fast!
4. Weed and then mulch all planting areas. Keep the lawn freshly cut and fertilized. Remove dead plants or shrubs.
5. Clear patios or decks of all small items, such as small planters, flower pots, charcoal, barbecues, toys etc. (Put them in the garage or a storage unit.)
6. Check the paint condition of the house—especially the front door and trim. Curb appeal really works!