Home Staging That Looks Like the Magazines

Have you ever flipped through a “Homes & Gardens” magazine and seen homes with an endless supply of elegance and sophistication? Do you yearn to recreate those beautifully decorated estates to sell your property for top dollar? You’re in luck! There are plenty of ways to give your home that “model home” look and stage your home to sell successfully.

Home staging is the act of decorating your home to attract prospective buyers. Creating a beautiful and inviting atmosphere is key to successful staging, and modeling yours after gleaming magazine homes is a fantastic way to achieve favorable results. Research shows time and time again that staging helps sell homes. The 2019 Profile of Home Staging report shows that 25% of sellers’ agents saw a significant reduction in days on the market for staged homes, with only 12% claiming that staging had no effect.

How you go about staging makes an enormous impact on how buyers see your home, influencing their desire to make an offer. You will certainly increase your chances of selling when following these tips for making your La Jolla luxury home look like it came out of a magazine. From deep cleaning to strategic design, there are many ways to make your home look more polished. Read on to learn about different methods to help your home look magazine-ready and get sold quickly.

Before delving into the specifics of getting your home magazine ready for staging, let’s discuss the basics for successfully staging your home.

Keeping your home in tip-top shape is the first and foremost task of importance when it comes to staging your home. If prospective buyers park outside your home and see a tattered fence and a chaotic garden area, they will likely move on to the next listing. Presenting your home’s best foot forward ensures that buyers will explore your home further. A pristine property cleaned from top to bottom screams “turnkey” to a potential buyer. Invest in professional deep cleaning to make sure every single inch of your home is addressed — this will not go unnoticed by buyers.

Buyers will have a difficult time envisioning their lives unfolding in the home if someone else’s pictures and heirlooms are studded throughout the property. Remove all family photos, trinkets, and personal items from the hallways, living room, kitchen, dining room, primary bedroom, and bathroom. De-personalizing the space gives buyers a chance to imagine their sofa here and their wall of family photos there.

When you’ve lived in a home for an extended period, you tend to overlook minor issues and repairs that give your home a lived-in feeling. However, when it comes to staging your home to sell, you want to address these issues long before staging. Your chipped windowsills and crown molding may seem insignificant, but buyers will quickly notice them and may even think your home is poorly maintained. Most minor fixes are affordable and require just a few hours of your time, so put in some elbow grease to ensure you present a beautiful and tidy home.

Now that you have grasped home staging basics, let’s move on to the decor and details needed to change your home from lived-in to fabulous and magazine-ready.

While you may have eccentric taste in paint and furniture, not everyone does. It’s best to keep things clean and classic, straying away from flashy design trends that will have some folks rethinking making an offer. Neutral tones are always a winner, so ditch the bright teal or deep merlot and opt for cream and maybe some muted colors for contrast and interest without being over-the-top. Consider some beautiful yet refined beach-inspired paint colors to compliment your La Jolla luxury home. Furniture should be neutral in color yet cozy and inviting enough to tempt guests into having a seat and imagine themselves sipping a post-work glass of wine.

Lighting makes the big difference between an average home and one straight from a magazine. A luxury estate boasts light fixtures that enhance the space’s style and color, making it instantly look posher and professionally styled. Layering lighting is a surefire way to add interest and efficiency, placing task lighting where needed with spotlights in other areas to create focal points. Good lighting brings every element of a home together, so don’t skimp on the search for the perfect fixtures and placement. Note that lights don’t have to be expensive, but they will certainly transform the look of any room. Check out this guide to planning your home's lighting for inspiration.

Creating contrast is a simple yet effective way to make a room appear more upscale and eye-catching. The best part of contrast is that it can be achieved using various design elements to match the aesthetic you’re going for. Contrasting colors, textures, patterns, and more will instantly make the space more interesting. Consider layering textures to add depth and contrasting colors to add appeal and a luxurious air to your estate effortlessly.

One typical mistake sellers make when staging is decorating only at eye level. Leaving your towering walls bare creates an unbalanced appearance that might deter potential buyers from pursuing your home. Don’t overlook your vertical space — it defeats the purpose of staging! Make good use of the upper walls, paying close attention to how each element looks next to your window treatments. Buyers should be impressed when viewing your home, no matter which direction they look. Consider adding hanging plants, tall bookshelves or ledges, lengthy candle holders, or other components that draw the eyes toward the ceiling. The beauty is in the details, so don’t overlook your walls when staging.

Are you looking to sell your La Jolla luxury home? Contact Celeste Dunn to assist with all your San Diego real estate needs.