The Power of Decluttering

Take a quick look at this photo:

Cluttered office

What did you see?

Did you notice:

• The beautiful bay window?
• The window seat?
• New high-grade carpet?
• A fireplace to the left?
• Plenty of room to put a proper desk?
• The incredible wooded view outside the windows?
• The french door?
• Neutral wall color?

Probably not.  Like most potential home buyers, you likely noticed only the clutter, disorganization and plethora of toys.  And the flat-screen TV sitting in the window!  If you were searching the internet for a new home, chances are you would not be in a big hurry to schedule an appointment to view this house.

This was ALMOST the photo that would have been taken for the MLS listing.  If a home stager (in this case, me!) had not arrived the day before the Realtor was scheduled to photograph and list the property, this would have been a buyer’s first view.  A room full of chaos will evoke an emotional response, but certainly not the response we want.

Now, here is the after photo:

Office after decluttering and staging

In this photo, a whole new room emerges.  Architectural features are not only visible, but spotlighted.  The space has a completely different feel, and the size and scope of the room are evident.

In a stager’s perfect world, the owner would have had an office desk and chair to move into the room and she would have taken down the personal calendar on the wall as I suggested.  She didn’t.  But, you get the idea.  And so will the buyer, which is the whole idea behind home staging.

With the majority of buyers starting their home searches on the internet, it’s crucial that the photos provided on listings look their best.  Decluttering is the first step.

Written by Marianne Sweet
Home Sweet Home Staging, (586) 212-8400
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Tagged as: decluttering, home stager, Home Sweet Home Staging, MLS photos