Charlottesville residents could easily sell their homes without staging 10 years ago. Now, most buyers expect every detail to be covered, from fastidious interior design
to meticulous landscaping, according to local realtor Lorrie Nicholson.
“Staging allows people to visualize themselves in the home and helps create an emotional connection,” Nicholson says. “From my experience, you always see a significant return on staging.”
Several factors have come together to make staging the rule rather than the exception, according to Nicholson. Home improvement television and regular access to real estate websites, Pinterest, etc., means buyers see beautifully staged homes all the time. That means that these days folks have less imagination and less inclination to see past others’ personal effects and clutter.
And while there’s no shortage of tips out there to help sellers get the most out of their home’s appearance—deep clean, go neutral, declutter—Nicholson and local stagers Marybeth Snell and Meg Michaels with Albemarle Staging & Design have a few tricks tailored to the local market.
Own like an out-of-towner
Many vacationers come to central Virginia looking for rental properties, and staging a home for sale shouldn’t be all that different from the way renters configure their spaces. Successful renters are intentional about what they put in their income properties, Snell says; they don’t load them up with the old things they don’t want in their main home.
“We designed a rental home for a client in Wintergreen, and he said, ‘My house looks like your staged homes,’” Michaels says.
Snell and Michaels say a common rule of thumb is that you don’t stage a home the same way you live in a home. But you do stage a home like you live in a vacation home.
Pitch the personal
Many homeowners, particularly older homeowners, grow attached to their heirlooms and personal items. When a stager looks at your things, they have no emotional attachment, and cull your otherwise beautiful antique furniture, oriental rugs, and tchotchkes.
“Charlottesville is such a traditional town,” Michaels says. “Great Grandma’s rug might be worth a fortune, but it distracts the eye.”
Take down your portraits, store your old brown furniture, and roll up your rugs, Snell says. And remember that “red is kryptonite.”
Embrace the outdoors
Charlottesville has a mild, four-season climate, and central Virginia offers great views. Nicholson says those are two things local sellers can seize to gain an edge. Highlight your indoor-outdoor living, and draw attention to windows and other areas where buyers can take in beautiful views of nature, she says. And don’t forget the basics of outdoor staging. A fresh coat of paint and landscaping are critical.
“Landscaping…impacts curb appeal and the buyer’s first impression,” Nicholson says. “Something as small as adding flower pots to a front porch can help create a more inviting entrance.”
Prep to party
Snell and Michaels sum up the tricks of the staging trade simply: Make your home party ready. If you imagine having friends over when staging, you’ll hit all the highlights. A fun and accessible layout—check. Cleanliness and freshness—check. Candles, votives, fresh flowers, fresh fruit, a bar—check.
“Having your home party ready gives it a competitive edge over other homes on the market,” Snell says. “People walk in and immediately relax.”
Michaels says “party ready” means a space that creates an emotional response, a place where buyers can imagine themselves. The combination of a neutral palette and a layout designed to make people use all available spaces “allows buyers’ eyes to flow from room to room.”
Ignore the market
Like many other places, Charlottesville’s real estate market is hot. And while some sellers might be tempted to skip staging when they can earn top dollar anyway, Snell, Michaels, and Nicholson agree that a strong market means you can make even more on your staging investment.
Michaels says she and Snell worked on a house last fall with a floorplan in which many buyers couldn’t imagine living. According to Michaels, when they were done with the place, it sold for way above asking price. “That house was totally party ready,” she says.