No.  However, it is all too often confused with decorating, yet they are two distinctly different things.  In the past, this confusion has caused home sellers to undervalue the benefits of using a professional Home Staging Consultant to help sell their homes.  In today’s challenging “buyer’s market”, home staging plays a vital role in how successfully a home sells - from how long it remains on the market to how much of a return you can get on your investment.  

How is home staging different from decorating?  

1. When we decorate a home for a client, we personalize it to create a space that reflects the owners’ unique and personal tastes.  – When we stage a home for sale, we de-personalize it.  The fact is that when you put your home up for sale, you must create a home environment that potential buyers can easily picture themselves living in.  You should remove all religious items, photos and diplomas.  You must shift your thinking from “my home” to “my investment for which I want to get as much of a return on as possible.”  This can be rather emotional for many home owners.
2. HOW DO I MAKE MY HOME STAND OUT FROM THE COMPETITION?  This is the question that home owners Steve any Tina S. asked me when I was at their home for their complimentary design consult (CDC).  Their children were all grown and they were ready to downsize.  Here’s what we did for them:

• We started by brightening up the home.  We removed old, dark drapes and replaced them with simple, cost-effect, up-to-date window valances.
  
• We then re-arranged their furniture and even stored some of their unnecessary furniture items in the attic; as these pieces were just making the home look and feel cluttered.
  
• We up-dated the kitchen by painting the existing cabinets and replacing the old laminate counter tops with a solid surface counter top.  This gave the room a fresh, new, and a more upscale look.
  
• We also spruced up the front entry with some fresh paint on the door and some colorful potted plants.
  
• We removed their personal family photos and any religious symbols that they had on display.  This was a bit difficult for Tina, but seeing the value in doing this to help the home to sell made it easier.
  
• Since their neighborhood attracted a lot of young families with children, we converted the extra bedroom (which Steve and Tina were using as a catch-all storage are for their miscellaneous “stuff”) into a child’s room/guest room.  We painted the walls a bright cheerful color, added a day bed, and kept the small writing desk that was already there.
  
• Lastly, we purchased beautiful bedding, new shower curtains and towels for the baths, and a few other accessories for the home.  This was fun and exciting for Tina, because she new that she would use these items in their new home.

Steve and Tina were amazed at how far a small investment can go.  We really stretched their dollars.  Here’s what they had to say when we finished: 

“Gavi, we are so, so, glad that we called you!  We knew that we needed to make some real changes to get our home sold but we didn’t know exactly what those changes should be.  We NEVER would have thought of the things that you though of!  The most pleasant surprise was how much you were able to do with our limited budget.  Thank you so, so much!”

Their home sold within the first month on the market and they got more for it than they thought they could.  Mission accomplished!!