Staging Lite

Staging on a Budget

Regular readers of this blog know that I'm a big fan of staging.

But what if you don't have the money?

Or you have a 5,000 square foot home, and staging would be prohibitively expensive?

I'd still make the case that a half (or a quarter) loaf is better than none.

Establishing Priorities

So, especially for a home that has a focal "Great Room," staging just that room sets a nice tone -- and can help Buyers visualize how the rest of the house would look staged.

Another version of "staging lite" involves a home with larger spaces that have already been emptied out, either because the owner has moved, or the furnishings were very dated and have been donated or sold (typically, as part of an estate sale to ready the home for market).

Then, a combination of area rugs and inexpensive wall art (prints, mirrors and the like) can define rooms and help Buyers visualize the space better.

Housing Trends 2010 (Cont.): 'Cranking up the Volume'

Beyond Finished Square Feet

In a tight economy, builders and homeowners alike must figure out how to make their houses live and feel bigger without increasing their finished square feet (and therefore cost).

How do you do that?

Increase the volume.

Huh??

Whereas square footage is two-dimensional, volume is three dimensional.

Consider two identical homes, except one has 10' ceilings throughout, the other 8' ceilings: the former literally has 25% more volume!

Other techniques to make homes feel bigger without increasing their footprint include:

--Wider halls and staircases;

--More (and larger) windows;

--Turning unfinished dark, interior basement space --now an afterthought in many homes -- into very finished, high tech space (typically, a media room with lots of wires and cables, recessed lighting, and even in-floor heat)

--A modified "Great Room" design (few interior walls) featuring a combined Kitchen/Family Room -- typically with a fireplace and elaborate surround as the focal point of the latter.

Take all this extra volume; add formerly wasted but now "technologically re-purposed" space (like the media room); and suddenly an already big, 4,000 square foot can feel positively huge!

Or, a 2,500 square foot can easily suffice instead of a 3,500 square foot home.