Can you over stage a home for sale?

Lisa Lynch

Michael M. wrote me last week, “I was just wondering, is it possible to over stage a place, or go too far with the decluttering?” Yes and maybe.

According to Stager Invasion’s Lisa Lynch, a home can be over staged when there’s something in every space. Check out her video on over staging. What Lisa refers to as over staging is in my opinion an example of over decorating.

Another example of over staging via over decorating is decorating a home for sale in a style that is inappropriate for the home. An example would be decorating a bungalow as if it were a mansion. It’s not what buyers are expecting and would distract them from the home itself.

Over staging via over decluttering is another matter. The ultimate example of over decluttering would be vacating a home for sale. I don’t think that this is always bad. A vacant home may appear less homey, but it may be easier for buyers to visualize it as theirs or visualize changes they might like to make. I think it depends on the home. An example of going too far with decluttering that I think hurts a home’s appeal is emptying some rooms, but not others. It creates confusion as to whether someone is living there or not and disrupts the flow of the home as buyers walk through it.

ABOUT THE AUTHOR

Fran Bailey shows, previews and tracks downtown Chicago homes for sale giving her the insights needed to help her clients negotiate the best price and terms. Fran has been quoted in numerous Chicago and national publications. To schedule showings of listings regardless of broker or to contact Fran email her at fran.bailey@bairdwarner.com or call 773.793.4516. Learn More