The Home Staging Mistake You Are Probably Making

There are many hapless stagers out there making a common home staging mistake, not even realizing they are putting the emphasis on the WRONG THING.

Confusing decorating and real estate staging is why many people think they don’t need to hire a professional home stager if their home is already decorated. Contrary to popular belief, home staging isn’t about making rooms pretty.

Let’s see if you’ve made an all-to-common home staging mistake that could cost you time and money.

In the Expert Psychological Stager™ training course, I teach my students how to use the concepts of visual perception, architectural harmony, and memory points to put the focus where it belongs – on the architectural selling points of the home, NOT on the furnishings. Our June graduating class experienced firsthand how to apply the concepts they learned in this historic Nashville property that had been on the market for six months.

Take a look at the first impression view of this occupied home. Don’t think about it or analyze it – just focus on your emotional response. How does the room make you feel? What are the first things you notice? What will you remember?

Viewing those two photos, you may have felt cramped and tight. Perhaps you felt put off by the gold walls. Maybe you noticed the piano, the scrolly sconces above the fireplace, the Tuscan boob lights.

Ok, now let’s look at the EPS™-staged version of the space and ask yourself the same questions. How does the room make you feel? What are the first things you notice? What will you remember about it later?

Do you feel the difference? In the first set of photos, you may have focused on the furnishings, on the dark wall color, on the dated light fixtures. In the second set of photos, you likely noticed the architecture: the sense of space, the hardwood floors, the fireplace, the millwork and transoms, the staircase newel post. A big home staging mistake is unwittingly putting the focus on the furniture rather than the architecture.

Read the full article here.

• Author
• Recent Posts

Follow me

Kristie Barnett

RESA Expert at The Decorologist

Kristie Barnett lives with her family in a restored historic home in beautiful Nashville, TN.She left a career in psychology in 2003 to pursue a more creative path in the home staging and design industry. Better known as “The Decorologist®” since 2009, Kristie has written over 1,300 design articles and has been featured in dozens of national magazines and online news outlets. She has trained and mentored hundreds of professionals across North America in home staging and paint color specification and authored the popular book, Psychological Staging® – The Home Staging Secrets of The Decorologist.

Follow me

Latest posts by Kristie Barnett (see all)

• Tips for Staging a Historic Home for Sale - October 19, 2022
• 4 Mistakes to Avoid When Starting a Staging Business - March 8, 2021
• The Home Staging Mistake You Are Probably Making - August 9, 2018