When it comes to prepping your property for the market, it's crucial to remember that your beloved home is now a product, ready to woo potential buyers. Congratulations, you're now a small business owner! Your mission? Design your product to attract the biggest crowd possible.
We often encounter sellers with heartfelt requests like, “I adore modern furniture and despise the color orange, so please stage the house my way.”
We smile, nod, and then gently remind them, “Of all the potential buyers, you, dear seller, are not one of them.” As home stagers in Portland, Oregon, or Seattle, Washington, our job is to design not for the seller, but for the buyer. We take into account the home’s location, size, and style to attract the largest demographic possible. If we cater to someone who no longer wants to live there, we’ll completely miss the mark.
Humans have two thinking processes: logical and emotional. When house hunting online, we use our logical brains: “It must have 4 bedrooms, 3 bathrooms, a backyard, be within my budget, and in a desirable location.” Once we spot a promising house, we head over to see it. That’s when the logical brain takes a back seat, and the emotional brain takes the wheel.
The emotional brain is quick to make decisions—it’s the part that yells, “Lion, run!” Meanwhile, the logical brain, slower but wiser, reassures, “Relax, it’s just a stuffed lion.” Both are useful, but understanding their roles helps us grasp how a buyer views a house.
Our logical brain can juggle up to five bits of information at a time (hence phone numbers being in easy-to-remember chunks). The emotional brain, however, focuses on one thing at a time. When buyers view your property, you want them imagining themselves living there. Anything that diverts their emotional attention—a religious symbol, a political poster, or even a quirky vice—distracts from this goal.
A client once shared a story about a giant bear skin rug in the primary bedroom of a house. Potential buyers were so fixated on the rug that they barely noticed the house itself. When I asked what she thought of the house, she admitted, “I don’t recall, none of us were paying attention at the time.” They didn't buy the house—or the rug.
Religious items, be it a crucifix, a Buddha, or a mezuzah, can pull emotional focus, regardless of the buyer's beliefs.
Political items, from sports banners to MAGA hats, or a book by Hillary Clinton, create an us-versus-them vibe. People have even gotten angry when asked to put these items away for showings, proving just how emotionally charged they are.
Emotional vices are easier to spot: drugs, sex, alcohol, nudity, tobacco, and guns should never be on display. Their presence can be distracting, but their absence never will be.
We also steer clear of staging with fur. In the Pacific Northwest, we have many vegans, vegetarians, and animal rights activists. Fur items, especially taxidermy, can be very evocative. No one ever says, “No faux fur or cow skin rug? I hate this place!” But they might see a taxidermied animal and think, “This place just isn’t for me.”
As we enter a transitioning market, selling houses will be tougher. Choosing the right team to help prepare your property can make all the difference. Choose wisely, and happy staging!
