Staging Tip #3: Staging an Entryway
Today we will discuss entryway staging. Prospective buyers may drive by your home if the curb appeal and front entrance are a disaster. Buyers form their first impressions on the outside and when they walk into the front door.
We are writing a sequence of tips to help you prepare your home for sale. The first tip we offered shared how to let go of your home. The second tip addresses the importance of curb appeal and how to achieve it.
If you read Tip #2, which addressed curb appeal, and applied even half of the items on this list you will be ahead of the curve. If you can stand on the street and see a well groomed yard, fresh, clean front porch and maybe a fresh coat of paint on the front door, then the curb appeal will be even better. The truth is that your house has about 10 seconds to capture the attention of a potential buyer. Buyers have been known to cancel an appointment just from what they see when they drive up to a house.
What a buyer sees when they walk in the front door is just as important as curb appeal! A good test is to walk out of your front door and close it behind you. Think about walking back in with the idea that you want to consider buying this house. Now come in…what is your immediate reaction…what do you feel? The key word is “feel” because you want the buyer to feel good about what they see, excited that this could be their new home.
Below is a list of things you can do to give your buyers that first feel of “home sweet home”.
- Add an entry table or bench – Whether you have a foyer or not, an entry table or bench provides warmth and functionality; a place to drop your keys, store small items, place a lamp. If your front entrance steps directly into the living room, an entry table or bench will help define the entrance from the living room. The bench or table can also present the inspiration to set up the entire living area!
- Add a light – Lights add warmth to a house so why not begin with the entry. Even in sunny South Florida, we can have cloudy days so adding a proportionately appropriate lamp will help. If you have a foyer, consider replacing an old overhead light with a stylish, yet subtle overhead light that provides adequate lighting without being the sole focus.
- Add focus – Try a mirror or size appropriate picture. Remember, your entry is what “greets” the buyer in your absence. Does your front door enter into a long hall? Place a piece of furniture and art at the end of the hall to create the illusion that it is closer which will also tie it in to the entrance.
- Keep It Simple – Remember the entry sets the tone. You want the buyer’s eyes to focus on where to go next rather than settle on all the “stuff” you have sitting in your entrance. Replace your wall of family photographs with a single nice art piece that compliments colors in your décor or hang a mirror. Place no more than three to five items on your entry table depending on the size of your entrance and the table.
The photographs should help you visualize what you can do with your own space. You may have just what you need already in other rooms of the house that are better suited for your entrance. Expensive purchases are not typically necessary to gain the look you want.
Has this information been helpful? Give us your feedback. Let us know if there is a topic you would like for us to address. Need the assistance from a professional Stager? Contact Vicki Grant, CEO of Grant Home Staging Services, grantstaging@gmail.com or (305) 394-9201, staging Key West homes since 2009.
Photos courtesy of Dana@HouseTweaking, HGTV: Bender-and-Associates-Architects_Cornfeld-Residence and DP Weaver
