Home

Staging
2019

Idea Book
Getting ready to list your home in 2020?

Are you looking for simple, affordable & put-together staging ideas?

Whether you are looking to pull your entire home or just one room/
space together, the Jennings Real Estate Team has created our
“Home Staging Idea Book” for inspiration!

PRESENTED BY
Living Room
They often say your living room, kitchen, and/or master suite can sell
a home. Well, if that is true, it is important to give these three spaces
your attention when getting ready to list!

When it comes time to stage your living room, you want to make
the room feel as large and yet cozy as possible. To make your living
room look larger, we often like to pull furniture away
from the walls, giving a “floating effect.” By pulling
your couches and/or chairs away from the walls,
you center your living room, making it feel larger
and more put together.

Rugs are a great way to tie a room together. We

like to choose a rug with some color and design.
Turkish-style rugs are our favorites because the
colors just go with everything, and can work in any
home! The bigger the living room rug - the better.
8 X 10 or 10 X 13 sized rugs are our go-to. Home-
goods, Lowes, and even Amazon can all have
great, affordable rugs! Tucking your rugs just under
the first legs of your couch and chairs is the best
way to lay out your rug and furniture.

When it comes time to decor, we go for lots of

greenery, like succulents and big house plants.
Also lamps, wooden and metal pieces to go on top
of coffee tables, stands, and sofa tables.
Kitchen
The Kitchen- the heart of the home! When buyers are looking for
the right home, the kitchen is almost always an important factor.
Whether you have a large kitchen with a center island, or maybe a
smaller, cozier kitchen, there are ways to make your kitchen stand
out!

The first thing we always recommend, is to start thinking about everything you have
on your kitchen counter tops. The less kitchenware you have out- the better. While
we highly recommend you leave one or two things out, depending on counter space
(like your coffee pot or mixing bowl)- having
less out can make your kitchen look bigger.

Next, we suggest decluttering the refrigera-

tor door. Too many cards, photos, or magnets
on a refrigerator can be distracting for some
buyers.

We like to decorate our kitchens with cook-

books, assortments of vertically stacked cut-
ting boards, and fresh or fake fruit. Pops of
color from fruit such as lemons, limes, or or-
anges look great in any kitchen! We also love
putting out a seasonal bouquet of flowers on
the center island or counter top before the
professional photos are taken!
Dining
If your home has a dining area or formal dining room, this space can
be fun and worth staging! Not every buyer has a formal dining room
on their “must-have” list when searching for a home, but when staged
right, buyers can find reasoning behind why a home with such space
could be so wonderful!

Setting your table before professional photos and even showings/

open houses, draws the eye to the area and gives it a “homey” feel.
Neutral colored placemats are a great touch, as well as table runners,
and a seasonal bouquet of flowers.
Great Room
Some of you may ask, “What is the difference between a great room and
a living room?” When it comes to these two living spaces, a living room is
considered more of a formal entertaining space, where as the great room
is considered more casual and tends to be used on a daily basis. Great
rooms are often included in a more open floor plan and most often include
high or vaulted ceilings.

While staging a great room is very similar to staging a living room, with
a lot of the same tactics, there are several ways to
stage your great room to make it look more cozy and
inviting, making a future buyer imagine themselves
spending time there.

Stacking books and magazines on coffee tables

and sofa tables is one idea, and laying a cozy throw
blanket over the shoulder of a sofa or chair can look
inviting! Throw pillows with texture or pops of color
are a great feature as well. Topping off a coffee table
with a tray filled with a candle, books, or a succulent
is a staging go-to for our team!
Family Room
We find that family rooms are often found in basements
or in a bonus room of the home. Many times they feature
wet bars, large TVs/projectors for movies, games, and/or
space to spread out and be creative.

When it comes time to stage a family room, we like to

paint a picture for a future buyer of what they can do with
this additional living space.

Games displayed on tables, beverages neatly displayed

on counters, and cozy throw blankets and pillows
all help paint this picture of a family room. Like
other spaces, it is important to not have too much
out, as we have to leave some imagination for the
future buyer!
Bedroom
Whether it’s the master suite or the guest room, bedrooms are nice to stage-up
to add extra character to a home.

While it may be common sense to most folks, the number one rule of staging
a bedroom is to always make sure the bed is made and put together neatly for
professional photos and showings.

When adding a little character to a bedroom, the bedding is a great place to

start. Neutral duvet covers are ideal, but working with what you already have
is always possible. Adding throw pillows with texture, and subtle color can add
character as well as throw blankets laid at the end of the bed. A tray at the end
of the bed with magazines and candles is the cherry on top!

When it comes to night stands, we always say it is important to have matching

stands and lamps if you have them on both sides of the bed. Succulents, woven
baskets, and stacked books are great additions to any bedroom.
Bath
They say that on average, a human spends almost 92 days in
the bathroom over the span of their life. While these rooms in the
home can often be overlooked, they are important to consider
when staging your home for the potential buyer.

Because bathrooms are typically smaller spaces, they don’t take

a lot to spruce up! If you have a standard shower, shower curtains
are always where we like to start, as they dictate the color scheme
of the space. Sticking to a more neutral curtain, or one with one to
two colors is what we like to go with.

Displaying neatly hung towels over towel rods and even

neatly displaying folded hand towels on the counter add
some character to the space. Trays of soaps, lotions,
and candles are also another “cherry on top!”
Laundry/Mudroom
Some buyers dream of a nicer laundry/mudroom
when searching for homes.

The first thing we suggest doing when staging your

laundry/mudroom is to organize and find space to
put away all soaps and cleaners. While this is the
main purpose of the room, cluttered counters and
shelves do not do these spaces any justice.

Baskets, succulents, and word art can all add char-

acter to a laundry/mudroom. It’s important to make
this space look crisp and clean!

If your home happens to have a built in cubby system and/or a

bench, make sure not too much is seen hanging from the cub-
bies for professional photography and showings. Adding just a
few small throw pillows to a bench is also a nice little touch.
Entry
The entryway is the first thing a poten-
tial buyer sees when walking into your
home. You want to create a great first
impression upon entering!

Larger front entry rugs can go a long way! Don’t go too light in color, as
they may track in a lot of dirt from potential buyer’s shoes. If you have
enough space next to your front entryway, benches are a nice touch as
well as a front entry table. We often use decorative mirrors, plants, and
baskets.
Exterior
Curb appeal, curb appeal, curb appeal! Have
you ever heard the phrase, “don’t judge a book
by it’s cover?” While the meaning is great, most
buyers don’t tend to put this phrase into practice
when looking for homes. The first photo most
buyers see of your home is the exterior, and if
you want to make a great first impression, this
space is very important!

Having a well maintained yard and landscaping

just makes your home look that much better to
a potential buyer. Adding fresh mulch or rock to
your flower beds when getting ready to list your
home is a smart idea and worth the effort and
money. If it isn’t during the winter months, plants
always add to curb appeal!

Decks and patios should be set for an invitation

to relax and enjoy the outdoors as an extension
of the interior living space. Pillows on chairs and
flowers on tables can add that pop of color.
Extra space
Do you have extra space that you just don’t know what to do
with? Sometimes less is more, but in some cases, that one
space needs a little something.

We often find that just adding a cozy chair and table can add
value to a space. We’ve seen extra space turned into little
office spaces by adding a desk and chair with some small
office decor, books, or succulents!
We can help
Hopefully you found some of our tips to be
inspiring and helpful. We often find that stag-
ing a home can be rewarding and even fun!
While sometimes getting your home ready to
sell can be daunting, having a game plan and
help from a Realtor® can make the process
that much smoother! Finding the right buyer
for your home is often done with much more
success when you have a Realtor® on your
side! If you don’t know where to start or want
additional advice in getting your home ready,
give the Jennings Real Estate Team a call!
Your Home. Your Story.
Our Commitment.
RE/MAX Real Estate Center
1606 S. Duff Avenue, Ames, Iowa
Bill Jennings - Agent 515-291-5153
Traci Jennings - Lead Agent 515-291-8720
Heather Julich - Agent 515-451-6083
Elli Jennings - Agent 515-291-8701
Abigail Jennings - Showing Agent 515-291-1222
Ann Culver - Marketer 515-509-0975
RE/MAX Real Estate Center Office 515-232-4663