I had a mommy/baby play date yesterday and joined 5 other moms at Freedom Park. It was great to get out of the house-admittedly more so for me than for Ellie. All of the babies there were older than Ellie so it was great to listen to their “horror” stories and know that I’m not alone and that after getting through the newborn stage, child-rearing will get easier.
One of the gals, Valerie, mentioned that she may be looking to move soon. Right now, she, her husband, and new baby are in a condo uptown (something they invested in when they were spry newlyweds who dined out most nights of the week and frequented Happy Hours sans baby) and they are now being squeezed out with all the baby swings, baby bouncers, Bumbo’s, Tummy Time mats, and other baby necessities. (I use the term “baby necessities” loosely obviously. And I’m not passing judgment on Valerie and her newly decorated condo-my own home has slowly transformed from young, elegant, & modern to infantile, silly, and cluttered). This home metamorphosis is exactly where our conversation led.
Valerie wondered: How can I show my home and sell it to folks who will most likely be a young couple, a single banker, or an empty-nester couple when it appeals only to 8-month olds? I was proud of Valerie for even recognizing the importance of staging and setting the tone for her potential buyers. She thought back to 9th grade Writing Class and said: “Who will be my audience?”
We talked about how Valerie & her husband must make it appear to the general public they that do not have an infant at home. In fact, she needed to make the home appear as though no one in particular lives there. I don’t mean, of course, that the condo be vacant, but that it looks simply like a new home or a home that is on display for Parade of Homes. The buyer must be able to envision themselves living there and unless they have an infant (which they probably won’t since they’re looking for a condo Uptown) then the minute they walk into 673-D they will mentally take this option out of potential purchases. I’ve seen it dozens of times: a couple walks in to a home with excitement and hope and you can see it melt off their face when the home is poorly decorated, cluttered, dirty, or “just not my style.”
Valerie’s next steps:
1. Decide if they’re really ready to put their home on the market
2. Find somewhere to store the extra “things” that are cluttering the condo (an attic, a friend’s house, a storage unit). “Store away items” might include: the cappuccino machine that’s never been used, the CD tower that goes unused since the iPod joined the family, the toy chest, winter/summer clothes, all family picture frames, extra furniture, etc.
3. Find a specific place for everything that's left in the house (including closets, cabinets, etc.). These items need to be “stored” away but kept close enough to grab for potential daily use. Remember, the house needs to look professionally staged. These items include things like: toothbrushes and other toiletries, superfluous kitchen counter items, dog food bowl, bin near the front door with shoes in it, and other daily items that don’t add to the home’s ambiance.
4. Pack it up or store it away!
Simplicity works in any style home
5. Go back through the house with a visitor’s eye and do it again…pack it up or store it away!
6. Sigh a deep breath of relief at how clean and simple the house feels and prepare for daily visitors-one of whom will BUY THIS CONDO!!!
Thoughtfully staged with minimal clutter
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