Helena Talbot's blog - Home Staging And What You Don't See

You have all heard of "home staging" and you probably know how important it is when you are trying to sell your home.  However, what you may not have thought of is what home staging can mean when you are trying to buy a home.  If you  are buying a home, you need to be especially aware of what lies underneath all of that beautiful and distracting decor.

Here are the most common home staging cover up techniques.

1.  Small Scale Furniture.  Quite frequently, when a stager sees a room that is clearly too small and wants to create the illusion of being larger than it is - they use smaller furniture to decorate.  This makes any room look larger than it really is

2.  The Camouflage Technique.  You know that we all use scent to cover up smells.  Well, just like scent a stager will use soft music and window covering to hide what they don't want you to see.   When viewing a home ask to have the music turned off and open all of those beautiful window coverings.  What do you hear?  Road noise, a barking dog, airplanes or perhaps some really noisy neighbors.  Additionally, it is equally important to look out every window.  What do you see?  Power poles, a trash dump, another home in complete disrepair, a hoarders paradise complete with rats?  Needless to say - look and listen - then decide

3.  What's Behind That Door?  Just like the camouflage technique, stagers will use decor to distract you from giving the home a thorough inspection.  Many people feel uncomfortable about opening the cabinet doors, the pantry door and the linen closet.  Don't be.  It is extremely important that you look through everything.  What would you do if you moved in and discovered that none of your cabinets had shelves or if that linen closet you needed so desperately was so tiny that it was practically useless

4.  Emotional Props.  Stagers know that certain items draw out emotion in people.  Look for things like a beautiful baby crib, a craft table, yoga mats etc.  Things that give you a peaceful picture and get you visualizing yourself living there.  These types of rooms may very well be something you need but more often than not they are just things on your wish list so don't let the power of suggestion sway you

5.  Something Looks Out Of Place.  Look under that area rug - check the floors, are there any doors missing that should be there-there may be a foundation issue or they are trying to hide a bad floorplan ,  look behind that extra large picture, is there a curtain on one window but not the others

Here is the short list of home staging cover ups.  This will give you a good idea of how it is done.  So the moral of the story is to look up, down, in, out and all around.  Look at everything and then step back and look at it again from a different perspective minus any emotional thoughts you may have about the house.

Your very best resource in helping to uncover a home staging cover up is your real estate agent.  Your realtor sees this kind of thing every day and will probably be able to spot a cover up in a New York minute!

Ispecialize in helping buyers and sellers invest in real estate in Loudoun County and Northern Virginia.

I have over 25 years experience in the real estate industry.  As a Broker/Owner with Exit Realty Talbot and Company, I bring special tools and solutions that enable me to exceed the expectations of my clientele.  If you are considering listing your property in Loudoun County or the nearby areas, ask me about our latest internet marketing systems.  I would appreciate the opportunity to earn your business.  I am experienced in listing and selling short sales.  For information on the short sale process, please visit  www.LoudounShortSaleSolutions.com.

For a free market analysis on the value of your home, please visit http://www.LoudounHomeValues.com

My past awards and designations include – 2003 President of the Dulles Association of Realtors, 2003 Dulles Area Assoc Realtor of the Year, Salesperson of the year 2000 Dulles Area Assoc of Realtors,  Top Producer awards from both the Dulles Area Association and the Northern Virginia Association of Realtors.  I am a member of the Top 5 in Real Estate Network.

I have lived in Loudoun County since 1979.  I am married with two grown children and two grandchildren.  My son in law is my business partner in real estate.  I love to jog in the mornings and spend time relaxing on my Trawler during the summer months.

Loudoun County and Northern Virginia Real Estate Sales and Solutions – Helena Talbot, Broker. I specialize in helping buyers and sellers invest in real estate in the Northern Virginia area to include Loudoun County and surrounding areas including Fairfax, Clarke, Fauquier, Prince William  Counties.  Our local neighborhoods includeLeesburg, Ashburn, Sterling, Potomac Falls, Brambleton, Broadlands, Lansdowne, River Creek, Belmont Country Club, Beacon Hill, Shenstone, Waterford, Lovettsville, Purcellville, Hamilton, Round Hill and Bluemont.                        Cell 703.727.9885    Office 703.574.3800

Free iPhone/Android Mobile App to search Northern Virginia real estate.  2 easy ways to get the App:  Text “Exit9” to 87778 or enter http://87778.mobi/Exit9 into your browser.