Occupied Staging: Using What You've Got

So there are basically two types of staging: vacant and occupied. Vacant is pretty much what it sounds like - the house is empty, and it needs to be furnished for real estate marketing photos. Vacant stagers are rock stars. They own their own furnishings, warehouse it, design the space, deliver it, stage it, and then take it all down when it's done.

I specialize in occupied staging because I'm first and foremost at REALTOR® and then secondly an Expert Psychological Stager™. Occupied staging is where the home stager uses the homeowner's furnishings to market the home for real estate. Often the client is so surprised at how amazing their house looks like after staging. A seller's home is decorated and designed to fit THEIR lifestyle. But when it's time to sell that home, that's where I come in to edit and tweak the home to sell a lifestyle. Because let's face it people don't just buy a house, they are buying a new lifestyle.

Here's a great example of working with what the client already had.

The client had these two chairs in the bedroom. There was a tv directly in front of the chairs, so the arrangement fit the client's lifesytle. But I needed to market this home to a broad audience, plus the room looked crowded in photos, and home staging is ALL ABOUT the photos!

Now I also had another dilemma. The dining room was sad and lonely. It only had a small curio cabinet in the corner to keep it company.

Remember, I'm an occupied stager. I don't keep large furniture on me. Now, the client had a breakfast area off the kitchen that had a dining set. But that kitchen was GORGEOUS. It didn't need any help. So what do you think I did?

That's right! I stole that dining set from the breakfast area and moved it into the dining room and set it with place settings. Goodbye curio cabinet and undefined space! Hello spacious dining room; you are now the star of the show!

Look how much happier she looks! So what about those chairs in the bedroom? Well, I found a home for them in the breakfast area. I stole a side table out of the man cave and arranged those chairs into a cozy coffee nook.