Staging Your Home For Resale: Reality Edition

I recently read a great series of posts on one of my favorite blogs called The Nesting Place. It was all about staging your home for resale--basically, creative ways to make your house stand out over all the others when you're trying to sell. I've been painstakingly making my way through my house, trying to incorporate all her suggestions.

The Nester is amazing. She can take scrap fabric, some dead flowers, rotten bananas and hot glue and make curtains. Unbelievable. Her motto is, "It doesn't have to be perfect to be beautiful." That'll preach, huh?

This is me meeting The Nester--live and in person at She Speaks. We totally hit it off. She's super funny and very cute. I followed her into the elevator and then to her room. Basically, I stalked her, in a creepy overbearing way, but that's sometimes the way I need to get people to talk to me. She looks a little scared here, doesn't she. She's clutching her purse. I think she's getting ready to make a run for it.

Anyway, if you've been following my blog this summer, you know we have been out looking at houses, and houses, and houses. It's our new family past time.

"No honey, you may not play football this fall. Or play with your friends--ever. It will conflict with our house-hunting schedule! Now, get in the car."

There's more truth to this than I care to admit.

And we are slowly, but surely getting our home ready to put on the market. Emphasis on slowly. But as I was decluttering yet another storage area the other day, I got to thinking: who really lives like this, anyway? I mean in the de-cluttered version of the home? The one "staged" for resale? Doesn't "staged" by it's very definition, imply that I'm ACTING?????

Aren't we all--buyers and sellers alike--just ACTING???!!!??!!! For heaven's sake, look at all that punctuation. Can you not discern the high pitch and loud volumes of my writing voice????!!!!!!!??????

Enough with the Fake House, already. I'm all about authenticity.

So on behalf of all potential homebuyers/sellers out in the world, and in honor of The Nester (whom I totally love, admire and adore), I want to propose a NEW trend in marketing a home for resale: Let's call it Reality.


Now, if you will give me the honor of being your guide, let's take a tour of my beautiful home, staged for REALITY.

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Everyone knows the heart of the home is the kitchen. If you cook and have a large family, great counter space is a must. But if you have a life outside the home, great counter space is even more valuable. In addition to regular kitcheny stuff (like that one decorative platter shoved back there), our counters can be used for anything from mail, to diaper bags, to beach bags, to stuffed animals to birthday gifts that need to be returned because they don't work... And if you cover them up like this, you can't tell that they are NOT granite, and it won't bother you a bit! Think of all the money you will save on that pricey upgrade. Not to mention the time wiping them off.

Next, notice the awesome finished basement. It adds 700 additional square feet of space you have to keep clean---I mean, LIVING space. The steps double as a great couch-cushion slide. I KNEW we'd get our money out of that Ethan Allen couch and loveseat set.

As your children tumble down the steps, squeeling in delight over the couch cushion slide, they will find their soft landing to be all the stuff you've pulled out of the closets but don't yet have a place for. Oh, and the sleeping bags from the last basement camp out. Because camping out in the basement is waaaay fun. Look out for that high chair, though. That'll hurt.

To your left, you will find our lovely bar area. In the five years of living here, we've never once used it at as a bar. EVERYONE does that. We pride ourselves in uniqueness. Yes, we've used it mostly for animal cages. Brownie and Pepper the bunnies, Guiney the guiney pig, Pooh and Pooh Two the hamsters and Gardner, the snake all called this lovely space "home." As well as a few warming eggs that never hatched, but rotted (indicative by the smell) and some stray lizards.

Today, we use it mostly as a fort. Notice how the mattresses propped against the wall make for a fabulous hide and seek spot.

Since the untimely departure of the various Cooper rodents and reptiles, the bar itself now houses various wall hangings that no longer match my decor. Oh, and a scraper to apply wall paper. Funny...I don't ever remember hanging wall paper.

Worried about the lack of storage in this home? Not to worry! We have several hundred feet of unfinished storage space. However, using storage space for STORAGE is so common. Instead, consider using it as a Club House (sign negotiable).

Moving on to the rear of the basement, you will find an area that just LOOKS like we had a flood when the AC guy knocked the condensation pipe out of the drain and we pulled up the carpet to get the mildew out of the basement and haven't replaced it even though it's been over a year. Again, it just LOOKS like that. But really, we needed a place to put the cat litter. Easy clean up. No worries. Who needs carpet when you have a cement floor? Notice the lovely straight carpet line. Didn't my husband do a great job on the detailing here?

On the main floor, we have additional storage. Lots of it actually. In this corner...

And in this corner...just to name a few. That little ledge on the left makes a great seat for children who know the rule is to eat in the kitchen, NOT to the great room. But since that ledge is six inches closer to the TV and it isn't technically the great room, it's much more convenient!What versitilty!!!!

Finally, I want to bring special attention to the doors and cabinets. Very valuable and functional at the same time.

This one is positioned directly over the coffee machine. Strategically placed here are various notes and scriptures that make the Lady of the House smile. It's just what she needs when she pulls herself out of bed after only 6 hours sleep for the 10th night in a row, and knows she must take care of her family, but doesn't feel so much like doing that first thing in the morning. At least not prior to coffee.

And this wall is freshly painted, but you'd never know it! Why? Because a very artistic daughter has chosen to display her priceless works of art here. With tape. This really cuts down on that Paper Tiger we all try to tame, because we don't need to wonder what to do with all the priceless pictures.

More here on the bedroom door. Don't even ask me why she's drawing vampires and ghosts. That's a totally new thing and I'm about fixin' to go take them down. And I don't even say "fixin."

And this bedroom door actually doubles as an address/phone directory. Be sure to write any phone numbers in INK so they will be very difficult to remove.

If anyone is interested in this house, please book a showing through our realtor. We will need at least two week's notice, if you'd like to see it remotely clean. If you'd like to see the "REALITY" version, just stop by anytime and let yourself in. If we're not here, we're probably out looking at houses.