Recently, Krista from Cincy Photo Pro met up with Christy Randall from PIQ Creative living to talk about how to properly stage a house, the benefits of staging, and when to hire a professional.
Do you love home and garden magazine photos? They often use a mixture of proper colors and inviting décor. Christy uses current trends and other brilliant tricks to make a space really shine. Get ready to learn how this is achieved!
How Physical Staging Helps Showcase a Space
When someone is looking for a space to live in or rent, they really need to be able to visualize the floor plan and layout. They also need to be able to visualize how furniture and décor will work in the space.
Physical staging can give that layout depth of information and make the space more real to a viewer, especially when the space has an open concept. Physical staging can give a potential buyer or renter an idea of how much space they have to work with. It’s good to know if your king-size bed will leave enough room for a dresser in a bedroom.
From a photographer’s standpoint, physical staging can give real estate photos more character and make a space more enticing. This service, paired with professional photography, can be a successful win to get the right buyers or renters for a space!
Current Trends
When Christy begins her staging process, she takes certain topics into consideration, in terms of trends. Some of these tend to be greenery, furniture layout plans, colors, and lighting. Utilization really plays a big role in today’s interior decor. People want to enjoy being at home. Looking into how they can set up their home functionally, whether it be office space or a workout space, is becoming very popular. It's important for Christy to show that functionality with staging current trends.
Simplicity – Most consumers that are looking for optimal spaces are craving minimalistic scenes that offer less clutter. This trend has held steady for the past couple of years.
Neutral Colors – People are looking for colors that are easy to live with and enjoy being around. It’s also good to showcase the value and areas of a space that we want them to notice. The furniture is just there to help highlight the features of the home, not overshadow. Neutral colored furniture is also easier for a broad range of people to enjoy.
Lighting – The right lighting makes a significant difference in giving a space an optimal look and feel. Always use natural lighting to your advantage when possible. It’s an easy way to freshen up a space.
Open Concept – This trend is apparent with old, but renovated and newer homes and has been for a while. Adding physical staging makes the open space more ideal and gives the viewer different options.
What You Can Do on Your Own
Declutter – The more you have in the home, the more of a distraction it can be. Reduce the items in the space by 50%. Less is more!
De-Personalize – Remove all personal photos and décor so that the onlooker doesn’t have trouble visualizing their personalization in the space.
Keep it Simple – Try for a streamlined look with a broad appeal.
Refresh Interiors – Use neutral paint colors throughout.
When to Hire a Professional
Christy says realtors often come to her and say that their house didn’t sell and that it needs staged. It’s a lot easier to distinguish which rooms are which with staging to show their full potential. Walking into a space with furnishings really makes a difference to a potential buyer.
Alongside of physical staging, Christy also offers customized consultations. This service can work for those trying to sell a home without furniture, but also with their own furniture. If someone is trying to sell their home with outdated furniture and décor, their question is “how can this be set up the most appealing way?” Christy will take a detailed look at the house and furnishings, discuss how space can be better utilized, where things can be moved, and how to showcase the best features of the property. Sometimes this entails adding and removing things like wall art.
I addition to staging, Christy also rents and sells décor and furnishings. This service is to offer the client something nice to add to their new space and/or give potential to a to-be-sold space that needs updating!
Final Thoughts on How to Stage a House to Sell
We truly enjoyed this interview! Check out the actual interview here. Christy is passionate about helping people get through the interior design and staging process in many different ways. She has a keen eye for design and feels blessed to be able to work in this field. Christy is living her dream!
Looking for an interior design guru for staging or tips? Please contact Christy Randall for a consultation at This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. or call 513-518-6525. To learn more about her services, visit PIQCreativeliving.com. She’d love to talk to you!
And remember, if you need professional photos of your home, office or AirBnb , Cincy Photo Pro would love to help!