Atlanta Home Staging Company: Tips For Living In A Staged Home

This Atlanta Home Staging Company, Georgia Interior Solutions, has the expertise and experience to help showcase your home and/or listing so that it stands out from the others on the market. With years of experience and a massive inventory designed to compliment any style home, we implement solutions that draw the buyer in and allow them to emotionally connect with the home.

Tips For Living In A Staged Home

Yesterday, as I finished up staging an occupied home, I overheard the Realtor say to the homeowner the following:  "It's Beautiful."  He quickly added the following question:  "Will it be possible to keep it this way while you have it on the market?"

On the surface, it may appear challenging to keep your home in "show-case" condition.  However, the truth of the matter is that as a homeowner, there are things you can do to make the process easy.  Here's what I share with every occupied home seller after I've staged:

Bathrooms:

  • Purchase two plastic bins (6" x 8" with holes) and use to house your personal items (i.e., shampoo, conditioners, etc...).  Each morning after showering, place the basket under your bathroom sink.
  • Use pre-moistened wipes and each morning, before leaving the bathroom, do a quick wipe down in the sink(s) and faucet.
  • Hang towels
  • Ensure toilet seat lids are down.

Bedrooms:

  • Make beds each morning
  • Place clothes in laundry basket

Living Areas (Living Room or Family Room):

  • For homeowners with children, use a wicker basket with handles (they're light and easy to carry) and make a game of collecting the toys, books, etc... to place in the basket.  Each night, put the toys to bed in the child's closet or in their room.
  • Ensure coffee table remains clear of everything other than the accessories
  • Get a basket of some sort (could be wicker or wire) and place all remote controls inside
  • Use pre-moistened furniture wipes - they're easy and convenient to use.  A quick wipe down of your accent tables (i.e., coffee and end tables) will make them look beautiful.

Kitchens:

  • Ensure sink is left empty and clean
  • Ensure counter-tops are kept clean and are wiped down
  • Place liquid soap, scrubber, etc... in plastic bin and place underneath sink
  • Kitchen table - Ensure the only item left is the centerpiece and wipe table down

Suggested purchases based on the above list:  3 to 4 plastic bins (to house bathroom items as well as kitchen soap/rag items); wicker basket (for toys); small wicker/wire (for remote controls); pre-moistened wipes (for bathrooms); pre-moistened dusting wipes (for living areas).

Making a habit to do these things daily will help further ensure that the home looks great for every prospective buyer visiting your home.

Georgia Interior Solutions is a full service home staging company in Atlanta, serving Cobb County, Marietta, Roswell, Sandy Springs, Dallas, Kennesaw, Powder Springs and surrounding areas.  View our web site at HomeStagingAtlanta.com for more examples of our work. 

 

 

 

Home Staging Atlanta - Kathy Nielsen - 678 522 8392

RESA Professional Stager of the Year - Southern Region 2011

Whether your home is vacant or occupied, this Atlanta Georgia Home Stager, Kathy Nielsen, understands what it takes to sell a home quickly. Her homes have graced the pages of several publications, appeared in TV commercials as well as on HGTV's hit program Sleep On it.

With years of experience and a massive inventory - Kathy makes the perfect choice.

 

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43 comments • Kathy Nielsen Atlanta Georgia Home Stager • July 20 2007 07:00PM

Comments

Wonderful tips.  Sounds like stuff we should do to de-clutter our lives, even when our homes are not on the market.  By the way, do you have a clone in Annapolis MD?
Posted by Margaret Woda, Maryland Real Estate & Military Relocation Services (Long & Foster Real Estate, Inc., Crofton, MD) almost 5 years ago

Margaret - I have a clone here in Atlanta as I have an identical twin sister.   And you're right, these are things we all could be doing even if we're not selling.  Thanks for the post.

Kathy

Posted by Kathy Nielsen Atlanta Georgia Home Stager (Georgia Interior Solutions, LLC) almost 5 years ago
As as always Kathy, well done. Great tips to sell the property quicker.  You know what appeals to the client to make that sale! 
Posted by Generation Mortgage | Reverse Mortgage Bank | (Generation Mortgage - Reverse Mortgage Bank) almost 5 years ago
Kathy - I like the wipes idea for quick sweeps through the house. They smell good too.
Posted by Sheron Cardin - how2homestage.com (California Moods Inc) almost 5 years ago
Great tips. I'm going to pass these on to my Sellers. I bookmarked this one. Thanks
Posted by Cait O'Donnell Donohue (Keller Williams Realty) almost 5 years ago
It's interesting that when things are put into a wicker basket how much more organized the same things look.
Posted by Sharon Simms St Pete FL - CRS CIPS CLHMS RSPS (ALVA International, Inc.) almost 5 years ago
Kathy: Great tips! I have a bulleted list with most of these items I give my clients after their staging.  I also suggest they go to the Dollar Store and buy a tote with a handle and place their glass wipes, lemon scented furniture wipes, clorox wipes, a bottle of Febreeze freshener, a magic dusting cloth from Solutions or swiffer dusters and keep the tote in a handy place so they can just go room to room and have everything with them as they go.  I also suggest they keep a sturdy shopping bag in there and if anyone has left "stuff" around the house, stick it in the bag, stick the bag in a closet and when the offender(s) get home hand them their stuff to put away.  My clients tell me it works for them.
Posted by Diana Corcoran - Rhinebeck Real Estate (Prudential Serls Prime Properties) almost 5 years ago
Excellent ideas and suggestions Kathy!  I'll make sure to point my sellers to this blog.  THANKS!!!
Posted by Pasadena CA Real Estate - Irina Netchaev (John Aaroe Group) almost 5 years ago
This title caught my eye -- it is a side of staging I hadn't thought about before.  Thanks for your effort and time on this blog.
Posted by Grant Howell, Broker/Owner 214-234-6901 (Alex Lowery Real Estate) almost 5 years ago

I have a checklist for my sellers that has a General section and then lists specific rooms.  Some additional things for the list that weren't mentioned above was to put away the dog's food bowls, make sure the litter box is clean, and I suggest hiding dirty laundry in the washer or dryer. <g>  

My sister told me today she wanted a Roomba automatic vacuum cleaner, and I thought, "what a great thing to add to a staged home--the use of a Roomba while the home was on the market!"  Pricey, but think of how much less pet hair some homes would have.   

 


 

Posted by Theo Shaw, Broker/ Realtor serving Chicago & the North Shore (Baird & Warner Residential Real Estate) almost 5 years ago

Great ideas for any home listed for sale!

Posted by Bob Southard,e-Pro Powder Springs,Marietta,Cobb, Realtor (Solid Source Realty) almost 5 years ago
Great ideas for living in a home that is on the market, or just for living in a more organized way!  We are moving from a 3,000 sq. foot home to a 1,200 sq. foot condo and are trying to plan ahead and impement systems that will enable us to survive the change!  I will bookmark this, all of your advise is exactly what I need!
Posted by Jessica Hughes (Ambiance Staging) almost 5 years ago
Great tips for our sellers, it would be great to print them up to give to them as a reminder.
Posted by Michael Eisenberg Bellingham Real Estate Broker (eXp Realty) almost 5 years ago
Awesome Suggestions...it would be hard for messing sellers, but they should survive....do you know anyone who actually lived in a staged home.. and how did it turn out?
Posted by Nattalie Cornwall (Metrobrokers/GMAC Real Estate) almost 5 years ago
Wow Kathy, great tips for solutions to the problems most common with trying to live in a "show home." Thanks for the post!
Posted by Ryan Hukill - Edmond Realtor® (ShowMeOKC Team of Paradigm AdvantEdge) almost 5 years ago
Great ideas -- nice list of tips. Thanks for sharing.
Posted by Benjamin Realty LLC almost 5 years ago

These are great tips, Kathy, even if the home has not been staged. Keeping the home is showing condition is always a challege and sellers would benefit from reading this. Thank you for sharing.

Jeff

Posted by Jeff Dowler ~ Carlsbad Homes for Sale ~ 760-840-1360 (Solutions Real Estate (CA DRE Lic. # 01490977)) almost 5 years ago

Thanks everyone.  It's a great list to print out and leave with your sellers.

Nattalie - to answer your question.  I staged an occupied home in Decatur 3 weeks ago.  After staging, and before leaving, I reviewed the list of tips and suggested that this be done daily.  Two weeks later, she had 3 offers for the full asking price.  So, yes, I'm convinced that her keeping it up (and she's absolutely the type that would) helped.

Kathy

Posted by Kathy Nielsen Atlanta Georgia Home Stager (Georgia Interior Solutions, LLC) almost 5 years ago
Those are some great tips. Before I became a mommy I would just clean when I had the time, didn't really think about efficiency. Then I had my son and I started noticing the film growing over the bathroom sink. I saw those cleaning wipes in the store and I bought containers and put them under each bathroom sink. Then while I'm brushing my teeth, getting ready in the bathroom and I notice the bathroom counter/sink is less than perfect I'll grab some wipes and quickly wipe it down. It is so easy to keep it looking nice all the time. Literally no effort with that one. I just do that all the time.
Posted by A Crye-Leike Blogger, Angie Vandenbergh (Crye-Leike, Realtors) almost 5 years ago
Kathy - great tips. I also give a checklist to my live-in clients. It is really easy to keep up, once it's staged. Thanks again for the tips.
Posted by Concepts by CoCo, Coco Lemmon, Home Stager, Portland, OR (Concepts by Coco, Home Staging, Portland, Oregon) almost 5 years ago
Kathy- Very insightful. Since I have had clients living in your staged homes, I know this is something that you excel at!
Posted by Bob Southard,e-Pro Powder Springs,Marietta,Cobb, Realtor (Solid Source Realty) almost 5 years ago

Angie - That's a great idea and one I'm going to have to implement in my own home.  The wipes are cheap enough to buy several and place in all bathrooms.

Coco - You're welcome.

Hi, Bob!!!  I hope you're doing well.  FYI - For those looking for a great real estate agent in the Marietta, Powder Springs area, you're definitely going to want to contact Bob Southard!

Kathy

Posted by Kathy Nielsen Atlanta Georgia Home Stager (Georgia Interior Solutions, LLC) almost 5 years ago

You always have great posts Kathy!

and yes, great tips to live clutter free... or you could marry Mr OCD Clean too  :-)

Posted by Jennifer Walker-Derby, Real Estate Extraordinaire (Re/Max Westside) almost 5 years ago

Kathy,

Thanks for sharing, that will be extremely helpful information.  Great staging sells a home better than anything else. 

Posted by Anonymous almost 5 years ago

Those are great tips........When you go to the trouble to do these extra things for the client and Realtor, they really appreciate it, AND it makes YOU stand out compared to others.

Thanks for posting this.

Julia

Posted by Julia Fedak (Platinum Home Staging Design) almost 5 years ago
Staged or not----this is what I need to be doing each day at my home.
Posted by Diane Bell, Hilton Head Real Estate, Bluffton (Charter 1 Real Estate, Hilton Head, Bluffton, SC) almost 5 years ago
Kathy: I am doing my first occupied so I will give my client a copy of your tips. Thanks
Posted by Michelle Minch Home Staging Los Angeles & Pasadena, CA (Moving Mountains Design Home Staging, Pasadena, CA) almost 5 years ago

Brush your teeth in the shower.  No spatters on mirror and faucets.  I keep a decorative box on top of the bathroom counter and toss in the deodorant and every day bottles, moisturizer, etc.  Just close the lid and the pretty box is a decoration.

Great ideas.  I didn't know why the bathroom box when under the kitchen sink.  Seems a long way to go in a two story home.  Why not under the bathroom sink?

Posted by ARDELL DellaLoggia (Sound Realty) almost 5 years ago

Ardell - You're right.  It should have read bathroom sink.  I just corrected it.  Thanks.

Thanks everyone for your kind words.  I'm glad this list will come in handy!

Kathy

Posted by Kathy Nielsen Atlanta Georgia Home Stager (Georgia Interior Solutions, LLC) almost 5 years ago
Great tips Kathy.  It can be hard for a family to maintain "the look" on a daily basis during the selling process.  Your ideas would really help.  Thanks for writing about this.
Posted by Charlene Storozuk - Burlington Ontario Home Stager (Dezigner Digz) almost 5 years ago
GREAT LIST!!!!!  And also, an excellent reminder for the homeowners!  Thanks! Kathleen
Posted by Kathleen Garvey - Stager Idol Award - Denver Home Staging - Best Home Stager (Enhanced Interiors & Home Staging) almost 5 years ago
Great post, thank you.  Another tip I read suggested a sticker chart, to further incent the children to keep their spaces looking clean.
Posted by Juliet Johnson - Web Based Marketing Specialist (Vizzitopia) almost 5 years ago

Thanks everyone!  And a thank you too to Active Rain for "featuring" this post.

Kathy

Posted by Kathy Nielsen Atlanta Georgia Home Stager (Georgia Interior Solutions, LLC) almost 5 years ago
Kathy, another great post.  Lots of information useful to lots and lots of people.  I will be bookmarking this post for my clients.  Betty
Posted by Betty Haney (Haney Consulting) almost 5 years ago
Kathy, you hit a winner with me with this post.  I'm not a neat freak, but my husband is.  I'll do the list at my own home and surprise myself at how I can masquerade as a good housekeeper!!  thanks as usual for an informative and useful post.
Posted by Patricia Ebrahimi - Home Staging the Washington DC Area from Rockville MD (SHOW SMART! HOME STAGING & Color Consultant) almost 5 years ago

Kathy, great post.  I have booked marked it.  It would be  great to hand out something like this after you have staged an occupied home.

Another thing on my "to do list"

Thank for sharing

Posted by No Longer Available almost 5 years ago

Thanks Betty, Patricia and Joelle.  I'm glad this list will come in handy.

Kathy

Posted by Kathy Nielsen Atlanta Georgia Home Stager (Georgia Interior Solutions, LLC) almost 5 years ago
Kathy: I refer to your list over and over again. Thanks again for posting this. You should post it in the Newbie group.
Posted by Michelle Minch Home Staging Los Angeles & Pasadena, CA (Moving Mountains Design Home Staging, Pasadena, CA) over 4 years ago

Thanks, Michelle.  And, you're right.  Post this to the newbie group is an excellent idea!  Heading to edit now and repost.

Kathy 

 

Posted by Kathy Nielsen Atlanta Georgia Home Stager (Georgia Interior Solutions, LLC) over 4 years ago
Kathy great tips, I will cut and paste (hope thats ok) and format to give out to my occupied homeowners. Kym
Posted by Staged to Sell East BAy Danville, CA (www.Staged-to-Sell ) over 4 years ago

Kym - Perfectly okay to cut and paste!  I'm glad you can use it!

Kathy

Posted by Kathy Nielsen Atlanta Georgia Home Stager (Georgia Interior Solutions, LLC) over 4 years ago
So easy and doable.  Thanks for putting it together so well.
Posted by Laura Jones (Accent Home Staging) over 4 years ago

I just found this post, Kathy.  Very helpful for the homeowner!!

Kathy

Posted by Kathy Riggle Houston Home Staging-STAGING SMART NSOLD (STAGING SMART N SOLD) over 4 years ago

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