When I do my staging consultations, I sometimes hear: “but we need to live in this house while it is on the market!” The funny thing is that the sellers often say it even before I made any staging recommendations. For some reason, many sellers think that staging their house will cause major inconveniences. But in reality, it is rarely so.
Here are some points that will help you understand how the process of living in your staged home can be stress free.
Relax.
You did everything that you possibly could to prepare your property for sale and now it is in the hands of your trusted Realtor. And the Universe! Think positive and know that your perfect buyer is on the way.
Most likely, during the staging process you had to remove and pack up a lot of items and it now looks and feels more spacious and harmonious. Enjoy these feelings, and take a mental note that this is how you want to feel in your new place too.
Take photos.
After the house is staged by a professional stager, many things may not be in those places where you originally put them. Because they were moved and placed for a specific reason, it is important that they stay there. Of course, you may need to move something to accommodate your lifestyle. Don’t stress about it. If you take photos of all areas where changes were made, it is easy to put things back as soon as you know that you have a showing coming up.
Exercise good habits.
Or start developing them. Put things back as soon as you finished using them, don’t leave dirty dishes in the sink, fold away your clothes, etc. It’s also a good time to teach your kids to clean after themselves. If you have young kids, get a basket for the toys and ask them to put the toys in the basket as soon as they finished playing. And remember to remove the paperwork from your desk. Before you know it, everyone in the family has a habit of keeping their stuff neat and organized.
Have your checklist ready.
I always give sellers an open house and showings checklist. It is a very handy way to get your house ready when you are planning for an open house or if you have a showing coming up on a short notice. Chances are, after a couple of times of going through the list and performing the tasks, you will feel confident and will be ready to show off your house in just a few minutes.