5 Embarrassing Home Staging Mistakes To Avoid

Published on August 19, 2022
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We all know staging your listing for buyers, open houses, and photos can make a big difference in the number of offers your listings can get. But just deciding to stage isn’t enough. There are extremely easy to fix mistakes that can add to the overall appeal of your home. Without these things being taken into consideration, buyers can leave a listing with a sour taste in their mouth, and laundry list of problems on their mind that don’t actually exist! Let’s go over some of the ways your staging technique can change a buyer’s perception of your space. What might they say about your home?


“That Place Was a Pig’s Sty.”

No matter what amazing features are actually in a beautiful home on market, unwashed dishes, piles of laundry on the bed, and children’s toys scattered around the nursery floor are sure fire ways to turn off any buyer! Not just messiness, but clutter (such as family photos, hair brushes, and other personal affects) being too disorderly or too frequently found in a listing can be very distracting for what would otherwise be an elegant walkthrough.  Make sure to clean any mess and keep the homeowner’s belongings tucked away to create a clean and welcoming environment for open houses.

“The Living Room Was TINY!”

Most buyers are looking for the most spacious home they can find in their price-point, so don’t disappoint them by making your rooms look so much smaller than they are! When you’re sprucing up your space, make sure to avoid dark paint or wall paper as it it makes your space seem dreary and small. Another great tip is to avoid pushing your furniture up against the wall.  It may seem odd at first, but pulling the living room seating arrangement inward to the center of the living room, and floating desks in the center of the office can make them spacious.

“Will Our Things Even Fit in Here?”

It’s difficult for your home-buyers to envision themselves in a space that’s completely empty. Staging a room doesn’t have to be expensive! You can create false furniture (such as a large box with blankets and pillows on top to create the illusion of a bed), check for pieces at your local thrift store, or ask your lender how you can utilize Seven Gables Real Estate’s Home Refresh Loan for additional help. The loan covers the upfront costs of pre-sale renovations, so it may be a good cost-effective option for you!

“…It STINKS in Here! And Did You Hear That?!”

There’s a reason fresh baked cookies with some elevator music were once so common at open houses. Obviously, they give the home buyer a tasty treat! But there’s an arguably more important second point – they speak to your senses. Sight is important, but sound and smell are also a big factor in a potential buyer’s experience. A simple spray of air freshener or turning on some tunes to drown out the sounds of cars outside could be the difference between getting an offer and not. Ensure every step of your walkthroughs are a pleasant experience!

“I Don’t Know if It’s Very…Us.”

If you remember nothing else from this post, try to remember this. A trendy space with neon lights and groovy furniture may be beautiful to some, but is it beautiful to the people buying this home?If your town is famous for its nightlife, staging it for the elderly couple who love to stay in doesn’t make much sense. A luxury listing should have a luxury approach to staging. The perfect family home for new buyers could do well with a nursery or kid’s room. And if all else fails, try to imagine that your house is a popular hotel — classic, neutral, and appealing to a variety of people.


“It was PERFECT!”

As you can see, there’s lots of small changes from cookies to colors that can completely transform your space. Staging is one of the most important steps in preparing your home for the market. To help get your buyers saying positive things about your home, remember to enlist the help of your Seven Gables Agent or Primco Mortgage Lender in preparing your listing for sale!