One challenge in discussing staging a home with sellers is that they often take this as a criticism of their decorating style or design sense. This is because they usually don’t understand the difference between the decoration and interior design of a home to live in, and the staging of a property for sale. They are actually the opposite of each other!

Home decor is about individuality. It is about expressing one’s self through color, art, and style. It may sacrifice layout and functionality in the interest of presenting a particular visual or emotional statement. The house becomes the “frame” which surrounds and gives structure to this personal vision.

Staging, however, is about de-personalizing the structure. When staging, you want to present the house as a blank canvas upon which a potential buyer can paint their own vision of this “house” as their “home”.  Just as you would not block a door to keep them out of a room, you do not want to put up any emotional blocks to keep a potential buyer from seeing the house as their own.

So, don’t be offended when your agent suggests staging your tastefully, or extravagantly, decorated home. It is just one of the difficult steps in taking your home, and thinking of it as now a product for sale.