Lights, Camera, Staging

Selling your home is a life-changing decision, and staging it to show off the space in its best light is an important step. According to Shweta Kothari, founder of Tallahassee-based Indigo Home Studio, buyers are becoming increasingly aware of design through social media and HGTV, and sellers and agents are incorporating strategic design to their advantage. 

“We’ve seen staged homes sell for sometimes far more than the list price [when staged] or have multiple offers,” Kothari says. 

We asked her for some expert tips on getting your home ready for sale.

Photos by Home Shot Media

Q: What are five things a seller should do to get their home ready for sale? 

1. Remove visual noise. That would be editing down some of the “things.” Your home doesn’t have to be bare bones: Keep that piece of art, and keep maybe grandma’s vintage mirror on the fireplace. But I think the room should breathe.

2. Pay attention to lighting. Having lamps placed strategically really helps with photography. It’s layered in terms of how the light plays with objects and the room in general. Do not rely on just overhead fixtures. They tend to be very harsh
in photography.

3. Don’t push all your furniture against the wall. It may be controversial, but I think it really limits having conversational areas. You want a space that feels a little bit more natural and inviting. 

4. Create an atmosphere. A lot of sellers, if they’re selling a home that’s occupied, are nervous because people are walking into their house and judging them. I always tell people this: You’re creating an atmosphere and not a perfect home. People connect very deeply to spaces that feel believable and warm, rather than sterile, like no one lives there. So, if you can edit [the home] to make it seem like life is happening there, but at the same time feels warm and inviting, I think that’s a very good mix.

5. Style for photography. Online photos are often the first showing. Presentation should always be considered through the lens of photography, and then [buyers will] experience it in person. 

Photos by Home Shot Media

Q: What should sellers consider when staging around the house? 

A: I’ll start a project with an imagined narrative in mind, not in the literal sense, but as a way to guide the feeling and rhythm of the space. In a living room, it’s all about getting the family together. I’ll do layered seating. I’ll add a bar cart or vintage books. I want each space to suggest that the life being lived in there is warm, it’s social, it’s emotionally rich.

For kitchens, I’ve done things like using vintage cutting boards, so it gives a feeling like maybe it’s passed down generation to generation. I think it’s very important to layer [decor]. I’ll even add a rug sometimes to the kitchen to make it seem comfortable. 

For bedrooms, I think neutral bedding, for sure. Keep the sheets white, and then add a pop of color through pillows or a pattern on the throw pillows. Add a bench to show extra seating when you’re getting dressed. And then I always include artwork. 

Photos by Home Shot Media

Q: Should people use their own things or bring in new items? 

A: Both. Obviously, tidy up but also edit down. It’s not about going to a big box store and getting a bunch of new stuff because buyers don’t respond to a new couch or décor items in general. They’re responding to how they feel when they walk in that space. Give buyers something memorable. I think presentation matters a lot, especially now, because buyers are very savvy.

The right kind of staging will make them stop, lean in, and maybe look at that antique ashtray I’ve put in as a catchall. So, I think a good rule is maybe not keeping everything brand new and adding a few pieces of interest by adding maybe grandma’s pot or a milk glass piece that she handed down or a vintage mirror that you found. It just feels warm, layered, and intentional.  

Photos by Home Shot Media