Dolly DeWald

So you want to sell your house? The housing market is slow and there’s no guarantee you’ll get close to your asking price. What’s a home seller to do? The answer lies in the home you’re trying to sell. It’s called “staging” and more homeowners are finding it’s the secret weapon to selling their house.

“Home staging is the art of decorating a home to sell quickly and for top-dollar,” says Dolly DeWald, president of D3, a home-staging firm based in Omaha. "It runs the gamut of rearranging some furniture to furnishing an entire home, including accessories and artwork."
“Today’s home buyer is savvy,” says DeWald. “They want to buy a house that’s ready to move into. Not one that needs work. And thanks to all the decorating shows on television, there are new expectations that today’s home seller must meet.”
“The key to staging is creating and packaging a product that will appeal to a large audience of potential buyers,” states DeWald. “Every buyer has the list of “must haves” when they’re searching for a new home. But if they walk into a home and feel an emotional connection, then the “must haves” tend to be not so important. It’s my job as a stager to create that environment in which the emotional connection can happen. You want a homebuyer to enter your house and exclaim, “I’ve found it! This is it!”
DeWald states that there is no magic to staging a home. “It does take a critical eye,” she says. “You can clean and declutter, but it’s difficult for most homeowners to view their homes objectively. It’s hard not to be emotionally involved with the contents of your home. You might cherish your substantial collection of porcelain owls adorning your fireplace mantel. They’re nothing but a distraction to a homebuyer and detraction from one of your home’s assets. You want the fireplace to be the focal point, not the owls.
DeWald offers the following tips for staging a home:
1.Check out the competition. Spend a weekend touring open houses. At the end of the weekend ask yourself which houses you remembered. Chance are you can recall the ugly ones and the ones in which you felt comfortable and had characteristics that you loved.
2. Appraise Curb Appeal. “The outside of your home is a buyer’s first impression,” says DeWald. “ If there’s no outer beauty, a potential buyer will assume the same is true of the inside.” Evaluate the landscaping. Trim bushes and trees. If there isn’t much landscaping and budget allows, add some. “Just make sure its scale is comparable to your home,” DeWald states. At the very least, mow the lawn, rake the leaves and keep driveways and walks free of snow and ice. Spruce up the entrance with potted plants or flowers. Hide the garbage cans from view. And assess areas that might need repainting or touch-ups.
3. Chuck the Clutter. Look at everything you own with a critical eye. “There are four options I offer my clients for their clutter,” says DeWald. “You can toss it, donate it, store it or if unused, return it.” The key is to pare down rooms, closets and cabinets to the bare essentials. “Remember, buyers want space. They need to believe that your house has lots of room for their stuff.”
4. Delete Distractions. “Invite a really candid friend or family member to tour your home with a critical eye, “ suggests DeWald. “If they notice chipped white paint on your kitchen cabinets, so will buyers. The peeling wallpaper in the dining room? And that fist-sized hole in your son’s bedroom wall? “ If there’s no time or money for repairs, most small issues can be camouflaged. Elmer’s glue, white-out and a well-placed piece of artwork can do the trick. The distractions still exist. The idea is to draw the buyer’s eye to the more appealing aspects of your home.
5. Fix It. “I have the names four or five “handy-men” on speed-dial, “ says DeWald. “Many homes are staged just days prior to the first open house. It’s important to have a list of qualified people who can come-to the-rescue on short notice.”
6. Clean, Clean and Then, Clean Again. “It’s stressful keeping a home spotlessly clean while it’s on the market,” DeWald says, “but it’s so worth it when your clean home brings in top dollar.” Her advice? Hire a professional to do the deep, dirty work and then spend the few minutes everyday to keep it picked up. She also recommends hiring a professional to clean your windows. “Remember, a clean home gives the impression that the home is well cared for.”
7. Boost your Bedroom & Bath. “Think about how you feel when you walk into a really great hotel room,” DeWald says. “The linens are beautiful and the bathroom is spa-like. That same ambiance can be achieved in your own space.” Invest in a new comforter or duvet. Add a couple decorative pillows and position a throw at the end of the bed. Purchase some new white towels and beautiful smelling soaps for the bathroom.
8. Let there be light! Keep it bright. Open the curtains, raise the shades and turn on the lights. “Dimly lit rooms are depressing and appear smaller than they really are,” states DeWald. In rooms without built-in lighting, consider investing in a few floor lamps that reflect light off the ceiling.
9. Let in the Fresh Air. Open the windows and turn on the ceiling fans for a few minutes. It allows for the stuffiness and other odors to dissipate.
10. Remember the Small Touches. DeWald recommends investing in a couple bouquets of long-lasting flowers that can be separated and placed around the home. “You don’t need to spend a bunch of money on flowers,” she says. “A single daisy in a bud-vase in the bathroom is a nice touch.” If you live in a noisy neighborhood, music softly playing in the background is a nice touch and masks the noise of traffic.
“If the staging job has been done well,” says DeWald, “you should feel a little bittersweet about selling your home.”
For questions or comments, please contact: