Home Staging for Seniors 

Experienced realtors know the tricks of the trade when selling homes, one of the most effective being home staging. Taking the steps to spruce up mom’s old house can help it sell swiftly at a dollar price she will be happy with. According to the Real Estate Staging Association, homes staged before hitting the market sell, on average, 73% faster than their un-staged counterparts. Below are a few steps and things to consider when staging a senior’s beloved home.

What is Home Staging?

Staging is the process of turning a private residence into a model home that is comfortable, open and inviting to buyers. More than just redecorating, home staging is all about choosing the right props, rearranging/eliminating furniture and creating focal points in main living areas that accentuate architectural features of the home. While your loved one’s home may have their personality and life story stamped throughout the house, the key to home staging is creating an environment where buyers can picture themselves living there as opposed to picturing who lives there currently.

Staging Techniques

The key words here are: declutter, move, toss, rearrange, repair, replace and stage. Most people have more furniture than they actually need, getting rid of unnecessary pieces is a great way to declutter and make a home feel more spacious and open. Instead of putting furniture up against the walls, try rearranging furniture into groupings to make a space more open and user friendly. Dad’s favorite recliner may not look as good as it once did, consider replacing or storing away furniture that is past it’s peak. Remove things such as pet items, personal affects and the family pictures found throughout the house. Repair leaky faucets and re-paint any room that needs a fresh coat of paint. Painting adjacent rooms a similar color can help spaces feel bigger and picking a fun color for an accent wall in the extra bedroom can bring in some creative personality. Lastly, don’t forget to add a special touch to each room such as fresh cut flowers, accessories in groupings of three and clean rolled up towels in the bathroom to give a spa like feel to the home.

Hiring a Professional

A professional home stager will examine the home from top to bottom and put together a plan to bring it to it’s full selling potential. Hiring a professional may be worth the extra dough if your parent’s home needs more than just a little sprucing up. Money spent on an expert can ultimately benefit your moms bank account once the sale is made.

When to Stage a Senior’s Home

If your loved one has lived in the house you are selling for decades, seeing all these changes may be hard to take. Changing a senior’s environment may cause stress, especially if your loved one is already coping with other changes in their lives they are no longer able to control on their own. If possible, consider staging their home after they have moved out. If this is not an option, make sure to clearly communicate with your loved one what you are doing and why you are doing it. The key is to focus on the reasons and benefits of staging assuring them that their treasured possessions will be safely kept.

Staging a home doesn’t have to cost much and with a few tactical changes to each space, you can help maximize how much money your loved one gets to keep in their pocket. Don’t forget to check interior design magazines for the latest decor ideas!

Casey Kelly-Barton

Casey Kelly-Barton is an Austin-based freelance writer whose childhood was made awesome by her grandmothers, great-grandmother, great-aunts and -uncles, and their friends.