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Kitchen StagingProblems with Kitchen Staging
The kitchen is one of the rooms in the house which is difficult to keep constantly clean and organized. Meals are prepared, food is consumed and groceries and utensils have a tendency of accumulating rather quickly to fill every cabinet and drawer. The kitchen is every professional home stager’s worst nightmare, since they know they can work all day to get a design just right and within a week the appeal might be completely lost unless the seller makes a concerted effort to keep the room museum quality. Likewise, there is a large and sometimes inordinate amount of stress placed on the homeowner to maintain the kitchen beautifully at all times, so that it will shine when and if a prospective buyer stops by on short notice. This stress is compounded when the rest of the family does not pitch in to help keep the kitchen clean and neat, placing all the maintenance on just mom or dad… Kitchen Staging ImprovementsKitchen home staging can be professionally done or can be a rather simple DIY project. First off, tackle any of the major issues, like appliances which need repairing or replacing. Next, work on the cabinets and countertops. While replacing or re-facing is great, these can be pricey propositions. If you want more bang for your buck, try painting old cabinets and replacing the hardware for a simple contemporary look. Countertops can also be painted, using a special primer and acrylic paints. Make sure to top them off with several coats of glossy finish, using a product which is safe for food preparation areas. If the floor is old, worn or a mess, consider covering it with a laminate floor or for an even less expensive fix, get some self stick tiles which mimic a natural stone finish. Both of these types of flooring can be put down in a few hours time, even by a novice. Replace dated florescent fixtures with efficient and bright fixtures and consider installing simple under cabinet lighting. Make sure the room is painted in a bright neutral color, which contrasts or coordinates with the rest of the décor. A quick faucet change out is a cheap fix which can make a big difference, as well.Easy Kitchen Staging TechniquesOk, now that the hard work is done, let’s get to the easy stuff. Make sure to keep window treatments light and airy to maximize natural light. Clean off the countertops and store away extra small appliances or other items which usually sit out. You can choose one to leave, such as a coffee maker. Organize your cabinets and drawers and do not load them up with stuff. Leave lots of open space to make the area seem larger. To accomplish this, consider going food shopping for fewer items, more often, if necessary. Touch up scratches in any of your appliances with enamel paint and be sure to clean everything twice! Do not keep magnets or notes on your refrigerator! Avoid cooking or storing food with unpleasant odors and always keep the kitchen smelling good with fresh baked goods or scented candles. To create a nice touch, put 2 or 3 stacked cook books next to the range and a small vase of fresh flowers nearby.Kitchen Staging AdvicePaint and your own labor will create a real difference in the kitchen and will cost you next to nothing. I have staged many kitchens with fantastic results by simply painting everything, adding a few inexpensive accessories, eliminating 80% of the clutter and giving the place a terrific cleaning. The total cost can be less than $100!!! For three times that amount, you can make upgrades in fixtures, flooring and minor repairs, while larger projects may require a bigger budget.Kitchen staging maintenance may require a few minutes of extra care, twice a day, to make sure it always looks nice and is ready to be shown by your agent. Remember to appeal to all 5 senses when staging a kitchen. When you expect buyers placing out a small arrangement of snacks is one way to welcome them to what may become their new residence… Kitchen Staging to Home Staging
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