Home Staging -- The Entryway or Foyer

Hello y'all!

Today, let's remember (I need the reminder the most) that homemaking is not a chore,

but an opportunity to engage in purposeful work.

Our home is not a cage,

but a place for us to express our love, life and joy.

It is God's plan for us to use our gifts

to diligently minister to those He has placed in our care.

For those of you that are new 'round here--WELCOME!

Some of you know this already--skip this part.

 I have been staging since 2000,
taking jobs when I "feel like it".
My main job is making my own home, 
and homeschooling.

My plan is (maybe God's plan, maybe not)
is to work Full Time when Miss A goes off to college
in three years.
But I have many pictures to share with you,

about what and what not to do in a staged home.

Today I wanted to talk about the importance of the foyer or entryway.

The example being used today, is from a $289,000 home

that was on the market 2 months before staging.

It sold within 3 weeks after being staged.

This is what greeted you when you came in the front door.               

It's lovely enough, but there are a few things that need to be considered

when a buyer's first impressions are all that matter.

Let's look around the foyer, and we will find a few things that need to be changed.

The collection below is lovely, but more suited for the dining room.

It feels a little clutter-y, too.

What do you see to the left of the hutch?

The thermostat.

It is dated and is original to the house.

A foyer should feel like a mini-room,

a place to "land" when you arrive home or welcome friends.

This secretary is gorgeous, however, it overpowers the space,

and this small wall is the only wall that allows for any furniture here.

So, this smaller piece, found in another room, fits the scale of this wall better.

The flat surface of this smaller desk was used for MLS brochures and 

a welcoming bouquet of fresh flowers (these are fake, for now).

The thermostat was replaced with a programmable one,

that, in a buyer's mind reads: UPDATED, NEW, TAKEN CARE OF.

When entering this foyer here's what else you saw.

What do you think needs to be changed?

The fixtures are dated, even in the upstairs hallway,

which can be seen from the entryway,

there is a small plant on a small stand blocking the stairway.

If you turned around and looked up, this is what you saw.

The window over the front door has a very dusty blind covering it,

The tapestry, though lovely, is hung with a cheap rod,

 and the iron sconces do nothing to enhance the decor,

but rather, they distract from the wonderful features of this tall foyer.

The fixtures were replaced.

Blind was taken down, window cleaned, tapestry and sconces were removed.

This is just one example of changes that can be made in an entryway.
There are many shapes and sizes of foyers,
some homes don't have a foyer at all.
But for this home, these changes helped the new owners to see past the issues,
and imagine themselves living here.

Other afters of this room:

If you are planning on staging your home to be sold, here's how you can capture buyer's interest and keep it, after they've walked in the front door:

• Remain detached emotionally from your house. See your house through buyers' eyes. It is not your home any longer. It is a building, a commodity that you want to sell for the highest amount possible!
• Oil hinges, tighten doorknobs, and clean baseboards.
• All trim and doors throughout the house should be the same color. (I prefer to paint them all white).
• Make sure that this room has a dramatic focal point, by showcasing a unique piece of furniture or artwork.
• A table lamp for lighting and a vase for flowers is very important.
• A mirror is a space brightener! 
• Add warmth, texture and color with an area rug or runner.
• If dated, change out the light fixtures.
• If dated, change the switch plates to white.
• During the holidays, add a poinsettia to the table in the entry.
• If there is no entryway or hall, try to create one by using furniture to block or separate the view of the living room to create the illusion of two separate areas.
• In the coat closet, make sure the floor is EMPTY. Remove all non-season clothing, and pare the remaining items down to three items. The closet should appear as roomy as possible.
• DO NOT store the vacuum in the coat closet, or games, or wrapping paper, etc... seasonal coats on hangers, only. A basket may be put on the shelf above the hanging clothes to hold smaller items, out-of-sight.
• Use wooden hangers in the closet.
• This area must be kept perfectly neat and clean. Windows wiped, floor polished, wall scuffs removed. It sets the "stage" for the rest of the home. Make it the most dramatic.

You might like it so much, you won't want to move!