Tag: home staging emotions

Think Virtual Staging Is the Secret to Selling Your Home?

If you’ve been scrolling through real estate listings lately, you’ve probably seen beautifully staged homes with rooms that look like they are straight out of a magazine. You know the ones, perfect furniture placement and inviting spaces.

But here’s the truth most homeowners aren’t being told:

Virtual staging can get buyers in the door…but it rarely helps them fall in love once they arrive.

And in today’s market, emotion is what sells homes – not just photos.

The Problem with Virtual Staging

Virtual staging is designed to enhance online photos by digitally adding furniture and décor to empty rooms. On a screen, it works.

But the moment a buyer pulls into the driveway and walks through the front door, something shifts. They’re no longer looking at a styled image. They’re standing in an empty house. And that’s where the disconnect happens.

Buyers Don’t Just Buy What They See – They Buy What They Feel

When buyers walk into a home, they’re asking themselves questions they may not even realize:

  • Can I see myself living here?
  • Does this feel like home?
  • Where would my furniture go?
  • Is this space too small, too big or just right?

If the home is empty, those answers aren’t clear. So, instead of feeling confident, buyers often feel:

  • Confused
  • Disoriented
  • Underwhelmed

What they saw online doesn’t match what they’re experiencing in person. And when that happens, they hesitate, or worse, they walk away.

The Emotional Gap: Why Virtual Staging Falls Short

A digitally staged photo can suggest a lifestyle. But it can’t create an emotional experience.

You see, a real lived in home with real furniture does something powerful that virtual staging never can:

  • It defines the purpose of each room
  • It shows scale and proportion
  • It creates warmth and flow
  • It helps buyers connect emotionally

Without that, buyers are left trying to “figure it out” – and most buyers won’t.

A Better Strategy: Sell the Feeling, Not Just the Photo

If your goal is to sell your home quickly and for top dollar, there are two far more effective approaches:

1. Sell Before You Empty the House

If possible, list your home while it’s still lived in (but be sure it’s prepared, staged and styled first).

This allows buyers to:

  • Experience warmth and livability
  • Understand how each space functions
  • Emotionally connect with the home

This is often the most powerful and cost-effective strategy. That’s why my Model Home Look works so well to sell homes faster and for more money.

2. Professionally Stage Key Rooms After Moving Out

If the home is already empty, don’t leave it that way. Bring in a professional staging company to furnish the most important areas:

  • Living room
  • Kitchen/dining area
  • Primary bedroom

This creates a:

  • Welcoming first impression
  • Cohesive flow throughout the home
  • Space buyers can emotionally respond to

Think of it this way:

Empty homes feel forgotten. Staged homes feel desired.

What Today’s Buyers Really Want

Buyers aren’t just purchasing square footage.

They’re buying:

  • A lifestyle
  • A feeling
  • A vision of their next chapter

Virtual staging may spark curiosity.

But real home staging creates connection – and connection is what leads to offers.

Final Thought

If you want your home to stand out online, virtual staging might help.

But if you want it to sell your home, buyers need to feel something positive the moment they walk through the door. Remember, buyers make a decision about your home within 10 seconds of opening your front door. Don’t let their first 10 seconds be disappointing.

Ready to Sell Without the Stress?

If you’re unsure whether to sell before you move out or after, I offer a Complimentary Ready-to-Sell Assessment to help you determine what would work in your best interest.

Because the right strategy doesn’t just make your home look better, it helps it sell better.

Or if you’d like to know what you need to do to prepare your home for sale, using your own things, I offer a 2 hour Home Staging Preparation Consultation. It’s a total room to room walkthrough of your home where I’ll point out what you should do before you come on the market. All the tips and tricks that turn lookers into buyers. You’ll receive a written report afterwards so you can have a punch list to work from to move you forward.

Call or text Melinda at (913) 515-3250 or contact me here and get those “should I” questions answered so you can get some clarity on your best next steps.

Hire a Professional Home Stager for Your Best Spring Sale

I received a call from a lady who had her house on the market and it wasn’t selling. She told me her Realtor had hired a professional home stager before her house came on the market. Now, her Realtor wanted to reduce the price $10,000. They were distraught with that thought and she was talking to a friend about it and her friend suggested she contact me. So, after looking at her house online and asking her a few key questions, we decided it would be best for me to come by for a consultation and check it out in person.

As I arrived at the house, I determined it wasn’t messy, outdated and I didn’t think it was overpriced. In fact, the sellers had done what most people do. They cleaned, straightened and even added some decorative touches. And yet…something was missing.

What I discovered was they had a home staging consultation with no hands on styling involved. When you’re selling your home, you need to hire a professional home stager that’s actually going to stage and style your home – not just make suggestions of what you should do.

They looked at me and said, “We thought spring would be the perfect time to sell. There are so many buyers…why isn’t it happening?”

The Truth About the Spring Market

Yes, spring is the busiest time of year to sell a home. There are more buyers looking and more homes are coming on the market. And that’s exactly the problem most sellers don’t expect.

You don’t just have a lot of opportunity – you also have a lot of competition. Buyers are walking through multiple homes on a daily basis – as soon as they hit the market.

Which means they’re not just asking:
“Do we like this house?”

They’re asking:
“Do we like this house enough to buy it and live here?”

What I Noticed Right Away

This home wasn’t bad. But it didn’t feel just right either. You already know what it was missing. It didn’t pass the 10 second test. I wasn’t feeling it when I walked in. This is a feeling you have to create.You can’t make your buyers feel it – you have to create that Model Home Look and Feel that every buyer wants and every seller needs.

In this particular home, their furniture placement made the rooms feel smaller. There was too much personality in some spaces and not enough in others. And there wasn’t a clear, cohesive feeling from room to room. It screamed to me that it wasn’t staged.

Next, it felt like someone’s home. True it was someone’s home but when your house comes on the market, your home needs to speak to the buyer. BUY ME!!!

But it didn’t feel like a home that buyers could say yes to or see themselves living there – as their showings had proven.

What We Did (And Why It Matters)

After being on the market for over 30 days and no offers, they hired me on the spot to help them get their house in order so it stood out from their competition.

They talked to their Realtor and told her what they were doing. She agreed to take the house off the market for a week and to reschedule professional photos once the house was ready.

Instead of leaving things to chance, I got busy and created a plan that:

  • Was designed to simplify and declutter each space
  • Rearranged their furniture throughout the home to improve flow and openness
  • Focused on creating that strong first impression within the first 10 seconds buyers walked in
  • Added intentional staging pieces to create warmth and balance

The goal was simple:

Give the home that Model Home Look that every buyer wants and will pay more money to get. Buyers want:

  • Well staged.
  • Clean.
  • Inviting.
  • Easy to say yes to.

The Result

Needless to say, the house sold as soon as it had a new look, feel and updated photos. Why? Because when a home is staged correctly, buyers don’t have to work to imagine living there. They just feel it.

Lesson Learned – Don’t Leave Your Spring Sale to Chance

One of the biggest mistakes sellers make in the spring market is assuming:

“There are so many buyers…it will sell.” But buyers don’t buy just any home.

They buy the one that:

  • Feels the best
  • Looks the best
  • Stands out the most

And that doesn’t happen by accident.

Why Hiring a Professional Home Stager Matters

When you hire a professional home stager thats good at their job, you’re not just making your home look nice.

You are:

  • Positioning your home against your competition
  • Creating a strong emotional connection with buyers
  • Helping your home stand out in photos and in person
  • Increasing your chances of stronger offers

Especially in the spring real estate market, this can make all the difference.

Simple Ways to Start Preparing

If you’re thinking about selling this spring, here are a few places to begin:

1. Look at Your Home Through Your Buyer’s Eyes

What feels crowded? What feels unclear?

2. Focus on First Impressions

The entry, the living room, and kitchen matter most.

3. Simplify Every Space

Less truly is more when selling.

4. Think Flow, Not Just Decor

How a room feels matters more than what’s in it.

5. Don’t Guess – Hire a Professional Home Stager

A professional plan removes the uncertainty and creates results.

Your Best Spring Sale Starts With the Right Plan

Spring is a window of opportunity – but only if your home is prepared the right way.

If you want your home to stand out (not just blend in), it starts before you ever list it for sale.

My Home Staging Preparation Consultation walks you through exactly what to do – step by step – to prepare for your Home Staging and Styling Session. You want to be sure your home is ready to make the best possible impression from day one.

Call or text me at (913) 515-3250 or contact me here to discuss your next best steps before listing your home for sale.

Why Professional Photos Impact Your Home Staging Efforts


Why Professional Photos Impact Your Home Staging

When it comes to selling your home, the first impression often happens online. Most buyers start their journey online, scrolling through photos to decide which homes are worth seeing. Your home might be beautifully staged, but without professional photos, that effort can certainly go unnoticed.

The Numbers Don’t Lie

Studies show that homes that were professionally staged, sell faster and often for more money. Once you have your home staging and Model Home Look in place, the next step is to schedule a Professional Photo Shoot.

High-quality images will highlight the best features of your home, making it easier for buyers to visualize themselves living there. When you invest in staging and professional photos, you can be sure your home will show beautifully online and in person.

The Emotional Connection

Beyond numbers, photos tell a story. They capture light, space, and atmosphere in a way that creates an emotional connection. Buyers don’t just see a room; they imagine family dinners in the dining area, relaxing in the living room, or cozy mornings in the sunlit bedroom. Professional photography brings your staged home to life, making it irresistible to already emotional buyers.

How Professional Photos Impact Your Home Staging

Think of it like this: staging prepares your home physically.

Professional photos prepare your home mentally for the buyer.

Your home’s best angles, textures, and colors are presented flawlessly online, drawing the interest of more buyers to your home.

When buyers see themselves living in your home, they will buy it faster and pay more money for it every time.

~Melinda Bartling

Your Third Chapter Takeaway

When you’re moving to a new stage in life – your third chapter for example – downsizing, relocating, or simplifying – every step counts. And every step is a process.

Pairing professional staging with professional photography ensures your home will make the strongest impact, so you can move confidently into your third chapter, lighter, freer, and fully in control.

What’s Next?

Before your Professional Photo Shoot, is the Home Staging. If you’d like to sell your home faster and for more money, schedule a Home Staging Preparation Consultation. This is your pre-listing game plan of preparing your home before your Now to WOW Home Staging and Styling Session.

Call or text Melinda at (913) 515-3250 or contact me here.

The Odd Places Buyers Look When Buying a Home

(That Sellers Forget to Stage)

I remember a house I once showed that was beautifully staged. There were fresh flowers on the kitchen island. Perfect white towels in the primary bath. The throw pillows on the couch were perfectly karate chopped. The fireplace was glowing. It photographed like a dream. The buyers loved the home online. They knew this would be the one. But then we got to the house and they started looking at all the odd places buyers look when buying a home.

And it all went downhill from there. They started doing what all home buyers do. They started checking things out. She opened the kitchen junk drawer, not knowing what drawer it was. Silence. And then she let out this yell. In the mean time, I was at the other end of the kitchen discovering the same thing. NOOOOO, I thought. This is the perfect house for these buyers. While I already knew what was going down, I wasn’t even sure we would get through the showing.

So, instead of looking at the house, they were looking through the house, looking for everything wrong with it and deciding against it. They looked in the pantry, under the kitchen sink, I opened the refrigerator. I already knew they weren’t going to buy this house.

They continued to look, not falling in love but falling out of love. The house appeared to have the Model Home Look, but this house was a disaster. While opening every cabinet and each drawer, they were noticing what a mess the house was behind the pretty pictures.

As we left the house, they said to me, “it just isn’t as clean as we were hoping. It was so perfect in the photos.”

It wasn’t only not very clean, it was very disorganized and it felt totally chaotic. The shower in the primary was literally disgusting with all the products. The shower doors were dirty. When buyers are walking through your home, thinking about buying it, chaotic will cost you.

Buyers Don’t Just Look – They Investigate

When preparing your home for sale, most sellers focus on what’s visible.

Clear the counters as most agents will tell you to do. Ouch. Vacuum the floors, make the beds and clean the bathrooms and kitchen.

But today’s buyers – thanks to HGTV, YouTube, and a hundred home inspection shows – look everywhere. They aren’t snooping. They’re deciding.

They’re asking themselves:

  • Has this home been well maintained?
  • Is there enough storage here for all of our stuff?
  • Are we missing anything?
  • Will my life feel organized here?

And they answer those questions in the oddest places.

Odd Places Buyers Look When Buying a Home

The Junk Drawer (Yes, That One)

If it sticks when they open it, crammed to the top or it looks like an explosion happened in there, it’s a problem. It doesn’t just reflect that drawer. It’s a reflection on the whole house.

Under the Kitchen and Bathroom Sinks

Buyers crouch down. They are checking for leaks, looking for stains and they notice clutter.

A sparkling sink above with chaos below sends mixed messages to homebuyers.

Closets (All of Them)

The primary closet.
Linen closet.
Coat closet.
Hall closet.

Overstuffed closets don’t say, “I have a lot of clothes.” They say, “this house doesn’t have enough storage.”

And storage sells homes. Space in a home for sale equates to value.

The Laundry Room

This one often surprises sellers.

Buyers look at:

  • The washer and dryer (especially if they are staying with the house)
  • Amount of shelving and storage
  • Floor condition to indicate any leaks
  • Dust buildup
  • Storage systems

All of this tells them how the home functions behind the scenes.

The Garage

Oh, the garage. If it’s packed wall-to-wall, buyers don’t see potential. All they see is overflow and too much stuff. Home inspectors need to see floors and walls – especially in the garage and basement.

Utility Spaces

Furnace rooms, water heaters, and electrical panels will be checked out even if they don’t understand what they are looking at. Dusty spaces feel neglected and raise the question, “I wonder when this was last serviced?”

Behind Doors

If a door is closed, it’s getting opened. Think bathroom doors, pantry doors, closet doors, refrigerator doors and that one door you hope no one opens.

Curiosity increases when something feels hidden.

The Refrigerator (If It’s Staying or Not)

Buyers will open it. Even if they say they won’t. I have discovered, the inside of the refrigerator tells a lot about the people who live in the house. If it’s clean, well organized, and everything is lined up and faced, it shows pride of ownership. Or if it’s dirty, disorganized and chaotic, it’s ewwww. But when selling your home, pride sells.

Here’s the Real Truth

Buyers are not judging your lifestyle. They are searching for reassurance about a home they are considering buying.

The want reassurance that:

  • The home has been cared for.
  • There are no hidden surprises.
  • Their life will feel lighter here.

Home staging isn’t just about pretty rooms. It’s about removing doubt. Because doubt makes buyers hesitate. And hesitation costs sellers money – a lot of it.

If you’re preparing your home for sale, don’t just stage what shows up in photos.

Stage the odd places buyers look. The drawers, the closets, under the sink. All of those “little” spaces that are speaking louder than you think. And when they whisper, “This home is well cared for”…

Buyers listen.

What’s Next?

Those “little” spaces? They can cost you money or the sale completely. Don’t be like my buyers who walked away from their dream home because it just didn’t feel good.

Before you list your home, let’s make sure nothing is sending the wrong message to buyers.

Schedule a Home Staging Preparation Consultation, and I’ll show you exactly where to focus on your home – and where not to waste your time.

Smart preparation always brings strong prices and less stress for everyone. Call or text me at (913) 515-3250 or reach out here.

Amazing Home Staging Tips That Begin at the Front Door

Because buyers decide emotionally about your home in the first 10 seconds.

Buyers start forming an opinion about your home almost immediately — often within the first 10 seconds of walking through your front door. Here are some amazing home staging tips that begin at the front door. Why? Before they notice square footage, upgrades, or sometimes even the price, they notice how the home feels. That emotional first impression at the door sets the tone for everything else that follows.

And here’s something I always tell my sellers:
The rooms buyers see from the front door matter the most. That first welcoming peek into the house shapes their excitement, comfort level, and whether they can picture themselves living there. If those spaces feel calm, open, and inviting, you’re already winning.

The good news? You don’t need a full redesign to create that impact. Strategic staging at your entry and on into the house, can completely shift how buyers experience will your home.

Create a Clear, Welcoming Entry

Your front door should open into possibility – not clutter.

Remove any extra furniture, shoes, piles of mail, or anything that visually crowds the space. Even small entry areas benefit from simplicity. A clean mat, a touch of greenery, or a simple light fixture can instantly elevate the welcome.

Buyers should feel: This home is so well cared for.

Focus on What Buyers See First

Stand at your front door and look inside.
What rooms are visible? Living room? Dining room? Kitchen?

Those are your priority staging zones.

Declutter aggressively, stage and style on purpose, and make sure those spaces feel:

  • Bright
  • Spacious
  • Calm
  • Move-in ready

If buyers love what they see immediately, they’ve probably already formed an opinion and it will stick with them as they view the rest of your home.

Let Light Lead the Emotion

Light sets the mood faster than anything else.

So, open your curtains, clean the windows inside and out, and add lamps with warm bulbs to boost your home’s look. The view from dark entries can subconsciously signal negativity, while bright spaces signal comfort and ease.

Light is very welcoming.

Depersonalize Without Making It Cold

Buyers want to picture their life there – not feel like they’re visiting yours.

Pack away your family photos, bold personal collections, and any niche décor. Keep enough warmth so the home still feels inviting, but neutral enough that will appeal to the largest number of buyers.

Think about The Model Home Look.

Arrange Furniture for Flow

Furniture placement should automatically welcome and guide buyers naturally into and through your home.

Avoid any blocking pathways that lead away from your entry. The proper furniture arrangement makes spaces feel larger and more functional – two things that buyers always notice.

Great flow = emotional comfort.

The Bottom Line

Home Staging isn’t decorating – it’s emotional marketing.

When buyers walk through your front door and instantly feel relaxed, excited, and at home, you’ve got them. Those first 10 seconds can influence your home’s perceived value, affecting your final sale price.

And it almost always starts with what the buyers see first.

If you’re preparing to sell and want expert eyes on how buyers will experience your home, that’s exactly what I help sellers do every day.

Your Pre-Staging Game Plan

If you’re ready to get your home staging plan started and want to wow your buyers from the moment they walk in, start with a Home Staging Preparation Consultation.

This is the essential first step before your final Now to WOW Home Staging & Styling Session, where your home is transformed into a model-home-ready showstopper prior to your Professional Photo Shoot.

In this hands-on, pre-listing session, we’ll walk through every room of your home and you’ll receive practical staging guidance using your own furnishings. You’ll learn:

  • What to remove, rearrange, update or do before your full Now to WOW Home Staging and Styling Session
  • How to highlight each area of you home and its best features using my proven home staging tips
  • Everything you need to do will be followed up with with a personalized punch list emailed to you after the session

Learn more and schedule your Home Staging Preparation Consultation – $495 for a 2-hour session and written report.

And if you have questions or want to talk through your situation, feel free to call or text Melinda at (913) 515-3250 or contact me here. I’m always happy to help.

3 Proven Home Staging Tips to Make Your Home Irresistible

Selling a home can feel overwhelming, but the right staging strategy can make your home irresistible. Staging isn’t just about decorating — it’s about helping buyers see themselves living in your space, creating an emotional connection, and making your home easier to sell, faster.

Here are three proven tips I use when helping clients sell homes quickly, making your property truly irresistible. Remember you have one chance to make a 1st impression. Buyers will make a decision about your home within 10 seconds of opening your front door.

Declutter

Less is more. Clearing away excess items gives rooms breathing space, highlights your home’s best features, and makes it easier for buyers to imagine their own belongings in the space.

Focus on:

  • Countertops, closets, and high-traffic areas
  • Furniture that fills and crowds the room
  • Things that no longer serve your lifestyle

Tip: Pack up, move out or donate things you won’t need in your next chapter. Decluttering is the 1st step of fast and effective home selling.

2. Depersonalize

Buyers need to picture themselves living in your home — not feel like they’re intruding in on someone else’s life.

  • Remove family photos, very personalized and unique collections
  • Keep your décor neutral and appealing to a wide audience of buyers
  • Use simple, tasteful accents to add warmth without distracting from your home

Depersonalizing doesn’t mean your home feels empty — it means it’s ready for buyers to imagine their life there.

3. Rearrange

The right layout can completely change a buyer’s perception of your home:

  • Arrange furniture to create flow and open space
  • Highlight focal points like fireplaces, windows, or built-ins
  • Make bedrooms cozy, kitchens functional, and living areas inviting

Even small tweaks — like shifting a couch, adding a chair, or clearing a walkway – can make a big difference in how buyers experience your home.

Why This Works

These three steps – Declutter, Depersonalize, Rearrange — are the core of my Now to WOW system. They help homes look larger, feel inviting, and sell faster. Staging this way doesn’t just improve your home’s look – it creates clarity and excitement for your buyers, which often leads to quicker offers and smoother sales.

I create The Model Home Look for every house I stage. Because when buyers see themselves living in your home, they will buy it faster and pay more money for it every time.

Ready to Make Your Home Irresistible?

If you’re preparing to sell your home, applying these three staging strategies can make your home stand out and sell faster. I specialize in helping sellers with downsizing, staging, and preparing their home’s for the market, so your home shows beautifully and appeals to the right buyers.

Explore my Home Staging Services or call or text Melinda at 913-515-3250 or contact me here, to see how I can help.

Proven Tips You’ll Want to Use When Staging Your Kitchen

When it comes to selling your home, staging your kitchen is your make-or-break space. It’s the heart of the home — and one of the biggest influences on a buyer’s emotional reaction. Remember, buyers will make a decision about your home within 10 seconds of opening your front door. So yes, staging the kitchen is essential. But if you think it’s just about clearing off the counters, think again.

So What are the Rules for Staging Your Kitchen?

Make it look clean, spacious, and easy to live in — even if it’s not brand new.

Buyers don’t expect a full kitchen renovation. But they do expect a kitchen that feels fresh, functional, and clutter-free. The secret lies in making the space look like it works beautifully for everyday life — without looking like anyone is currently using it. I call it The Model Home Look.

Here’s how to pull that off:

Clear Some Things Off the Counters — But Go Beyond That

Yes, remove the usual suspects: toaster, blender, knife block, extra appliances that you don’t use everyday. But don’t stop there. Think about the visual space. Even attractive items can make a kitchen feel smaller if there are too many of them.

Display larger items on each counter — smaller items get lost and add to a cluttered existence. Less really is more.

Make It Sparkle Like a Showroom

A well-staged kitchen should really glisten. This means:

  • Wipe down every surface — countertops, cabinet fronts, appliances, backsplash.
  • Make stainless steel shine (no fingerprints!).
  • Clean grout lines, sinks, and faucets.
  • Replace burned-out lightbulbs so it’s bright and inviting.

Buyers may not notice a perfectly clean kitchen, but they’ll definitely notice a dirty one.

Create a Feeling of Functionality

Buyers want to imagine themselves whipping up dinner or hosting friends. Even if your kitchen is small or outdated, the goal is to show that it works.

  • Organize the inside of your cabinets and drawers — yes, buyers will look!
  • Take half the stuff out of each cabinet to make them feel roomier. Go ahead and pack it up – you’re moving!
  • I like adding a coffee or tea bar area to suggest warmth and hospitality.

Bonus Tip: Neutralize the Paint

If your kitchen walls or cabinets are painted a bold color, consider toning them down. Lighter, neutral tones photograph better and make the space feel larger.

Final Thoughts

Staging a kitchen isn’t about perfection. It’s about potential. Even if you have an older kitchen, you can still stage it to show that it’s clean, spacious, and welcoming. That emotional reaction is what helps buyers say, “I can see myself living here.” When buyers see themselves living in your home, they will buy it faster and pay more money for it every time!

And that’s the goal.

Are You Ready to Make Your Kitchen a Buyer Magnet?

If you’re thinking about selling and not sure how to get your home market-ready, I can help. I offer expert home staging consultations that focus on simple, affordable strategies that get you real results and more money when you sell!

Let’s schedule your Home Staging Walk-Through today

You’ll get a clear plan of action that will make your home stand out — so it sells faster. You did want more money didn’t you? My last sellers walked away with an extra $30,000 in their pocket. They said the home staging was the “icing on the cake” that got them $30,000 over asking. Call or text me at (913) 515-3250 and let’s see what I can do for you.

The Truth About How Home Staging and Styling Sells Homes!

If you’re in the market to sell anytime soon, here’s the truth about how home staging and styling sells homes. Many home sellers and their agents think home staging isn’t necessary in this fast moving real estate market. Whoa! You do want more money don’t you???

But let’s back up a minute…we stage and style homes using your own things! Most people don’t know that home staging was created in 1973 and was always about homes that were occupied. We create your home’s best home selling look using what you already have!

Home Staging is the Emotional Piece to the Puzzle

You see, until buyers are emotionally involved in your home, they won’t buy it. Just because you think you have a great house, on a great cul-de-sac, with great neighbors, none of those things matter. Especially in south Overland Park. What house for sale doesn’t meet those conditions? You love your house because it’s your house and you have a million memories there. Your buyer on the other hand, has no memories and no attachment to your home whatsoever. So to your buyer, you’re just another box of cereal on the shelf. There’s no emotion and when there’s no emotion, there’s no sale.

What Can You do to Stand Out from the Competition?

The most important thing you can do to stand out is to have your home professionally staged and styled. You’ve got one chance to make a first impression. Your buyers are going to make a decision within 10 seconds of opening your front door and you’re either going to win their hearts or send them packing. If they don’t walk through your front door and stop and say, “wow…I could live here,”you’ve lost them.

As a Realtor for over 35 years, I would always say we’ll put this one on the back burner. In today’s market, there is no back burner. You either win or you don’t. There’s no runner up and they aren’t coming back.

My advice? Hire the best home stager possible and get your house ready to sell. I always say:

When your house is ready, the buyers will come.

Melinda Bartling

Play the game like it’s the Super Bowl. Prepare. List. SELL! Hire an agent who understands how home staging and styling works. Agents I stage for on a regular basis know it’s all in the details and that’s what I’m good at. I have a vision for every house I see. In a couple of hours, I can totally transform your home, using your own things, and give it that Model Home Look that every buyer wants. And they will pay whatever it takes to make it happen.

The better your home looks determines the amount of money your buyer will pay. Give the buyer what they want and they will buy your home faster and for more money every time.

Check out this living room I walked into recently…

There are NO 2nd Chances in Real Estate

Home sellers who understand the selling process and take it seriously are raking in the big bucks. You can put your home on the market without preparing it or you can spend a couple hundred dollars and sell for $10,000-$20,000 over asking price. It’s up to you. But you get one chance. Don’t screw it up!

The way you live in your home and the way you sell your house are 2 different ways!

Melinda Bartling

Yes this is the same living room after a little home staging, rearranging and styling! Needless to say, this home sold immediately for WAY OVER asking price.

Give me a couple of hours and I can turned your very lived in home into a masterpiece that every buyer wants and will pay more money to get!

Home Staging and Styling Services

If you’re in the Overland Park area, call or text us at (913) 515-3250 to schedule your home staging and styling services. In a couple of hours, we will transform your everyday lived in home into something spectacular that buyers will swarm to like bees to honey. It’s the best thing you can do to sell your home in the current real estate market. You wouldn’t sell your car without detailing it would you? Call us today or contact us here!

3 Easy Home Staging Hacks You Need to Know

Regardless of what you may think, no matter what the real estate market is doing, there are only 3 easy home staging hacks you need to know to sell your home. Whether interest rates are sky high or way below average if you do these 3 things, you will be way ahead of your home selling competition.

My Home Staging Expertise

Let me give you a little background about me and my home staging expertise. I’ve been licensed to sell real estate since 1987. I had learned of home staging early in my career. However, I wasn’t actually privy to it until a seller didn’t hire me to list his house back in 2006.

First of all, his wife had agreed to list their home with me. When I finally met with her husband, things quickly went south. He decided he didn’t like what I had to say about things they should do to get their home sold faster and for more money. The main thing I suggested was to repaint their kitchen cabinets that were sponge painted. Granted sponge painting was a trend in those days – but not on kitchen cabinets. Needless to say, I didn’t get the listing and was devastated because of it.

Home Staging was Created in 1973

After leaving that appointment with my tail between my legs, I came across the lady who created the home staging concept back in 1973. Barb Schwarz was conducting home staging training and her next course was in Chicago within the next couple of weeks. I knew home staging was the solution but I didn’t know how to sell it to my home sellers.

After working one on one with Barb, I learned her concepts about home staging and opened my own home staging business in Kansas City. Home staging was a new concept and most Realtors didn’t understand it and many still don’t. But as I worked with other agents, they saw that what I did made all the difference in the world in how the house showed – online and in person.

3 Easy Home Staging Hacks

In order to appeal to the largest number of buyers it all comes down to the Model Home Look and the 10 Second Rule. In other words, you’d better have your best look. Your buyers are going to make a decision whether or not to buy your house within 10 seconds.

  1. Declutter – you must remove the clutter from your house. I know that’s a hard one but you are preventing your own sale from happening. Just yesterday my buyers said to me, “there’s no way these sellers could be out of here in 30 days.” We eliminated that house from our list of possibilities.
  2. Depersonalize – be sure to remove all of those family photos, collections of beanie babies, etc. Buyers cannot and will not visualize their own family photos and collections in your house if yours are still there. They only see it as your house, they don’t visualize themselves living there.
  3. Rearrange – this is the big one. You’ve got to rearrange your furniture and your accessories to evoke an emotional feeling from the home buyers. This is the 3rd step of home staging and should be done by a professional Home Staging Stylist. You can declutter and depersonalize but the rearranging will create that model home look that every buyer wants and will pay more money to get. The rearranging step is where the emotion comes into play and causes buyers to fall in love with your home. Failing to do this most important step is failing to complete your home staging.

Moving the Buyers toward a YES!

When I know buyers are showing signs of loving a house, I will be the first to sit down in my favorite room. Inevitably the buyers will join me. That’s when they start getting comfortable and feeling themselves emotionally living in the house. The right furniture and accessories in the right places helps draw them in and feel right at home. Too much furniture and accessories in the wrong places will create a feeling of claustrophobia. I will be the first one to run out the front door.

Faster Home Selling Results

By using these 3 easy home staging hacks, you are setting yourself up to sell your home faster and for more money. When home buyers get emotional about your home, they will eliminate the others they’ve seen and buy your home now because it’s the one they see themselves living in.

Furthermore, buyers have no memories about your house. It’s your job to become unemotionally attached to your home and treat it as the product it is in order for your buyers to become emotionally attached. Once you understand and master that concept, you will be on your way to selling your home faster and for the most money possible. That’s also where a great home staging stylist will be worth her weight in gold and will turn your lived in home into a model home masterpiece.

If you’re considering selling your home and want to create your best Model Home Look, call or text me direct at (913) 515-3250 or get started here.

Easy Home Staging Secret That Will Make Your Home Sell Faster

Here is one easy home staging secret I use on all of my listings before they come on the market. We stage occupied homes so we work with what you have in your house. I won’t lie, sometimes it’s easy and sometimes it’s not. But regardless, I always tell people their house will look better for selling than it did when we arrived.

I always say, selling your home is simple, it’s just not easy. After all, buyers will make a decision about your house within 10 seconds of opening the front door. So as a home stager, first impressions are critical for me. I will walk your house over and over making sure everything is “just right.” I call it the Goldilocks Effect.

Another Happy Seller

As my Happy Seller, Gayle Krieger said, “selling your home is a mindset.”

“We were looking for a Realtor that had experience and also did home staging. Our daughter found Melinda on the internet. I contacted Melinda initially to visit with us and look at our house to see what improvements we needed to do for selling our home.

From our first visit, we knew Melinda was the Realtor for us. She gave us some recommendations for improvements to do. The first thing was to get a mindset that we are selling a house, not our home. When we were ready to list we called Melinda. She staged our home and told us she would sell it the first weekend. My husband was not a believer in being able to accomplish that. We sold for over the asking price the first weekend! He is now a believer!

Melinda was very prompt in answering emails, texts, and phone calls. We were moving out of state. Melinda called Realtors in our new location and interviewed them. She found us a great Realtor to buy our next home. We really appreciated that. We highly recommend Melinda.”

My easy home staging secret

Does your house have the Goldilocks effect? Gayle and Jerry’s house did have the Goldilocks effect before I staged it. While I didn’t have to do much, I brought in some accessories to freshen up their look by staging and styling their home to create their best model home look for the buyers.

Their dining room was right inside the front door and was lacking a little style that was necessary for selling. I rearranged the dining room and added some trendy accessories to their dining room table and china cabinet to make things pop.

I also stopped by the garden center on the way to their house and picked out a perfect arrangement that was “just right” to dress up their front porch.

Needless to say, when their house came on the market, everything was “just right.”

It’s about an eye for style

People always tell me I’m very stylish. My reply is, “if I can’t style myself, how can I style your home?” It’s all in the presentation – arranging and accessorizing your home until it’s “just right.” By focusing on your home, getting it “just right” and having a marketing plan that works, I’m able to sell my homes within 3 days of coming on the market. That creates very Happy Sellers!

While I know I can’t help everyone, the sellers I have helped have had great success. It starts with their mindset and my ability to create their Goldilocks effect – making sure everything is “just right.” Remember, you have one chance to make a first impression when selling your home in Overland Park. Is your house “just right?”

If you are ready to create your Goldilocks effect when selling your home in Overland Park, call me at (913) 515-3250 or contact me here. Home staging is one small expense you’ll have when selling that will increase your bottom line. If you list your home with us, we will stage your home for FREE!

913-515-3250