goodbye, house. Hello, Home! Homemaking, Interior Design Blog, Staging, DIY: 31 Days to a Staged Home

I can't believe this is the last day!

I'm happy and sad.

I've enjoyed writing and sharing this series,

but I'll be glad to move on to some other topics.

And I'm sure that some of you will be glad to read about

something other than staging!

This post took much longer than the others

because I got some fantastically awesome queries from you all!

And I answered every one of them.

Whew!

Here are the Q & As you've been waiting for, homemakers

(you may want to take a nap afterwards! this is a long post):

Q: Can you stage your house even if you are not planning to sell? Is it possible to live in a staged house?

A: If by staged you mean clean, maintained, simplified, kept in like-new condition, and up-to-date, then - yes, I absolutely think that we can and should at least try to maintain our homes, be content with what we have been given, and avoid trying to constantly acquire more before tending to what we already have. It is not only possible to live in a staged house, it is ideal. Why should we wait to have a simplified, beautiful home, only to sell it to someone else? Let’s treat ourselves and our homes to the best that our spaces have to offer us!

26 comments:

TriciaNovember 1, 2012 at 6:54 AM
Great series! And all these Q&As are fantastic! Thanks for all the time it took for you to share your wisdom with us!
dougandcherylNovember 1, 2012 at 9:47 AM
Thank you so much for answering our questions. You have been so helpful and I feel much better about a lot of the worries I have been having while figuring out how to do this.
BonnieNovember 1, 2012 at 10:00 AM
Leslie, I have enjoyed your series sooooo much. Each year I pick 3-5 series to read, and I came across yours well into the month and was hooked. I will continue to follow you.

We have no immediate plans to move, but your ideas have given me a long list of things we should do to make our house nicer for our own family. I mean a LONG list. My-hysband-is-gonna-hate-me long.

Thanks for sharing your expertise with us.
Hilda @ From Overwhelmed To OrganizedNovember 1, 2012 at 10:46 AM
Thanks for this series Leslie! I have really enjoyed it and will be returning to it over the next year and a half before we sell our home. This Q & A was the most in-depth one I've ever seen! Great job :)
daisyNovember 1, 2012 at 1:31 PM
I really want to thank you for this series. It came just at the right time! It's been very helpful and I just know that it will help us sell our house so much faster. You're a gem!
CathyNovember 1, 2012 at 11:49 PM
Thank you so much for this series!! I stumbled onto your blog just as you began and I followed right along as we had plans to list our home on Nov 1st. I followed many, many, many... Of your suggestions!! All my work paid off. We listed today and got an offer today! We are under contract! I can't thank you enough :)
Bea GarcíaNovember 2, 2012 at 1:22 PM
Thank you, Leslie for all the information you share with us! You put EVERYTHING out, explained to detail and gave us tools that will be forever helpful! THANK YOU! xo
Susan (My Place to Yours)November 2, 2012 at 7:40 PM
GREAT series, Leslie! You did a fantastic job -- especially on Day 31 when you surely had to play the role of Energizer Bunny to write the post. :-)
LaurenNovember 3, 2012 at 1:36 AM
Thank you so much for this series! I was really confused about putting a house on the market and this answered everything! A step by step guide on what to do - such an amazing tool. Thank you again for doing this and for answering our questions (I was excited to see that mine got picked!).
KKNovember 3, 2012 at 10:48 PM
Thanks so much for your blog! My husband and I are considering selling our home, and this has given me a great place to start looking at all that we need to do (when I'm taking a break from the actual "doing" of those things!) :)
StephNovember 4, 2012 at 12:48 PM
This is so helpful. Thank you. We built our house 7 years ago at 25 having only rented before. I think we did an ok job but now I realize some things will look odd to potential buyers. We have three bedrooms but the third smallest bedroom has a door leading to an above the garage bonus room. We are not sure how to stage the area. Do we make the third bedroom a sitting area/office then make the bonus room a (big) bedroom...without a closet. Leave the bedroom as is and the bonus room something else? The bedroom has no privacy due to the door leading to the bonus room. Did we make a huge mistake here or can we do something. Appreciate any insight you could provide. Thanks!
AnonymousNovember 5, 2012 at 9:17 AM
That was so helpful. We are thinking of downsizing and will be putting our present home on the market. I've printed out everything and will use it as we get ready. I do have a question. We'll be painting our kitchen cabinets white (sour cream) and we have white appliances presently. They will need to be replaced do I replace them with white or go with stainless?
Debbi dfair@nvnacc.com
Doda SmithNovember 6, 2012 at 10:01 AM
Hi, thanks, that was all excellent advice.
Would love to chat with you again one day
hugs
Doda
xxxx
SueNovember 7, 2012 at 5:59 PM
Leslie, This series was very interesting and helpful. I enjoyed it very much.
I have bought and sold 9 homes, in various markets over the last 35 years of marriage. I have never removed a family photo or a book, but my homes are always neat and not cluttered. Our last home was on the market for about 6 hours, {new record for us! and I don't think we have had one last more than a few weeks in some pretty bad markets.} I do think your advice is very good though and I know it will help people get top dollar. I think the most important thing you can do is CLEAN your house. It's amazing how many people don't really even do that!
AnonymousNovember 11, 2012 at 3:03 PM
Leslie~ Thank you. Thank you. Thank you. What an amazing series! I have filled up 1/2 a notebook with notes and the other half with "to do" lists. We have already gotten started with some things and will continue on with others as time and $$ permit ... no real sale date ahead of us ... it will just be so nice to live in a clean, clutter-free, comfortable home until we are ready to sell and then there won't be that mad rush to get things done. Your Day 31 Q&A was over the top (and it was so wonderful that you answered ALL the questions - I had several in there) :) I pray multiplied blessings back to you and your family for the time you invested in this -- you could have made this a course or e-book for profit but instead you gifted it to us. Thanks and God Bless! ~elaine
AnonymousNovember 11, 2012 at 3:11 PM
Oh - and one more thing ... if the person that posted the question about having animals and a garden would like to let me know where they live (and if it's in our area) - it might change when we are planning to move ;) ~elaine
littlefootMarch 26, 2013 at 1:20 PM
Just wondering, any news as to when your book will be published, how much it will be and where we can get it from? Thank you! X
ChalyseJuly 17, 2013 at 8:28 PM
When will your eBook be published? I'd love a copy!