How to Use Staging Techniques for House Guests or Parties

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By Virginia Allain
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How's your curb appeal?

Staging techniques often are used to make a house appeal to buyers. Even when not selling the house, staging methods are useful. When you expect guests either to stay or for a party, you want the house to look its best. Here are staging techniques for those situations.

Difficulty: Moderately Easy

Instructions

Step 1

Take a critical look at your approach to the house. What looks out-of-place? Are the bushes overgrown or neglected? Put away the kids' bicycles, and the flower pots with dead plants in them. Trim anything that need it. Flank the entry with seasonal touches like colorful potted plants or bright pumpkins in the fall.
Step 2

Step through the door and look at the first area the guests see. Is it crowded, cluttered, and drab? Remove what doesn't serve a purpose in that room. Continue to do this in all the rooms the guests will see. With a house guest, this means all the rooms.
Step 3

You get used to how things look in the house and seldom really register how it looks. Before having house guests or a party, consider what areas could benefit from rearranging. How would the sofa look over here? Bring in accessories from another room and try a new look.
Step 4

Fix those nagging problems that you've put up with for too long. You should do it, if only for yourself, but now the visitors or party guests provide added incentive. Get the loose step nailed down, the leaky toilet fixed, and replace those defunct light bulbs.
Step 5

Get the house really clean. Sure you're busy, but dust bunnies under the furniture and built-up grime on the shower door drag down the appeal of your home. Ask a best friend or family member to help you do a whirlwind cleaning or even hire someone to clean the house.
Step 6

It doesn't hurt to bring in some new accessories. Put a new cover on that tired throw pillow. Replace that limp plant in the corner. If the budget is tight, just remove those things. It's better to have an empty space in some cases.

Comments

missforty said

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on 10/28/2008 VERY good article, Thanks!

gailM said

on 8/31/2008 Good thinking. You might like to have some brownies just out of the oven at the moment of arrival of your guests. That would appeal to their sence of smell to. My problem is after they are gone I foget to bring my favorites back out.
GailM