When the Oahu real estate market is hot it can be deceptively easy to make a quick sale.  During the recent real estate boom, for instance, it was not unusual for bidding wars to break out on the lawns of lucky homeowners, and it seemed that every potential buyer was in a rush to get in on the action.  Now that the red-hot market has cooled significantly, however, many home sellers are finding it difficult to capture the attention, let alone the money, or wary homebuyers. In a buyer's market home sellers need to go the extra mile in order to make the sale, and home staging is one way for owners to make their properties stand out from the crowd.

Staging a home for sale is very much about marketing, and it is important for homeowners to view their home as a product to be marketed and sold. It can be difficult for homeowners who have an emotional investment in their home to take this objective view, but doing so can help the home sell more quickly and for a higher price. 

Home staging uses many of the same concepts found in the retail world, where display rooms filled with fine furniture conjure up images of happy families and happy homes Staging a home uses many of these same tactics, with the hope of eliciting the same type of emotional response. It is important for those viewing a home to be able to easily picture themselves living there, and home staging helps them do it.

Of course no two homes are alike, and no two homes will be staged in quite the same way. That having been said, however, there is some concepts and tips that should be used whenever staging a home for sale. Some of these time tested home staging tips include: 

Cut the Clutter

Clutter can make even the most spacious and beautiful home look cramped and unappealing. The first step in staging any home is to remove any and all clutter from the garage, spare rooms, kitchen, bathroom and anywhere else it has collected. Removing clutter is absolutely essential to proper home staging, and the money spent on a short-term storage unit will be more than repaid by a faster sale at a higher price. 

Keep it Clean 

A clean home is an attractive home, and a good scrub down is a vital part of staging a home for sale.  It is not enough to simply give the home its normal vacuuming and floor cleaning. A pre-staging cleaning should include scrubbing the cabinets until they gleam, as well as cleaning the exterior and interior of all glass surfaces. Adding some extra polish to glass surfaces provides a sparkling clean look, as does a final once over with a quality wood polish on the cabinets and other wooden surfaces.  Look for a polish that really brings out the grain on wooden cabinets; an orange cleaner works well and provides a pleasant aroma as well.

Be Careful with Decor

Staging a home for sale is all about presenting a certain image, and that image can be made or broken by the choice of decor.  Neutral decor tends to work best, and many real estate agents and professional home stagers keep a variety of decorative items on hand for staging the home the right way Accents like plants, decorative tables and the like can make any home look for elegant and inviting, but it is important to tailor the decor to the level of home. Accents that would look wonderful in a starter home may not look so charming in an upscale vacation villa. The decor should be carefully matched to the home being staged, and personal knickknacks and souvenirs should be avoided. 

Remove Personal Accents

Personal accents like family portraits and artwork should be removed and placed in storage as the home is being staged. Neutral artwork is generally fine, but it is important that the art reflect the style and value of the home. Removing personal items will allow each perspective buyer to easily visualize him or herself in the home, while personal items can distract buyers and make the home appear less attractive.  

A Spacious Interior

Furniture can be arranged to make a small room look larger, or to make a large space appear cozier and more intimate. It is important to look carefully at the position of each piece of furniture in order to achieve the desired effect.  As with other elements of home staging, it is important for the quality of the furniture to be a good fit with the image being conveyed. Furniture that is worn or threadbare should be repaired or replaced prior to the influx or prospective buyers. Tables, ottomans, throw pillows and other accents should be tasteful, stylish and colorful. In addition, many home stagers prefer to hide the televisions, or at least place them behind the closed doors of an entertainment center, "mistype of detailed staging helps those would-be buyers focus on the home itself, not on the possessions and lifestyle of the current owners.