Its Definitely the Bandana
- Leslie
- Apr 28, 2016
- 3 min read
There was something that happened this week that made me think about the perception of home staging. Some of you will be surprised to read this because people are always telling me that I seem so put together and that my life must be perfect. (Kidding, I've been referred to as "put together" zero times in my life.)
Last weekend we (meaning our 4 year old and 7 year old) were excitedly preparing for ours dog's 1st birthday celebration. Following a crazy week, the house already looked like a bomb had gone off. With each "party preparation" I was getting more and more twitchy. But I was trying to play it cool and be a nice mom. I was just starting to straighten things up as they worked. And then one of my daughters cut a dog bandana from a piece of cloth, tossed it, and the scraps, on the counter that I had just started cleaning, and walked away. Well, nice, cool mom left the building. Melt down/freak out mom came over and melted down and freaked out about the bandana. The girls, who were totally un-phased by this turn of events, went along their merry way. My husband, who had been quietly observing the whole scene, came over and said "Yep, its definitely the bandana."
Do you even see the bandana? Hint: its by the purple bucket.
After I finished laughing at myself and the situation I felt better. But at that moment it was the bandana. The entire house looked like the countertop in the photo. I was exhausted and overwhelmed and just as I had found a free minute and the motivation to do something about it, someone literally tossed something else on the pile. And so, I of course, did the reasonable thing and calmly continued cleaning and organizing until the house was returned to perfect order. Or, option two, I got a phone call and was tied up for the rest of the day and the house stayed like that until yesterday. You pick. The point of this is: that's life. Everyone is busy with life and sometimes organizing and housework takes a back seat. Some people are naturally more organized and tidy than others. Some people love spending time decorating and updating their home while others are busy coaching little league or volunteering at the animal shelter. And its all ok.
I worry that clients will feel judged for not living in a perfect home. In fact, I usually snap a photo of some disaster in my own imperfect home before I meet a staging client so I can show them that I get it. That is not AT ALL why I am there. The truth is that home staging has nothing to do with how you live in a home. Home staging is marketing. Home staging is a tool used to sell your home by helping buyers see the maximum potential there. And of course if your are consulting a home stager, your house is probably on the market or about to be, which is a huge stress. Sometimes people think staging is just one more thing to do. A good home stager will help you make a plan, give you great info about what buyers are focused on so you know how to prioritize, and do much of the work to get your home sale-ready. Your home stager should be a great resource and support during a high stress time.
If anyone thinks of staging as the proverbial bandana on the pile, I hope this post will do a little to shift your thinking. Posting a photo of this particular reality of my home was not my favorite, but I knew I wanted to write about this and a visual was necessary. And I hope it made you laugh a little too. Have a good week!
-Leslie
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