Trends To Get Rid Of

Did you know that millennials account for 25-40% of homebuyers in today's market (NAR)? These buyers have grown up with HGTV, Pinterest, Instagram, and IKEA. They are very style-conscious—even on their often limited budgets.

Pro Tip: If a style is more than 10 years old, it is outdated. It might be time for an inventory clear out—and we are here to help!

Don't use ficus trees or English ivy.

Everyone loves a good houseplant and the current trends are all about eco-friendly, healthy living. But those old ficus trees and English ivy pots are only collecting dust and reminding younger buyers of their grandma's house.

Fresher alternatives to ivy are orchids and succulents, and ficus trees can be replaced with olive and fiddle leaf fig trees. The best part of all of these is that the fakes often look more real than the real ones! To check out some faux plants we like on Amazon, click here.

Don't use Tuscan furniture.

We love travel and still recommend a spring trip to the Italian Riviera… but don’t bring back any furniture! Current design is all about three places: Northern Europe, East Asia, and Paris. It is time to let go of the furniture and just keep the memories and pictures of your romantic trip to Tuscany. 

The good news is that a lot of the furniture can be revived to look fresh again! Painting that cherry wood black and adding some gold fixtures can transform a 1990s throwback to an on-trend fashion statement. Below is a picture of a member of our logistics team painting a coffee table we found at an estate sale that is perfectly on trend now that it has been freshened up.

Don't use curly ironwork.

Modern, clean lines and geometric patterns are what buyers are looking for these days. Scrolling ironwork can feel a bit chaotic—and that is the last thing a buyer wants to feel in a home!  We use a lot of metal pieces as art “stretchers” to make our art fit the scale of the furniture it is grounded by, but a dated stretcher can make the art you are trying to draw attention to look dated as well, even if it is an abstract/modern piece of art.

Don't use faux props.

With the exception of some faux plants, mentioned above, and fake lemons in the kitchen, we recommend getting rid of most of the fake stuff you have in your inventory, like fake fruit and plastic prop TVs.

It usually looks dusty and just not quite right. We see so much that is edited and fake every day… so potential buyers can spot it a mile away.

Instead, use decorative, simple vignettes instead of bowls of fake fruit on the countertop, and stylish artwork instead of TV props. Authenticity is always way more attractive and doesn’t go out of style!

Pro Tip: If a realtor/client asks for a faux TV, we recommend showing them a beautiful piece of art from your portfolio and a faux TV and ask which is more compelling.

Don't use window treatments.

We saved the best for last–you don’t need to invest in expensive window treatments to sell a house! In fact, bare windows bring in more light, are less likely to hold the smells of the previous owners’ pets and smoking habit, and don’t date the room!

Simple panels, wood blinds, and shutters are the only window treatments we recommend leaving up. Buyers may decide they want more privacy for actual living, but window treatments are not necessary for staging.

Pro tip: Make sure the windows are clean!!  

Do know your market!

Each market is very different.  Usually, the coasts get trends first and then they work their way in towards middle America. So, it is important for stagers to know their market and their target buyer. Knowing the style in your market will enable you to create a staging design that will appeal to your target buyer.

Remember, it’s all about making an emotional connection to get the home sold. Urban lofts, where your target buyer is an early adopter of style trends should be staged very differently from a suburban home where your buyer is probably averse to risky trends and wants a more traditional approach.  Drill down deep to connect with the buyer and use the trends to get the listing sold.

Pro tip: The target buyer is likely the same age as the sellers were when they bought the house.

If you want to learn more tips and staging strategies, our Staging Design Professional™ course includes everything you need to be a BOSS Stager!

We also created a free video series for you, to help you become more profitable in your staging business.