I wrote last week about how distracting personal photos can be when it comes to selling your home: Old School Thinking: Personal Photos do NOT Make Your Home Feel More Like HOME While You Are Selling"
I'm in a lot of homes as I consult with Sellers and I do see many beautiful and artfully displayed photos on the wall. Wall Words are very popular right now as well as frames with meaningful sayings that celebrate the family displayed and what is important to them. I see gorgeous black and white photography of families and children. And let's not forget those baby shots that just melt your heart!
But when you are SELLING....as stunning as these pictures and wall displays are, they are DISTRACTING to your Buyers. If you haven't read my last post about this, stop and click the above link to read. It's alright...I'll wait. (whistling...looking around...)
Okay...you're back. You got that now, right?
So... now the BIG question. What do we do with these beautiful photo displays on the walls?
- Do we take them all down, patch the wall/re-paint and stare at a blank boring wall?
- Do we add a piece of artwork instead?
- What if we have A LOT of walls with photos?
Don't despair! There is a "Staging Technique" that works quite well.
One of the easiest and cheapest ways to "neutralize" those family photos is to replace the photos inside.
Here's how in 3 Easy Steps:
- I tell my clients to go to Google.com and then to "Images". Do a search for "Black and White landscaping/nature/trees/flowers....." whatever you prefer or works in that particular room. And it can be in "color" too if it works better for that space.
- Once you find what you're looking for, print it off in the appropriate size.
- Put it over the existing photo in the frame and Ta-Dah!....you have a nice, neutral photo.
Here's an example of a past client's homes. The pictures to the right were of their children but temporary replaced with neutral B&W photos.
Remember that there is also a "balance" that needs to be achieved throughout the house when it comes to all those personal photos.
To achieve this balance, follow these guidelines:
- There may be some walls that everything will need to come down and you'll patch and re-paint.
- There may be a wall that will need a piece of artwork in place of the photos. The photo below is a perfect example. DO NOT attempt adding 11 pictures of "trees" to this collage and calling it a keeper.
- If you have a display of photos with mis-matched frames, they DEFINITELY need to come down. DO NOT attempt to replace the photos with the staging technique above using all those different frames. It just won't work.
- Which brings me to the last guideline: Be sure that all the frames in your display are the same. This creates a nice, clean simplistic presentation that does not distract from the selling features of the room. The example below is a good one. Now, don't start thinking that the photos in those frames would be fine for selling either. Can you just see the Buyer's getting sucked into how sweet those babies are? Are they looking at your fabulous fireplace and large windows right now? A good replacement photo would be a landscape. You'll see in the far top left hand side the photo looks to be a far off shot of a hillside and trees. If people ARE in it and you can barely make them out...it's fine to keep that one. Landscape of a beautiful hillside, mountain, river etc. go well with the wording too.
Still unsure about creating that balance?
Consider hiring a Home Stager. Stagers offer a Staging Consultation that is a very cost effective solution. The professional House Stager can assist you with creating that balance as well as an overall plan to get your house ready for the market. This takes all the second guessing and stress out of it as you prepare your home.
Happy Staging!
Teresa Meyer is the Owner and Lead Staging Designer at Stage a Star, Cincinnati's Premiere Real Estate Staging company located in Cincinnati, Ohio. Teresa is an Accredited Staging Professional and recently awarded 2011 Midwest Stager Of The Year. She is a member of RESA, Real Estate Staging Association, RESA Instructor and currently is the State of Ohio RESA President. Teresa can be reached at 513-379-5488 or by email: teresameyer@fuse.net to answer your questions about the staging process and looks forward to assisting you in preparing and staging your house for the Cincinnati real estate market.
Stage A Star provides home staging services to Hamilton county Ohio, Butler county Ohio, Warren County, Ohio, Clermont county Ohio, West Chester, OH., Liberty Twp, OH., Mason, OH., Fairfield Twp., OH., Monroe, OH., Hyde Park, OH., Loveland, OH., Maineville, OH., Morrow, OH., Deer Park, OH., Indian Hill, OH., and surrounding Cincinnati and Northern Kentucky areas.
Good points included here.
I was playing around with print options--it's not so easy to choose 5x7, 8x10,etc...right of the website. Do you explain a little to your clients they need to save it first to their computer, then print thru a program on their desktop? A GREAT idea though, thanks for sharing...
Julie
Hi Bethany: Thanks for stopping by with a comment. Glad you approve :)
Julie: Yes...I do explain saving the image and process to my clients. Thanks for pointing that out.
Teresa ~ Good tips, and a great idea about putting a black and white image in the frames. I also like to see all the same frames when you have a series of pictures all together, mismatched actually looks "cluttered" to me visually.
Great points! Matching frames look so much better and visually the room looks bigger.
That's such a great tip! I've told clients to use pretty pictures cut from calendars or books, etc. But your idea is even better... thanks!
Teresa: This is a well written blog with alot of helpful tips! That's why you are a "STAR!"
Great post ---- another super price point is allposters.com. Often they have free shipping as well.
Cheers, Marilynn Currie staging on the west coast of BC
I very much like the idea of all the same frame and using images from the internet or calendars, but I'm not sure about leaving the phrases on walls. Not everyone knows that these are easily removed, and sometimes, they AREN'T so easily removed. Although it looks great in this home, it might not fit the next person's decor--just like wallpaper!
Great idea, and nice examples too. Thanks for sharing.
Another great blog, Teresa! It's a great tip to share with occupied home owners!
Kathy
Good stuff...
I like your style. How far north into the Dayton area do you work? Maybe we need to talk...
Thanks,
Mark
Great article! I never thought to just use images from the computer. I have taken photos, but now I won't even need to do that. Thanks for the great info!
Thanks for the information on searching for b and w on google. Love not having to fill in all of those large wall holes. Thanks for the great compromise.
This is such a helpful and informative blog post Teresa! You should really consider also posting it to your energized seller blog or the discussion topics. Sellers really need to see this!
Great Idea! I have also done this with scrapbooking paper
~~Kimberly~~
Buyers will love this idea because it is cost effective. Great guidelines as to when this approach will work and will it will not.
Great tips and ideas. I love that last photo with the Wall Words in between the pictures. How cool is that! :) Very neutral looking yet still personal. Love it.
Great idea & Kimberly's scrapbooking paper idea works very well also!
WOW! All these comments got away from me! So sorry for not responding quicker...I was out in the field all day.
Kathy: I agree...different frames really do make a room look cluttered! I've also tried sepia tinted and that looks great as well. Hope you are staying busy!
Cathy: You're right...it does make a room look so much more spacious. Good to see you!
Judy: Hey! Glad I'm seeing more of you on AR! I've missed you! When I was in a pinch and needed some pictures pronto AND I didn't have a calendar or book to use, I went to the internet. I couldn't believe the selection...LOL!
Hey Marci!! I'm glad you stopped by! Hope all is well and you're staying out of trouble...LOL! I REALLY need to call you to catch up.
Marilynn: I love allposters.com. They've got a great selection too.
Kim: You're right. The wording wouldn't always work when selling and may need to be neutralized. In my own family room, I have the wall words "Family...Together is a wonderful place to be" over my french doors. I probably wouldn't paint over it when selling since my target buyers will be a family. I think it all depends on what those words say and who the buyer will be.
Sandi: Thanks for stopping by!
Kathy: Great tips during those consultations for sure.
Mark: I'll email you privately.
Shelia: Glad I could give you some new ideas!
Gina: Yep...it really is a great compromise. Sellers are happy that everything doesn't have to come down.
Karen: As soon as I get a moment, I will DEF. add it to Energized Seller!
Kimberley: Scrapbooking paper is a great idea too! They have such cool patterns to choose from!
Michele: Hey! Always good to see you. Yep...gotta have guidelines because balance is key. Many have ALOT of personal photos and you really can't add neutral pictures to ALL of them.
Janice: I loved that picture too. Wall words are really cool!
Kathy: I liked Kimberley's scrapbooking paper idea too. I even had a client use a single leaf with matting. It was beautiful.
Whew!
Okay...I think I'm done now! LOL! This is what happens when you post a blog and then run out the door and are gone all day!
Aloha Teresa,
I like to keep on hand old calenders, posters, and unframed art to replace the personal stuff too. Thanks for the post!
Peace,
Well hello Kimo! Thanks for stopping by...hope all is well in Hawaii! Good tips to keep those calendars, etc. on hand to help out those homeowners.
This is a great idea. The most common objection I hear to taking down the family photos is that they don't have anything to put there instead, and they don't have the paint, and renting artwork is too expensive etc... This solves all that. I love it! Now they have no excuses.
Evening Teresa, I remember once when we aere looking at a very nice house in an area we wanted. As I walked into the den I noticed some family photos and some girls soccer team photos. Yup, there I was right there in the photo ! I coached for a couple of years and these girls were on my team !