BRITO SHARED HER
TOP TIPS
WITH US
DECLUTTER AND DEPERSONALIZE.
Pack your personal photos, take the kids
soccer schedule off the fridge and edit
down your personal belongings. The
bathroom shouldn’t have razors and
shampoos in plain sight. “The idea is you
want buyers to envision their life in the
home and not feel like they’re intruding
on yours,” she says.
TAKE DOWN CUSTOM HEAVY
DRAPES AND WINDOW
TREATMENTS, REMOVE VALANCES
AND CORNICES
and / or anything that blocks the light.
You want windows to appear as large as
possible and let in maximum natural light.
ARRANGE EACH ROOM FOR ITS
INTENDED USE.
“A lot of times, we’ll go into a home and
see a bedroom set up as extra closet space
or an office, or a dining room set up as a
playroom,” Brito explains. “All that does is
tell buyers there isn’t enough space.”
PAY ATTENTION TO
FURNITURE FLOW.
Identify a focal point in a room and
make furniture flow around that.
Make sure the flow works for buyers
walking around the house so they’re
not bumping into things. If you have
too much furniture, get rid of incidental
pieces so it feels as spacious as possible.
ADDRESS MINOR MAINTENANCE
“Editing or paring down personal
belongings is the most important
part of staging.”
— RYAN ELSMAN OF LILA DELMAN
SUCH AS CHIPPING PAINT AND
LOOSE OUTLETS.
You don’t want buyers to see those things
and wonder what else is being neglected.
If you have unique colors, repaint with
neutrals. “It’s the best bang for your buck
and a great way to change the feel of a
room,” Brito says. ◆