Staging a Vacant Property: From Blank Slate to ‘Home, Sweet Home’

By: Melissa Dittmann Tracey

Don’t leave a listing’s interior blank. The sellers may have already moved out, and the emptiness left behind can make for a bad first impression to buyers who want to visualize how to use the space. The emptiness also could make rooms look smaller.

Home stagers can help to paint the picture with a few furnishings and accessories, like plants, tabletop accents, pillows, and blankets. Nikki Watson, founder of The Design Quad in Dallas, and her team stage six vacant properties a day. Even a high-end kitchen left blank can feel uninspiring, she says. But adding a few stools around the kitchen island and minor accessories on the countertops can instantly warm up the space.

Kitchen

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You don’t have to paint the walls to make a difference either. Home stagers can bring in just enough furnishings and accessories to help buyers better visualize how everything can fit right in.

Dining Room

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Living Room

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