1.) Stand in the doorway and make a plan of what to change and what to keep.

2.) Don’t repeat the same look that everyone else has. Go with what works.

3.) Pick a staging point. The view takes precedence.

4.) De-Clutter, De-Accessorize and divide into two piles; what to keep inside the room, what to give up in the corner of the foyer. The doorway is always fair game.

5.) Decide what furniture should be taken out and what stays.

6.) Start to stage. Work with what you’ve been given.

7.) Be a shopper, see what the room needs. Check the outside and the inside for tools and objects that can be turned into decorative pieces.

8.) Arrange the furniture that is staying in a new way. Ask: Where does my eye go when I enter this room? That is your focal point and that is where you should concentrate your staging.

9.) Notice angles. The bed should always be facing the door.

10.) Staging is about a feeling. Ask yourself, “Does the room pull me in?” “Do I feel comfortable spending time in this room?”

Other stories:
5 Minutes with Barb Schwarz
Zots and Zen: home stage your way to home selling success