Be sure to pick up a copy of today's Chronicle and check out the Sunday Real Estate section to see yours truly answering how the drought has affected staging in residential real estate. (or you can just click here).
When people think of staging, they tend to think of perfectly placed furniture and accessories. Stagers come into an empty space and make it look as if someone lives there. But do you know a good stager highlights all of a property’s best features — inside and out?
With the ongoing drought, the biggest real estate trend is water conservation in landscaping. Gone is the plush green lawn; in come wood chips and drought-tolerant plants. Plants are arranged in ways to maximize the outdoor space and draw your eye toward play areas and comfortable seating spaces. Stagers will also bring in outdoor accents for not-so-lush spaces.
Inside the home, you’ll more often see succulents or orchids as live accents. It’s rare these days to see large living plants in staged houses. With our dry, hot summer weather, those big plants could need watering more than once a week. Stagers understand that no plant is better than a fake plant, so they’ve found ways to tastefully fill spaces so you don’t even miss the green leaves on the side table or in the corner.
Staging is more than placing furniture and accessories. It demands a knowledge of current trends, including environmental regulations.