Staging for the Senses

People buy from emotion. Our senses are how we define the world around us and have a strong link to memory and emotion. What better way to create an emotional appeal for our home than through our senses.

When you decide to put your home on the market it makes good sense to consider your home not only with fresh eyes but also consider the other senses as well.

Smell
We often hear about the tactic of using the aroma of freshly baked bread or cookies to fill a house that is being shown to potential buyers. Think of unconventional ways to entice your buyer’s nose (without triggering allergies) with scents such as cinnamon, grapefruit, and cedar. But take care that nothing is too strong. Unnatural chemical renditions of flowers or herbs are highly promoted and sold but these can be very offensive, especially if they are trying to mask another unwelcome odor such as that from a pet. The reality is nothing beats the smell of clean. Overbearing scents make no sense.

Touch
Textures are hot right now in home décor and work equally as well when staging your home. Textures are appealing to the eye and make the person eager to touch and closely examine an object. Use the addition of textures as both a tactile and visual technique with the use of pillows, throws window treatments, bedding, and carpets. Adding the depth of texture will make one want to linger in a room or home and feel more comfortable.

Sound
Treat potential buyers to the sounds of nature by opening a window to your backyard. Encourage birds to congregate and sing in your yard with an attractive bird feeder or bird bath. Hang wind chimes so that even stormy days seem cheery. Have water features running in good condition indoors and out. Play soft music to encourage buyers to relax and enjoy your home.

Eliminate sounds that mean something is wrong- a squeaky door, a toilet that keeps running. This includes cleaning your aquarium’s filter, rain gutters, water pipes, air conditioning and any other appliance or items that could raise the decibel rating or an eyebrow or earlobe of a potential buyer.

When you are staging your home think beyond pleasing the eyes: sooth the ear, nose and hand, as well. Improve the emotional appeal of your home, with improved sensory appeal and you will find a happy buyer quickly.