Do You Have a Grandma House?

"Too grandma" is a phrase I hear home stagers often use.  It means the decor is out of date.  Grandma doesn't spend money on foolish things that go obsolete before her next Social Security check comes.

The quilt, matched furniture, little tables, dried flowers, scatter rug, wallpaper,
lace valance, all say Grandma's been here. 

But if you have a home to sell, you can't have a grandma mindset.  A home seller needs to incorporate some trendy decor items.

Why?  Because it says that the owners (you) are prosperous enough to stay current.  It makes your house look fresh and stylishly new instead of stuck in another era.

Newness connotes better quality, as in "nothing's going to fall apart or give me trouble." 

Never mind that grandma's stuff was probably built to last forever.  Buyers want new.  Give them what they want.  Here are some signs of grandma decor:

• Lace curtains.  Replace them with something like nubby sheers, wooden blinds, or tab top panels on rods.
• Pictures of family members on walls.  Please, I hope you have stored these important but personal things when you removed clutter.
• Quilts.  Replace them with coordinated bed-in-a-bag or a simple duvet cover. 
• Cross-stitch or embroidered art work.  Instead, put up some restful landscapes, still life paintings, and modern abstracts.  Make them large.
• Matched suites of bedroom furniture.  Move items from room to room so you have a mix of styles.
• Velvet recliner. Take this to your storage unit.  Today. 
• Small floral textiles.  Replace the pale pink rosebuds with geometric patterns, or more graphic florals. 
• TV trays.  Grandma needed a place for her tea cup and TV Guide.  Store those small tables for now. 

Don't put a grandma house up for sale.  Stage it to look current and you'll sell it faster for more money. Take it from a grandma who's a home stager. You can learn lots more about preparing your home for sale in my ebook, DIY Home Staging Tips to Sell Your Home Fast and for Top Dollar.