Barbara Corcorens "Staging Tips"

Barbara Corcoren is a Real Estate Gru. Her credentials include straight D’s in high school and college and twenty jobs by the time she turned twenty-three. It was her next job, however, that would make her one of the most successful entrepreneurs in the country, when she borrowed $1,000 from her boyfriend and quit her job as a waitress to start a tiny real estate company in New York City. Over the next twenty-five years, she’d parlay that $1,000 loan into a five-billion-dollar real estate business named The Corcoran Group. She sold the business in 2001 for seventy million dollars. These days Barbara is a real estate contributor for NBC's Today Show and CNBC.

Here is a list of her Insider Tips for Staging Your Home


1. Make the Right First Impression “Buyers decide in the first 8 seconds whether or not they want to buy your home.” -- Barbara Corcoran

• Paint the front door and trim.
• Hang a wreath on the door.
• Add potted flowers (flowers in front say this is a happy house).
• Fertilize the grass to make it bright green.
• Put fresh mulch around the bushes.
• Fix the doorbell if it’s broken.

2. Let the Sun Shine In! “After location, light is the second most quoted reason why a buyer chooses the house.” -- Barbara Corcoran

• Clean all the windows
• Replace drapery with sheer curtains or white shades
• Replace lamp shades with sheer white shades
• Replace light bulbs with higher wattage
• Trim back shrubs that block window light
• Paint the inside walls white
• Put white slipcovers on all dark furniture
• Put up lights in each corner of the major rooms

3. Remove Clutter “People can’t visualize themselves living there when they can’t see past your clutter.” -- Barbara Corcoran

• Store half your “stuff,” including knick-knacks and furniture.
• Remove personal objects like family photos and children’s artwork.
• Remove all objects from closet floors.
• Put half your clothes into storage.
• Make your linen closet meticulous; people judge hidden wiring and plumbing by how neat your linen closet is.
• Hide all electric cords and wiring.
• Eliminate unhealthy plants.
• Put fresh sheets on beds with four extra pillows.

4. Send Kitty to Grandma’s House “People buy with their eyes and their noses.” -- Barbara Corcoran

• Remove kitty litter, dog beds and other smelly pet items.
• Warm a few drops of vanilla inside the oven door.
• Smoke outside; remove ashtrays.
• Open all windows an hour before the buyer arrives.
• Keep the trash can clean.

5. Freshen the Kitchen “The kitchen is everyone’s favorite room in the house.” -- Barbara Corcoran

• Clear all countertops.
• Replace cracked, scratched or broken appliances.
• Re-grout the tile.
• Wax the floors.
• Update kitchen knobs.
• Paint or replace cabinet fronts.
• Put in a window; it can increase the value of your home 10%.

6. Clean the Bathroom “No one wants to move into your bathroom.” -- Barbara Corcoran

• Scrub the walls and floors.
• Clear off all shelves and put away personal items.
• Re-grout tiles and replace caulking.
• Hang a new shower curtain.
• Buy fresh hand towels and rug.
• Replace old soap.

7. Add Color “Touches of yellow and other warm colors say ‘welcome home.’” -- Barbara Corcoran

• Buy new throw pillows for the sofa and bed.
• Add a fresh focus tree.
• Define areas with colorful rugs.