Unfinished Rooms Needn’t be a Staging Roadblock

You can have 100 reasons for wanting to move onto a larger, smaller, or just different house or neighborhood—and 101 why it keeps getting put off. Chief among them for most of us is the hassle factor. You start to run down a mental list of everything that will have to be done, and one of the larger issues stops you cold—just too much sheer hassle!

Let’s deal with a typical one: the unfinished room. Staging a Charleston, SC home might seem doable enough, but when a portion of the house is actually unfinished, it can present a barrier that’s too time-consuming and expensive to even approach.

In some parts of the country, such a room is usually a basement; in others, a garage that might have been almost converted into a specialty room. A Charleston unfinished room may have to be listed that way, but nevertheless, you want all of your home’s square footage to appear useable when prospects tour. As in every other part of the house, the most important thing to remember in staging an unfinished space is to make it possible for them to envision how they might use it.

Deep Cleaning

No matter how frequently or rarely you have used an unfinished room, it’s going to need a deep cleaning. Floors and walls should be spotless, of course; but where cement floors are exposed, a couple of fresh coats of cement paint can make a world of difference. And if old appliances are present, they should be scrubbed until they give the appearance of being an asset…or else deep-sixed!

De-clutter

Most unfinished spaces wind up being used for storage. This would be the time to relocate and store the stuff, or donate, sell or just toss what you don’t need regularly. This part of the staging might be the one that’s always seemed most daunting, so start by jotting down the five or six steps de-cluttering will involve. That simple act can free up the entire log jam! 

The Staging

Never mind if you have only used that unfinished room for storage, you’ll still want your buyers to be able to imagine its potential. Some chairs and an area rug, perhaps with a table or two, can suggest an inviting sitting area/game table/wine-tasting space/reading nook/art studio. Staging that opens prospects’ imaginations is where this staging approach adds true value to your property.  

If you have been wishing you could get your Charleston home sold, but run up against the 101 reasons it seems like too much to tackle any time soon, contact me today to start planning. Together we can organize the project, maximize your space—and maximize your sales price!

Interested in selling your Charleston area home? Visit: www.jeffcookrealestate.com

Interested in buying a Charleston area home? Visit: www.discovercharlestonareahomes.com

-Jeff Cook

Jeff Cook Real Estate

Charleston, SC