Perception is Reality - Especially When Staging a Home For Sale

Perception is Reality, in the eyes of the buyer - I found this to be true when showing homes over the years. I recall showing two identical homes, one was empty, the other occupied. When I say identical, I mean, the exact same room sizes, cabinets and even wall color. We first viewed the occupied home followed immediately by the brand new home.  When asked which home do you prefer, they said ‘the one with the larger kitchen.’  Knowing that the homes were exactly the same, I clarified, the new home? Their response was ‘yes’, it had much more counter space. I learned a valuable lesson on staging a kitchen that day, the occupied home had a counter full of items like a toaster, drying rack, steak knives, bread box (google it), and an electric can-opener (google that one too). Those items gave the perception that the kitchen was smaller. The takeaway, when preparing your home to sell, less items on the countertop will make the kitchen feel larger. This trick is true for every room in the house. Create Perception.