Staging Siouxland offers homeowners a chance to boost appeal for buyers

Pfaffle, a professional real estate agent, officially founded her home staging business, Staging Siouxland, in the fall of 2021. She has a vast inventory of couches, chairs, bedding, rugs, wall art, pillows and more that she utilizes to help Siouxlanders sell their homes beautifully, quickly and profitably. 

"Staging is really more for the event of selling a home. Interior design, of course, is for more permanent life. That being said, they go hand in hand," Pfaffle said, as she stood in the "man cave" of a Dakota Dunes home, 174 Saddlebrook Court. Pfaffle staged the five-bedroom, three-bathroom home, which is available for sale with NextHome Tristate Reality. 

Pfaffle said the original plan was to hang a bison hide on a neutral wall in the "man cave," but that particular hide was just too onerous. So, Pfaffle affixed three gold discs to the wall instead.

Pfaffle tried placing the hide on the room's floor, but it also seemed too big there. The homeowner, who works for Tyson and is relocating to Arkansas, sent Pfaffle a photo of another hide he could procure from his employer.

"I said, 'I love that! I think we should use it.' Within half an hour, he had it delivered," she said. "I just thought that was such a cool facet of the project, to incorporate somebody's life. They're changing their entire life for his job."

Staging process 

When a potential client approaches Pfaffle about staging a property, the first questions she asks are, "How big is it?" and "How many spaces are there?"

If the job seems like a good fit for her, Pfaffle said the next step is visiting the home and having a more in-depth conversation with the homeowner.

"It helps me really visualize how to set up the space and what types of items I want to put in the space," she said. 

Then, Pfaffle puts together a proposal. She uses Canva, an online graphic design tool, to create digital vignettes of the furnishings and accessories she plans to use in a particular room. 

Pfaffle said her goal is to make the space as appealing and neutral as possible to increase buyer interest. 

"Sometimes, it's as easy as going in and saying, 'Let me move this couch to this wall,' and it creates better flow for a space," she said. "Just rearranging some furniture and, maybe, giving them little pointers -- 'I like this décor, but I think this stuff really dates your house or takes away from the house, so we should eliminate this." 

Less is more 

Pack away those family photos, or, at least reduce the number of them that are sitting out. 

Pfaffle said the "less is more" rule also applies when it comes to furniture, decorative objects and other personal items. 

"You just really want your space to look as spacious as possible. The more items and the more décor and the more clutter you have in a space, it's hard for people to focus on what they're supposed to focus on, which is the space at hand," she said.  

Lighter is better

Pfaffle recommends neutralizing wild paint colors, which could deter buyers.

"Nobody's going to balk at a gray or a white or a tan. Anybody can move in and live with it," she said. 

Pfaffle also noted that light colors make spaces feel larger.

"Although we're seeing trends with interior design and darker colors, I don't ever recommend that, unless somebody really knows what they're doing, or, they have an expert's assistance," she said. 

Start early 

Pfaffle said sellers should start working with a real estate agent as soon as possible to prepare their home for sale. 

"Living in your home and selling your home are two different things," she said. 

From start to finish, Pfaffle said it takes her two to three weeks to stage a home. That timeframe includes the presentation and formalization of the plan, installation and cleanup. 

"Start early and come up with a plan. People don't know how much time it takes to get their house ready," she said. "Starting early gives everybody a good enough chance to get things done as thoroughly as possible and as best as possible." 

For more information, visit Staging Siouxland on Facebook and Instagram, or email Pfaffle at kathie@kathiepfaffle.com.