4 Ways Staging is Like Acting
As you may recall from previous blogs, one of my hobbies is acting. Sitting in rehearsal yesterday, I realized some similarities between what I do for fun, and my work as a downsizer/stager. Here are my ideas on the subject:
Looks matter. It is a truth in theatre that the parts you get depend on what you look like. In staging a home and in acting, there are days that matter more than others. On days where you are at rehearsals, as well as days you aren't showing your home, looks don't really matter at all. Wear a housecoat, don’t worry about makeup. But when you audition and when you perform, how you look matters very much. The same is true with your home. Performance day for a person selling their home is the day the realty photographer comes and takes pictures of your home. The "run" is where things still need to look good, and it lasts until someone buys your home. Then you can let it all slide again as you prepare for the move.
Know your audience! In acting it’s important to know if the audience is young or old. Is enunciating the most important thing? Make sure you stay down front, show your face to its best advantage. And when putting on a play, it’s important to know what people like.Those one act plays with no words? Not a hit with certain crowds. Same with your home? Is it likely that millennials will buy your home? Or are you aiming to sell to snowbirds?
Details details! Your expertise is your knowledge on the subject. In a play, how to stand, gestures, the tone of voice you use. Learning the nuances of your character, how they walk, tone of voice creates a realistic whole. The same is with staging a home. It involves looking with a fresh eye, noting all the details. Do colours coordinate? Are pictures hung straight? Are the corners and edges clean?
Finally, the finished product is everything! A staged home needs to look fabulous. You can get rid of stuff after you sell or before. But before is when is matters the most, when it will affect your bottom line. Like a performance, the final product is what will attract the buyer. Performance anxiety will happen at this point as well. It can be stressful. Was it the right decision? Will it end well? Will the play be any good? But at this point, there is no going back, the only way is forward.
Either as an actor or as a stager there are ways to create an end product. Writing them down like this has helped me. I hope it might also help you.