By Keith Loria

Professional home stagers consult with homeowners on ways to design each room as visually appealing to the target buying demographic as possible to help them sell their homes as quickly and for the most money possible. In doing so, it’s important not to overlook in the design process certain layouts that are appealing to men and women individually. This article takes a closer look at staging designs of particular appeal to male home buyers in the Frederick Maryland Real Estate Market

“It is important to stage for men in houses because we have to appeal to all buyers—male and female,” said Jennie Norris, owner of Denver, Co.-based Sensational Home Staging. “Even though statistics say that it’s the female that makes the decision to buy the house based on emotional appeal, we have to stage for both.”

Norris says it’s easy to stage for both sexes in a room with color and objects that are either gender neutral or gender specific. 

“Using touches of green brings in both sexes,” she said. “If I want to bring a male element into a room, I can pick something black or brown—a brown decorative box, a black or brown framed picture, something made of leather (chair, pillow, headboard). Most men don’t like things too fussy so if a seller has a lot of things that are floral, feathers, ultra feminine, etc.—then we are going to minimize the volume of those things so that the room is not so feminine.”

Professional stagers take into account buyer demographics, buying psychology, and utilize design elements in planning out the rooms and space and the use of lighting and its effect on the space. Don’t be afraid to let them know if the home is leaning too far to one gender or another.

Traditionally experts say, women tend to look for cozier settings or rooms that facilitate intimate conversations, while males gravitate towards rooms with gadgets, televisions and electronics. 

Open spaces and higher ceilings are also a draw for men as psychologically they have a larger sense of personal space. Professional stagers with men in mind try to create rooms where a man can feel as if he can walk through the house easily without stepping around all sorts of furniture. 

They also try to keep a home from looking too fancy or frilly. You don’t want a man to envision tea parties; you want him thinking about watching the big game with his friends. It’ s also important not to overwhelm potential buyers—men or women—with wild colors and furniture, even if this is your own personal taste.

When it comes to men, the garage and yard tend to be high up on the priority list, so it’s important to get these areas as perfect as possible.

“Without being too stereotypical, men are into the entertainment zones, work areas and the garage areas,” Norris said. “If the man works from home, a den or office is going to be important. The yard is also often the man’s domain.”

Garages that have painted walls, clean floors and enough storage for various male-oriented hobbies will impress, say experts. Shelf space is almost always looked at as a good thing here and a place to hang tools or a workbench would make a fine addition to attract male buyers. And remember, an empty garage looks much bigger than one with a car parked in it.

With the yard, showcasing a well-maintained lawn will help sell the male. Thick, healthy grass, minimal bushes to trim and easy to clean garden beds will meet the landscaping criterion the male buyer looks for.

Appealing to both sexes when staging and selling a home requires an emotional investment that will pay off in the end for all parties, just don’t forget that men need a connection too.

If you’d like to speak with an experienced Frederick Maryland real estate agent who has your best interest in mind, please contact me with any of your real estate or mortgage questions toll Free, 24/7, at 1-800-395-9636 x7 or E-mail me at bill@homes2price.com. My Office number at Real Estate Teams, LLC is 301-695-3020 x2793

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