You only get one chance to make a first impression, and that is as true about a house on the market as it is about people. Make it count with staging!
Home staging is a powerful selling tool. It makes a house more appealing to buyers and helps it stand out in a competitive marketplace. Some relatively simple measures, such as decluttering, removing personal items, and strategically arranging furniture to highlight the best features throughout the home, help buyers envision themselves living in it.
From vintage charmers to contemporary new builds, the right staging makes a lasting impression on potential buyers, attracts more interest, and possibly leads to more offers and a faster sale.
It is easier for buyers to picture their own furniture in a home that is staged versus a home that is completely empty.
What is home staging?
Home staging is the strategic decorating of a home to best present it to potential buyers. It can include rearranging furniture, selecting eye-catching decor, improving lighting, or removing distractions that obstruct the home’s best features and highlighting them instead.
The purpose of staging is to make it easier for buyers to picture themselves and their families living in the home. Thoughtful staging helps them envision their next family get-together, imagine where they will gather to watch TV or enjoy a meal, and start planning where they will place their own family photos, art, and knickknacks. When someone can actually “feel” what it may be like to live there, the odds of them making an offer rise exponentially.
Does staging a home make it sell faster?
Professional staging helps attract buyers by making a home stand out from other listings. There’s no guarantee that staging will shorten the home’s time on the market, but it is guaranteed to improve the buyer’s impressions and perceptions. Done correctly, staging helps buyers see how different rooms can be used. In other words, it sparks their imaginations!
Also keep in mind that the majority of today’s buyers start their house-hunting journey online. As they swipe through listing after listing, the homes that are professionally staged tend to stand out more than those that are empty. A great first impression online will lead to more showings, and potentially more offers.
Can staging increase a home’s selling price?
Presenting a home in the best possible light can only help when it comes to obtaining the highest price possible.
There’s no guarantee, of course, that you will get a higher offer because the home was staged. Other important factors, like location, the condition of the property, and the current market, influence what a buyer will spend. Nevertheless, staging can give any home an extra edge over nearby listings by making it more memorable to buyers as they compare what they’ve seen and contemplate making an offer.
Staging is one of the best ways you can make your home stand out from other listings in a competitive market.
How should I prepare my home for staging?
The goal of staging a home is to help buyers see the home’s best features, not the seller’s cherished possessions. Consider these practical staging tips that anyone can do themselves:
- Remove clutter – Clear off all counters, tabletops, and shelves.
- Put away personal items – Distinctly personal items, like family photos, children’s artwork, and personal collections, should be stashed away.
- Arrange furniture strategically – Keep walkways clear and avoid overcrowding rooms with oversized or extra furniture.
- Improve lighting – Clean the windows! Open curtains and blinds to let in as much natural light as possible.
- Highlight key features – Draw attention to the best features of the home, like fireplaces, hardwood floors, or large windows.
- Address visible maintenance issues – Repair noticeable damage where practical. The number of needed repairs, however minor, quickly “adds up” and makes a home appear badly maintained.
- Clean, clean, clean! – Everyone hates housework, but this is one time when cleaning to the point of obsession can literally pay off.
Should I hire a professional home stager?
Want to maximize your home’s sales appeal, but not sure where to start? Hiring a professional home stager can be very beneficial.
Professional home stagers are a cross between interior decorators and stage designers. They can provide real insights into what level and style of staging will make the most impact. Their expertise allows them to efficiently evaluate the home and recommend furniture arrangements, changes in decor, and other improvements, which are often small and relatively easy to make, in order to best highlight the property’s most saleable attributes. For instance, a small living room can be made to appear larger and more functional with thoughtfully arranged, appropriately scaled pieces.
Professional stagers are experts at creating appealing spaces that buyers are looking for.
Also, most professional home stagers have large collections of furniture, art, and accessories that they can use to update, upgrade, or otherwise improve what’s already there, creating a cohesive look throughout the house without distracting from its best features.
Perhaps surprisingly, working with a professional stager can be done within almost any budget, especially if they are only staging a few key rooms or using pieces from their own warehouse and mixing them with what’s already in place.
Is it better to stage a house or leave it empty?
In many cases, it is best to have a home staged rather than leave it empty.
An empty room may appear larger, but it can be difficult for buyers to envision how their own furniture will fit and function within a room. Furnishings provide a sense of scale and indicate what kind of activities the room can accommodate. For example, a small, empty bedroom may feel cramped, even when empty, but with strategic staging, the same space can be transformed into a cozy, comfortable space or a practical home office.
Staging rooms with a clear purpose helps buyers see the possibilities a home has to offer.
Prepping Your Home for the Market the EZ Way!
Getting your home ready to list can be overwhelming. Work with Ellen Zetmeir if you want a clear plan and the right guidance, from getting your to-do list in order to signing those final papers on closing day.
