Staging Your Home Before Selling is Critical
Staging is one of the most important things you can do when selling your home. Two of the most common mistakes I see are home owners who take their own photos (see our other blog on “The Importance of Using Professional Photography“) and failing to stage their property. I firmly believe that a home that is messy or filled with a bunch of personal belongings is just about as detrimental to the sales process as an empty home is, for different reasons of course.
A junky or messy home is clearly an issue – clutter is never attractive and no one wants to walk through someone else’s mess. Your clutter can be boxes, storage containers (even if neatly arranged), etc. in addition to having too much furniture that it overcrowds a room. Personal belongings can also make some home buyers uncomfortable – seeing family pictures, looking in filled closets, etc. And, while you may feel that your home is decorated beautifully, not everyone is going to like your tastes in home decor. The opposite is true with an empty home. Not everyone can look at an empty room and picture how their furniture will fit.
Unless you already have found your own buyers, the cost of selling your home should ALWAYS factor in hiring a specialist to stage your home for you. Often this entails them bringing in different furniture and decorations (and storing your own temporarily). Be open to them completely remodeling and do your best not to get offended. Remember, your goal is to sell your home in the quickest way possible and for the best price. The professionals are aware of what’s happening in the local market and know what you’re competing with (i.e., often other professionally staged homes). The process requires capital but, once you are done, you won’t regret staging if, especially if it brings you a higher selling price.
Here are unique benefits of staging your home.
1. Makes Your Home Stand Out
When home buyers are looking online for the right house to buy, they will first be attracted to posted pictures of houses. The view of your home through pictures is what will drive your buyers to you. When you stage and have perfect interior decoration, you will attract more buyers to your home. Ensure that your home is well furnished and that all appliances are in the kitchen (a missing refrigerator is common for people trying to lower costs but it looks incomplete). The pictures of your beautiful home will drive more buyers to schedule a walk through without you even needing to look for them.
2. Maximizes Space
An empty room can give you a wrong impression and even reduce the urge of buying it compared to a staged home. The empty rooms tend to seem smaller, even if they aren’t in reality. As for staged homes, everything is well arranged and optimizes the space, making it feel bigger. When a buyer sees this, he/she will be convinced that they have found a room that can accommodate the entire family adequately.
3. Brings Better Offers
There’s something about a beautifully and professionally decorated home that elevates the property in the minds of buyers. Perhaps it is just a mindset, but a tastefully decorated home can appeal to buyers. People fall in love with homes not because of the walls and ceilings, but because they can see their family and themselves living in it. And if you’re in a sellers’ market (one where there are more buyers than available homes) this is critical. A buyer that falls in love with your home is not going to want to lose it to someone else.
4. Hastens the Selling Process
Typically staging is charged on a time basis and according to the square footage. You’ll want to schedule the stager and photographer close to each other, and both just prior to your listing date. I encourage you to “do the math” for how much each day your home sits on the market is costing you. This is a different formula for each person and situation. Also consider asking your realtor if the staging costs are included in their services, or if they can refer you to someone they know who may discount their rates because of the referrals your agent provides. There are no guarantees, but staging your home can certainly hasten the selling process of your home, particularly when you have a lot of competition. It gives the prospective buyers a chance to visualize their lives already in your home, and they will make their offer accordingly.
Conclusion
Most real estate agents will strongly encourage their clients to do home staging since it is now becoming a prerequisite to selling your home quickly and with more profits. If you need to sell your home, even in these uncertain times, then opt to hire an agent who will ensure you have a well-furnished house with perfect interior decorations. With the high importance of staging your home, you should look for professionals who will help ensure your home has exceptional visual appeal and generates the most interest and offers.
