When working with sellers, the topic of home staging comes up and usually it’s met with a bit of pushback. For a seller, its hard to justify spending money on staging a home when a walk-through by a prospective buyer can take just a few minutes. But, heres the thing– staging is a powerful tool that can help your potential buyer feel at home. It helps the buyer visualize themselves in the house and potential ways to arrange the space, as well as bring attention to architectural elements that might have otherwise been looked over.
Staging doesn’t mean a complete overhaul either. Small changes or rearrangements can make big impact. Changing out window curtains for example, can bring more natural light into a space and create feeling of openness. The most common and least expensive change you can make is a fresh coat of neutral paint in the the main areas of a home. This provides the perfect neutral backdrop for buyers of all different personal tastes to imagine what their potential space will look like.
If re-painting isn’t your thing, the most powerful action you can take is to declutter. Remove extra furniture, accessories, and large personal items. This makes your house, not your things, the focus and it provides more space for groups to walk through during a tour of your home.
If your home is vacant, hiring professional stagers is a fantastic idea. They have the experience and inventory to quickly turn your empty house into a warm and inviting home. Many studies have proven that properly staged homes have sold 2 to 3 times faster and for 3-10% more than homes that have not been staged.
Staging makes your house look bigger, brighter, cleaner and best of all– it makes home buyers want to buy it. So roll up your sleeves or call in the professionals if you’re ready to list, because home staging in any degree is essential.