Does your home have to look like one featured in House Beautiful to find a buyer? Of course not – but a well-staged home may sell faster and for a higher price. The idea behind home staging is to arrange furniture and other items to make the home attractive and seem larger while allowing visitors to imagine themselves living in the space.
What are the benefits of home staging, and how do you do it? Here are some home staging tips for homeowners and real estate agents.
What is Home Staging?
Home staging is the process of preparing a home for sale in the real estate market. It’s not decorating, even though that is part of the process. Instead, staging involves arranging the home to highlight its best features, create an inviting atmosphere, and appeal to potential buyers.
Benefits of Home Staging
Why should you spend time, money, and effort to stage your home that is going on the market? Here are the reasons – backed by statistics from the National Association of REALTORS® (NAR).
1. Staging enhances visual appeal
Making a space visually appealing is one benefit of home staging. However, don’t get hung up on decorating your space. As you see in the next section, home decor items are only one part of enhancing a home’s visual appeal.
If you are a homeowner, be open to suggestions on improving your home’s visual appeal. For example, your real estate agent may suggest that removing a piece of furniture would improve the flow of a room or make it seem more spacious.
Key Stat: According to a survey of REALTORS conducted by the NAR, “81% percent of buyers agents said staging a home made it easier for a buyer to visualize the property as a future home.”
2. Proper staging can make a home appear larger
Another benefit of staging is that it can be done to make a space appear bigger.
Key Stat: According to seller’s agents, “the most common rooms that were staged included the living room (91%), kitchen (81%), primary bedroom (81%), and dining room (69%).”
3. Staging facilitates a faster sale
If you want to sell your home quickly, consider taking the time to stage your home.
Key Stat: According to the NAR, “27% of sellers agents stated that there were slight decreases in the time on the market when the home was staged.”
4. Staging can be used to highlight key features
Staging can highlight architectural details, create focal points, or showcase views.
Key Stat: Not all real estate agents use staging. Only “23% of sellers agents said they staged all sellers’ homes prior to listing them for sale. Ten percent noted that they only staged homes that were difficult to sell.”
5. Staging may increase the sale price
A well-staged home may increase the purchase price of a home.
Key Stat: In fact, “20% of buyers agents said that staging a home increased the dollar value offered between 1% and 5%, compared to other similar homes on the market that were not staged.”
As you can see, there are benefits to staging your home for sale. Here are some tips on how to do it.
10 Tips for Staging Your Home
Remember, staging is not the same as decorating. Here’s what it means to stage a home.
1. Do a deep clean
If you don’t have time for anything else, make sure you complete a deep clean of your home for sale. Buyers will notice dirty tubs and dusty light fixtures and may conclude that these are indicators of a poorly maintained house.
2. Depersonalize
Remove family photos and other personalized items before you put your home on the market. Doing so will enable buyers to envision their family in the space.
3. Declutter
Decluttering a home for sale is essential to create a clean, spacious, appealing environment that attracts potential buyers. Start by removing excess items such as unused furniture, personal belongings, and clutter from countertops, shelves, and floors. Clearing out closets and storage spaces also helps showcase ample storage potential. Decluttering not only makes rooms apparel larger and more organized but also allows buyers to envision themselves living in the space, increasing the home’s appeal and likelihood of a quicker sale.
4. Pay attention to lighting
Lighting plays a crucial role in home staging. Let in as much natural light as possible, but remember that your home may also be shown at night. Be mindful of creating a well-lit but comfortable space for those touring your home. Use lamps and choose bulbs wisely.
5. Carefully consider your furniture placement
Work with your furniture to find the best arrangement – this is not the best arrangement for you and your life, but the one that makes the room look good to buyers.
Remove pieces from crowded rooms and add pieces to empty rooms. While too much furniture makes a room appear smaller, empty rooms also have the same effect.
Also, use furniture to highlight a home’s features. For example, place a seating area by a fireplace or stools by a countertop bar.
6. Decorate generically
Place decorative items to draw attention around the room and bring warmth; bare walls, tabletops, and shelves appear stark and uninviting. Use decorative items sparingly, as too much becomes clutter. Choose items that bring color and light to the space without being taste-specific. Landscapes, colorblock abstracts, and still-lifes (like you see in hotels and waiting rooms) are typical examples of neutral art. Mirrors, candles, vases, pillows, plants, and flowers are safe decorations that add some interest without pushing a specific style aesthetic.
7. Fix what’s broken
Do you have a cracked window? Are you missing outlet covers? Do you have damaged screens? Take care of small and large home maintenance tasks before putting your home on the market.
8. Do a sniff test
Make sure there are no unpleasant odors in your home or yard. A mildewy-smelling bathroom or basement may indicate bad plumbing or leaks. Don’t think you can hide unpleasant odors in your homes with deodorizers or candles.
Should you stage your home differently depending on the season? Learn more: Fall Staging Tips for Real Estate Agents
9. Call for backup
Ask your real estate agent for tips for staging your home. Also, consider hiring professional help to prepare your home for sale. Consider hiring a home repair expert, house cleaner, and home stager. Ask your real estate agent for referrals.
10. Do quick touch-ups before the home is shown
After the home is staged, cleanliness is critical. Before the house is shown, try to erase the signs of occupation. Fluff the pillows, wipe the mirrors, and dry the sinks before each showing to make the best impression on buyers. In a competitive market, staging is a valuable technique for sellers. Staging will help generate traffic and interest and ultimately help sell your home.
As a real estate education provider, Colibri Real Estate is proud to provide helpful content for those going through the buying and selling process. If you are interested in joining this lucrative industry full-time (or as a part-time gig), consider Colibri Real Estate for your pre-licensing courses.
Source:
“Profile of Home Staging.” www.nar.realtor, July 6, 2017. https://www.nar.realtor/research-and-statistics/research-reports/profile-of-home-staging.
