Staging can do two important things for your home: increase the asking price and limit the amount of time it spends on the market.
What Is Staging?
The staging process is used by sellers and their real estate agents to make the home more appealing to potential buyers. It allows the people seeing your house to better understand how it might feel to live there. Staging usually includes things like a dining room table that’s set for a dinner party, pretty artwork on the walls, and a total removal of all personal photographs, knick-knacks, and other clutter. You may not think of those family heirlooms as clutter, but buyers won’t be able to see themselves living in your property if it still looks like yours.
A staged home looks attractive and clean, and it smells good.
Staging Benefits – Pricing
While you can perhaps ask more for a home that’s well-staged, remember that to really justify your price, the house has to have other attributes. It doesn’t matter if the house is beautifully staged when the carpet is torn or stained and the neighborhood seems to be full of dilapidated properties. If your home is in great condition and a good location already, adding a few staging elements can allow you to increase the asking price a little bit. Buyers may be willing to spend more on a house that looks like a dream. But, always be prepared to negotiate.
Staging Benefits – Selling Quickly
The Real Estate Staging Association reports that a professionally staged home will sell 73 percent faster than a non-staged home. Staging is an especially good idea for people who need to sell quickly. There are a lot of things that help you sell fast; a competitive price, a good school district, and the types of improvements and updates that often show up in a staged home.
While staging is an excellent idea for anyone who wants to sell quickly for a high price, remember that you don’t have to spend thousands to reach this goal. Small improvements like new hardware on your kitchen cabinets or fresh window coverings can help your home look staged, even if you don’t pay a professional to have it done.