Staging a home is a great option for a seller when it comes to attempting to grab the attention of a potential buyer. When a space is impeccably styled with beautiful furniture and amazing decorative pieces, it seduces buyers into wanting to experience that feeling again. Statistically, homes are known to sell much easier and at a quicker rate when they are staged.
The staging of a home consists of dressing each room with personality and flare, giving the buyer a view of the possibilities of what the home could be. It becomes a totally unique experience when a potential buyer goes from seeing a home that is filled with the previous owner’s stained furniture, their daughter’s messy bedroom, and their 1970’s-style family room, to viewing a newly updated, freshly painted, modern-style, home.
All buyers are affected by what they see, feel, and experience when viewing a home. Even though they know that they will still need to make the home their own, staging makes them fall in love with the home, and brings the potential buyer closer to a making an offer.
The longer a home stays on the market, the more options buyers have. The last thing a realtor wants is to have a property lingering on the market for too long. Therefore, sellers need to put more effort into making their property stand out – and staging is one of the best investments the seller and the realtor can make to be certain that this happens. Many studies show that staged properties sell faster and also tend to receive multiple offers, which means that more often than not, the seller and the realtor make their money back from the initial investment.
Here are some important, but simple tips for perfect staging:
1. Remember that you are trying to sell the home and appeal to the buyer. This is not about your personal decorating style – it is about what the stager thinks is going to attract a positive response.
2. If any room has special features, i.e. a magnificent textured wall, a fireplace or an antique mantle, be sure to highlight those features. Each room should shine in its own way, by using artwork, accessories or lighting.
3. Neatness is key; make sure that all clutter is removed from every room. Clutter is the very last thing a potential buyer wants to see, and the first thing that will kill a potential sale.
If you are unable to hire a professional stager, a fresh coat of paint inside and outside, fresh modern new lighting in each room, and a very clean and well organized house, is a great start. Preparing your house for the buyer is what staging is all about. Now it is the buyer’s opportunity to see that they can make the space uniquely their own, and well-staged home is a great way for buyers to get that experience.