Finding a realtor and listing a home is only the first phase of a successful sale. Most buyers are not just purchasing a home, they are purchasing a fantasy, a dream – their ideal life, and it’s up to the seller to create an atmosphere that allows the potential buyer to see themselves living in the home. This could include anything from de-cluttering and rearranging, to replacing or removing certain furniture items. In the real estate industry, this process is called "staging", and according to industry experts, if a seller chooses not to stage the home, they could lose more money in price reduction, than it would have cost them to hire a professional stager.
There are a number of benefits when it comes to investing in home staging. Besides potentially saving the seller money in the long run, a staged home is likely to attract more buyers than a home that is haphazardly or poorly decorated, untidy or cluttered. In turn, the more interested buyers there are, the greater the chance that the home will sell quickly and close to the asking price.
In the competitive real estate market, professional staging can help a home stand out from the wide range of other listings in the Palm Beach Gardens area. A potential buyer may look at several properties in the same area and price range and if so, they are then more likely to choose the one that more closely matches their vision of their ideal home. In 'All Their World's a Staging', an article published by The New York Times, real estate broker and president of the International Association of Home Staging Professionals, Barb Scharwz says, "...staging is preparing a home for sale so the buyer can mentally move in. " She also emphasizes the difference between staging and decorating, by stating that "Decorating a home is personalizing it. Staging a home is depersonalizing it.", therefore the seller is creating the perfect atmosphere for the buyer.
Additionally, in a video posted by The Huffington Post, real-estate expert Barbara Corcoran emphasizes that staging a home is extremely important, stating that after choosing the perfect location, the number two reason that buyers choose or reject a home, is lighting. She advises sellers to make sure that the home is as light and bright as possible; paint the walls white, get light-colored lamp shades, and up the wattage. Corcoran says that lighting is one of the simplest but best tools to sell a home quickly.
When you really stop to think about it, you’ll be able to see that this whole (simple) process can help to save both the seller and the buyer a lot of time, stress and uncertainty. Ultimately, there’s no question that the benefits of staging a home far outweigh any negative thoughts you may have about hiring a professional to help you.