It's a common question every homeowner looking to list their property ask themselves:
"Should I stage my house before I sell it?"
In our opinion, the answer is a resounding yes if your goal is to get top dollar and sell quickly.
Here are all the reasons why you need to stage your house before listing it on the market.
Stage Your House Because It Will Sell For More
Did you know that staged homes often sell for more money than their non-staged counterparts?
It's true!
According to The National Association of Realtors:
"One-quarter of buyer's agents said that staging a home increased the dollar value offered between one and five percent, compared to other similar homes on the market that are not staged."
If you're hoping to get a full price offer and max out the amount of cash you can pull from a property, staging it is a good idea.
Stage Your House Because It Will Help The Photos Stand Out
Staging your house helps your photos stand out online.
Professional photography combined with professional staging is a great way to get lots of eyeballs on your listing.
A barren, empty living room is far less likely to get someone excited than a well-decorated "family room."
It goes without saying, but the more people who see your listing, the more showings you'll get, and the more likely you are to receive an offer.
Stage Your House Because It Will Help Buyers Picture Themselves Living There
Buyers want to be able to picture themselves living in a house before they move in.
What's it going to be like sitting down for dinner?
Can we BBQ in the summer?
Where can we entertain our guests?
These are a few questions people touring your property may ask themselves.
When your house is staged, it allows them to picture themselves using each area as intended easily.
Do you remember when you went to IKEA to buy a desk or anything for that matter?
There are many displays set up to showcase products in a realistic home setting.
Plenty of the desks will be staged with other furniture to show how they can easily fit into your room.
Stage Your House To Draw Attention To Its Best Features
Are there any features in your house that particularly stand out?
Maybe you recently remodeled the master bathroom to include a jacuzzi tub and rainfall showers.
Or maybe you overhauled the kitchen to include:
All new high-quality backsplash
Brand new stainless steel appliances
And granite countertops
Whatever the case may be, you can use staging to bring attention to the features you want to stand out.
If you hire a professional stager, they should be able to do this for you.
Should you decide to do the staging on your own, I'd recommend using something that puts an eye-catching color near the feature you want to highlight.
For example, if you're trying to show off a new jacuzzi bathtub and rainfall shower, try tastefully hanging a colorful, eye-catching towel to draw the buyer's attention.
Staged Homes Sell Faster Than Their Non-staged Counterparts
Did you know that on average, staged homes sell faster than homes that are not staged?
According to the National Association of Realtors, 25% of realtors:
"reported that staging a home greatly decreased the amount of time the home was on the market."
When you stage your house, it helps potential buyers picture themselves living there, which helps create an emotional attachment.
The longer your house sits on the market, the lower the offers typically get.
So anything you can do to help your house sell faster is in your best interest.
The Average Costs of Staging Your House
According to Home Advisor:
"The national average home staging cost is $1,121. This includes furniture and decoration rental. Many homeowners pay between $505 and $1,864."
According to the NAR, for every $100 you spend on staging, you'll get $400 back.
It's important not to think of staging as money getting tossed in the trash, but as a straightforward investment you'll get an excellent return on.
The Four Ways To Stage Your House
Hire a Professional
Hiring a full-service professional home stager will be the most expensive option, but it will produce the best results.
A professional stager should provide all the materials (furniture and decor), time, and labor it takes to make your house look as good as possible.
DIY Staging
If you're on a shoestring budget, you may opt for some DIY staging.
Should you decide to go the DIY route, and you don't want to deal with:
Purchasing
Moving
And setting up heavy furniture
You can focus on small decor items that will add some flare to the house.
For example:
Accent towels for the bathrooms
Colorful fruit bowls for the kitchen
Vases of flowers for shelves and countertops
Pictures for the walls
You should easily be able to find some inexpensive decor items at a local thrift store.
There's no need to buy expensive full priced items, as you'll likely never use them again.
You might even be able to sell the buyers the items you used to stage the house if you like them.
Virtually Stage The Property
I've never virtually staged a property before, so I don't feel comfortable telling you how to do so. For that reason, I'll link you to this article that goes in-depth on how to stage your house virtually.
Ask Friends And Family For Help
Do you know someone who lives and breathes interior design?
Maybe their idea of a great weekend is taking a trip to Homegoods, finding a great bargain, and decking out their living room.
If you know someone like this, ask if they want to help you prepare your property for sale with some light staging.
They may have some decor available for your house, which can save you time and money if you don't have to purchase your own.
Offer them a few dollars for their time and effort, but they may be happy to do it just for fun.
Don't Forget To Stage Outdoor Spaces Too
When staging a home with a beautiful outdoor space, you don't want to forget to put some time and effort into staging the outside.
Put out an inexpensive patio set, and a grill if you have one.
Ensure the landscaping is well kept, and you may want to put out some fresh flowers or plants weather permitting.
A beautiful outdoor space will help buyers picture themselves enjoying the great outdoors in their new home.
Think about it, how would you feel if you went to view a house and the yard looks dingy and unkempt, vs. freshly landscaped and ready for a family summer BBQ?
Make Sure You Schedule a Deep Cleaning Before You Stage
Before staging your house, there's one critical thing you must do.
A deep cleaning.
All the staging in the world can't hide a dirty, cobweb-infested house.
I'm not saying your house is cobweb-infested; I'm just trying to point out that buyers will look past even the nicest staging if a home is dirty.
I highly recommend hiring a professional crew to scrub the heck out of your house and make it look new.
Your buyers will notice! And more importantly, they'll notice if you don't.
Let In Plenty of Natural Light
Now that you've done all the hard work, or now that the person you hired did all the hard work, there's one last step.
Make sure you let in all the natural light you possibly can during your showings.
Open up all the blinds and shades.
If some spots in your house are dim because there aren't windows nearby, get some lamps to lighten the place up a bit.
We all love natural light, and no one gets excited over a dark and dreary space.
The Downside of Staging Your House
It Will Cost You Money Out of Pocket
So far, staging your house sounds like it has no downsides. However, there is one downside we want to call out just in case it wasn't already obvious.
Staging your house, professionally or DIY will cost you money out of pocket. With professional staging potentially costing you thousands.
Although this money will more than likely be returned with interest, it may be a tough bill to swallow if you're strapped for cash.
Additionally, the money could go to complete waste if your house doesn't sell at all for some reason.
Don't Want To Bother Staging? Consider Selling To A Direct Home Buyer Like Contenza
Does going through the trouble of staging and deep cleaning your house sound like too much of a hassle?
Don't worry; we get it.
Here at Contenza Properties, we can make you a direct offer to buy your house in its as-is condition.
You don't have to do any:
Repairs or maintenance
Cleaning
Staging
Or pay us any fees
We'll buy your house as-is, so you don't have to lift a finger.
If you'd like to get a direct offer for your home, fill out our simple form below.
One of our friendly representatives will reach out to you as quickly as possible.
About The Author
Jordan Reid founded Contenza Properties in April of 2018 to help homeowners solve their real estate problems quickly.
Since then, Jordan has helped multiple homeowners facing difficult situations such as divorce, property liens, and unwanted property inheritance.
Jordan believes in putting people first, and numbers second, which helps him reach the best possible solutions for the homeowners he works with.
Currently, Jordan and his team at Contenza Properties offer their professional home buying services in the San Francisco Bay Area, and Knoxville, Tennessee.
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