If you’re in the market to sell a property, you might have heard about home staging. Staging a home to sell is a concept that will transform your humble abode into a more appealing place for potential buyers. Several aspects should be considered when you’re getting ready to say goodbye to your home sweet home for good. Of course, there’s the emotional rollercoaster that will make your feelings change faster than you change TV channels, but at a certain point in life, we all have to go through it. Moving is part of life, whether it’s the need to relocate to a new city, purchase a bigger property due to an expanding family, or simply change the scenery.
Selling the house you’ve made tons of cherished memories in is not easy, but it sets the scene for new beginnings. However, besides the emotional attachment, selling a home is challenging. You’re not just listing the property, and soon after, tons of buyers are jumping with offers at you. No, you have to go through a whole process that involves due diligence, a lot of research, and staging a home to sell.
The first thing you should do is find a real estate agent who will guide you and give valuable tips on selling a house quickly. They will be your compass and trusted partner in this journey, making everything run smoothly.
Then, when it’s time for the potential buyers to view your property, staging a home to sell will be your best bet. If it’s your first time selling a house, you might not be familiar with home staging, but this article aims to provide you with everything you need to know about it. We will give you the best staging tips for selling your home so your property won’t linger on the market for too long.
What is home staging?
Staging a home to sell is a concept that has existed for decades. The first home stager recognized is Barb Schwarz, a real estate agent in Seattle who has been sprucing up homes for sale since 1972. But what exactly is home staging?
You know how you often see splendid images on social media, in magazines, or on TV of beautifully decorated homes with manicured lawns and everything looking just perfect? Well, those images are home-staged. Home staging is about highlighting your home's best features, sprucing up curb appeal, and concealing the things you don’t want to be seen, such as clutter or any items that seem to ruin the overall image of your home.
Staging a home to sell is a more affordable alternative to renovation. A complete makeover might not be in the cards before selling, and sometimes even is not recommended, but home staging is something you can easily do. Or, if you don’t mind spending some extra bucks, hiring a home stager will ensure you get the best results.
With home staging, you aim to minimize your house’s flaws by using some simple yet effective tricks and enhancing its best features. It’s like an effective home marketing strategy that draws buyers to showings and hopefully leads to generous offers.
Why is home staging important?
Well, the answer to this question is pretty straightforward. Staging a home to sell is guaranteed to score you more offers. According to a home staging study conducted by the National Association of Realtors (NAR) in 2021, 82% of buyer’s agents stated home staging helped clients see the house as a future residence. Considering this percentage, it’s clear why home staging has become such a common practice in the industry.
Why is home staging so effective? The answer lies in the psychology behind it. Home staging is a form of art combined with a dash of science. Buyers see countless listings before deciding upon a house and attend many showings. The moment when a buyer decides whether to see a home live or not is crucial. So, the images that you add to your listing must be impeccable. The truth is we all are drawn to aesthetic pictures, and when you see a home where you can envision yourself living, it’s like love at first sight. The more buyers you manage to bring to your showings, the more chances you get to sell your house faster.
How much does home staging cost?
The price of home staging will depend on whether you opt for a professional home stager. According to the price guide Fixr, a homebuyer pays, on average, between $1000 and $3000 to have their house home staged by a professional home stager, but of course, you can find companies that will do this job for less.
For a one-day staging session, no furniture rental, and an initial consultation, the average homeowner should budget $1,500. A basic consultation costs approximately $200. Up to $10,000 is spent on a full-service staging that includes furniture rentals and remodels. HomeAdvisor says home staging typically costs between $741 and $2,669. If you add furniture to an empty property, the cost of staging it will increase; however, you can stage an empty house without furniture to save money.
Consider the price of paint, cleaning and repair supplies, storage options while decluttering, new furniture, accessories, and decor if you are staging the house yourself.
How to home stage effectively?
Staging a home to sell is not that difficult, but it requires a little elbow grease. If you don’t hire a professional home stager and decide to take matters into your own hands, here are some tips for staging your home to sell fast.
1. Declutter, declutter, declutter
The first step in home staging is to declutter. To better visualize the space, more room and accessible areas are needed. Over the years, miscellaneous and unnecessary items must have pilled up, but now is the best time to get rid of them. I’m not saying that they necessarily have to get thrown away and dumped on a landfield. What you can do instead is classify your belongings based on their state of wear. If some of the items are still in good shape and can be used, you can donate them, but if they are really deteriorated, you’ll have no choice but to throw them. Check out your trash pickup schedule so you won’t end up with all your “precious” belongings on your front lawn.
Suppose you are attached to these personal items and still want to keep them. In that case, you should temporarily move them, maybe to a storage unit, or put them away if the storage space in your house allows it. Decluttering will open up the space, helping the buyer see its full potential.
2. Clean as your life would depend on it
You might think your home is already clean, but we're talking about next-level cleaning when putting it on the market. Everything should be spick and span, from the kitchen countertops to the space underneath your bed. A clean house shows that you’ve kept your property in good condition and didn’t neglect it over time.
A spring cleaning is similar to the one you do when home staging, but you must go the extra mile for the latter. If for spring cleaning, you may overlook dusting the top of your drawers or your window blinds, in home staging cleaning, there’s no room for omissions. Everything has to be in apple-pie order.
3. Get creative with furniture placement
You desire as much open, walkable space as possible. This facilitates buyers' navigation around the house and helps them see their furniture more clearly in each room. To make room for new furniture, store any unnecessary pieces. Pay special attention to getting rid of any large, broken, or mismatched pieces. Arrange the remaining furnishings to create the illusion of as much space as possible.
Also, letting in as much light as possible is helpful. Brighter rooms seem more prominent, so opting for sheer curtains or well-placed fixtures will achieve this effect. It also helps make your house look more welcoming.
4. Space depersonalization
Staging a home to sell has one primary objective: to help the buyers visualize themselves on your property. To achieve this result, imagine creating a blank canvas where the potential buyers can envision themselves living in your home. Your house should indeed have charm and style, but at the same time, you don’t want to have too many personal items lying around.
Start by hiding personal items like pictures, clothes in sight, and hygiene products from bathrooms to have a neutral background. Living in a place that has been depersonalized might feel strange, but think that you won’t be doing it for long.
5. Add some final touches
While too many personal items in a house could detract from its actual value, strategically placed greenery might give your space a sense of freshness and life. Put a small potted plant or some succulents in the living room, a larger potted plant in the living room's corner, and a vase full of beautiful, vibrant flowers in the middle of your kitchen table. Are you too busy or lack the patience to care for new plants? Artificial plants can provide the same mood with less effort.
Ensuring that there are no smells is another part of freshness. Any lingering odors should be eliminated with a thorough cleaning, but make sure you always empty your garbage can before showing it to spare potential buyers from unpleasant odors. Depending on the size and design of your home, you might also wish to place a tiny, scented plug-in in one or more of the rooms. If you choose to do that, ensure the setting is low because you want the scent to be soft and pleasant. Select a clean, neutral, and appealing perfume for most individuals.
Author’s conclusion
In wrapping things up, staging a home to sell might seem like a minor thing, but if you get to understand its meaning and purpose, you will come to realize that home staging is beneficial for a fast sale. It is one of the tips for selling your home that won’t break the bank and will give you a sense of accomplishment. Of course, if you’re not hiring a professional home stager, you will have to do all the heavy lifting, but think of it as an investment of your time and effort that will yield significant returns. It’s like giving your home sweet home a makeover but without dealing with the renovation realities that, besides being costly, can be much more time-consuming.
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