This blog post is all about home staging tips and ideas.
Are you getting ready to put your home on the market? As a seller, you want to ensure your home stands out and attracts potential buyers. Staging your home like a pro is an effective way to do this. Proper staging can make all the difference in selling your home quickly and at the right price.
If you need help figuring out where to start, don't worry! Here are five tips for staging your home like a pro and selling it in one day.
What Is Home Staging?
First, let's define home staging. Home staging prepares a property for sale by making it visually appealing to potential buyers. This can involve rearranging furniture, decluttering, adding decor, and other design elements to make the space more inviting.
"Without home staging, people wouldn’t even come to see the house. It used to be an extra; now it’s just essential. Why wouldn’t someone stage a home if they want to get more money for the house?" – Barbara Corcoran on home staging
Why Home Staging Is Important
When selling a home, aiming for the best price and minimizing the marketing period is crucial. Staging can help you achieve both. Properly staged homes sell faster and for more money than unstaged properties.
Additionally, staging helps potential buyers visualize themselves living in the space, increasing their emotional connection to the property and making it more likely for them to put in an offer. Staging also allows you to highlight your home's best features and reduce flaws, making it more appealing to buyers.
Benefits of Home Staging
Staging a home improves its visual appeal and helps potential buyers envision the space's appearance once they move in, making it more inviting. Having furniture and wall decor in place is often more appealing than empty rooms and bare walls.
Did you know that, according to the 2023 Profile of Home Staging report from the National Association of Realtors (NAR), 58% of buyers' agents believe that staging helps positively shape buyers' impressions of a home?
The report showed that 81% of buyers' agents think staging helps buyers picture a property as their future home, which can lead to a faster sale. Plus, it turns out that 39% of buyers see staging the living room as super important, with the primary bedroom coming in next at 36% and the kitchen at 30%.
key points:
Options for Staging a Home
Full-service realtors will arrange for a professional stager to stage your home, ensuring that it is showcased effectively on the market. Allocate 1% to 3% of your home's selling price for staging, and consider sharing the cost with your realtor.
Many homeowners are choosing to do their own staging and are limiting in-person showings. However, it's important not to underestimate the value of a well-staged home. Great staging can make a big difference in photographs, and since most buyers start their search online, it's crucial. Be prepared to invest in essentials like paint, storage organizers, and rental furniture to make your home shine!
1. Declutter and make your house shine.
Decluttering is the transformative first step in staging your home. It empowers you to present a clean and spacious home to potential buyers rather than one filled with personal items and clutter. By removing any unnecessary items and storing away things that may divert buyers, you're taking control of how your home is perceived.
CLUTTER:
- It distracts buyers from your home’s features.
- It makes it seem like the home has less space.
When sellers move out of their homes, they often need to eliminate a lot of clutter. In the worst case, sellers may leave unwanted items for the buyers, and agents are familiar with this issue. A home without clutter looks more attractive to buyers, making it easier for agents to sell and show in clean, organized condition.
“It’s okay to let go of things.” —Clea Shearer & Joanna Teplin, The Home Edit.
Clean not only the inside but also the outside! Power washing the siding, curbs, and driveway makes the house visibly look newer. The atmosphere of the house can enhance its appeal and increase its value. A clean home also leaves a lasting impression on potential buyers.
Cleaning is a relatively inexpensive investment, but it is worthwhile. If cleaning isn't your forte, consider hiring a professional cleaning service for a deep clean. It can make a significant difference in the overall appearance of your home.
2. Make minor updates for a significant impact.
Minor, budget-friendly updates to your home can make it more attractive to buyers. Simple tasks like repainting walls with neutral colors, replacing outdated light fixtures, and updating hardware on cabinets and doors can give your home a fresh and modern feel.
You can also consider upgrading faucets and showerheads, fixing leaky pipes or faucets, and replacing old or worn carpets in your bathroom. These minor updates can significantly impact potential buyers and help them envision living in your home.
3. Entrance.
Add a welcome mat and potted plants to make your entrance look welcoming and tasteful. These small details can make a big difference in how potential buyers perceive your home. Also, consider adding a fresh coat of paint to your front door and updating the hardware for a modern touch.
The front door is the first impression potential buyers will have when entering your home. Please make sure it appears inviting and well-maintained to create a welcoming atmosphere.
4. Walls and Ceilings
Remember that cracks in the walls or ceiling can be concerning to potential buyers as they may point to underlying foundation issues. If your home has foundation problems, addressing them or disclosing them to potential buyers is essential. Fixing any foundation problems would increase the chances of selling the house. However, suppose the foundation is structurally sound, according to an inspector, but looks terrible due to cracks. In that case, repairing the cracks is a good idea to avoid unnecessarily putting off potential buyers.
5. Create a neutral color scheme.
Bold and bright colors may appeal to you, but they can be off-putting to potential buyers. Consider repainting walls in a neutral color such as white, beige, or light grey to create a clean and fresh canvas for buyers to envision their style.
Using light-colored paint on the walls and decluttering shelves and countertops can create a more spacious atmosphere in a room. Repainting walls is one of the most cost-effective and impactful updates you can make to your home. Consider choosing neutral colors that can appeal to a wider range of buyers.
6. Depersonalize.
To help potential buyers envision themselves in your home, removing all family photos, keepsakes, and refrigerator art is best. Keep clothes hidden as much as possible, and make sure the bathroom counters are empty, except for hand soap. Also, all toys and anything highly personal or specific to the home's current occupants should be put away.
7. Welcoming Atmosphere.
When preparing your home for viewing, it's essential to enhance the ambiance with warm and inviting elements. Consider adding plush throw pillows, soft blankets, and vibrant fresh flowers throughout the house to create an atmosphere where potential buyers can envision themselves living comfortably.
8. Make your home feel spacious.
Buyers are often looking for a spacious and open living space. To create this illusion, remove any unnecessary furniture or clutter that can make a room look smaller.
If you have dated and unappealing furniture or accessories, it's better to get rid of them or store them where potential buyers will not see them. An open or empty space is always better than one with unattractive furniture or accessories.
Placing a mirror in the living room, entryway, or master bedroom can create the illusion of more space and brightness in your home.
9. Define Rooms
Please ensure that each room in the house has a specific purpose and that every area within each room serves a function. This will help potential buyers understand how to utilize the living space efficiently. For example, a finished attic can be turned into an office, a finished basement can become an entertainment room, and a cluttered room can be renovated into a guest bedroom.
Even if the buyer doesn't envision using the room for the same purpose, they need to recognize that every part of the home is functional space, including nooks, window seats, corners, breakfast nooks, and other areas.
10. Lighting.
Lighting can significantly affect how your home is perceived. Ensure all rooms are well-lit by opening curtains or blinds and turning on lights during showings. Consider investing in new light fixtures or adding lamps.
11. Highlight the best features of your home.
Every house has unique features that make it stand out from others. Identify and highlight these unique attributes during staging to make your home more memorable to potential buyers.
If your house has a beautiful view, keep the curtains open to showcase it. If you have large windows, let natural light flood in to create an open, airy feel. Show off any architectural features or upgrades, such as crown molding or hardwood floors, by keeping them clutter-free and well-lit.
This blog post is all about home staging tips and ideas.
Q&A
Why is home staging important?
Home staging can be one of your most rewarding projects considering the time and expense involved. Potential buyers aren't merely seeking a place to live; they aspire to fulfill their dreams and enhance their lifestyle. By staging a home effectively, you can evoke an emotional response from buyers, ultimately leading to higher offers and more significant profit for the seller.
What are the benefits of home staging?
A well-staged home will sell for more than one that has yet to be enhanced. When home shoppers enter a nicely staged home, they can envision themselves living there. A home that is not staged will require a buyer to look past all of the seller's possessions to imagine the home as their own. Photos of a properly staged home look better in online listings, which helps sell the property.
How Much Does Home Staging Cost?
According to the National Association of Realtors’ 2023 Profile of Home Staging report, the median amount spent on professional staging services is $600, while sellers who choose to stage their homes through their agents typically invest around $400. However, sellers may opt to spend more if they believe the additional investment will increase the sale price. Generally, it is advisable to budget about 1% to 3% of the home’s selling price for staging.
Is it better to sell a house empty or staged?
Some people argue that selling a house empty is better, as potential buyers can better envision their belongings and furnishings in the space and use the blank template to let their imaginations run. Plus, you would save on the costs of staging. However, industry reports show that staged homes do often sell faster.
The Bottom Line:
Even if you have plenty of cash, don’t put too much money into the staging process. You want to emphasize the home’s best features, but remember that what sells the house and what makes the home usable for the buyer are not necessarily the same. Overall, to get the most value for your money, your home-staging efforts should be designed to appeal to the broadest possible range of buyers. The more people willing to submit purchase offers for your home, the higher the selling price will be."
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