Should I Stage My Vacant Property?

Good morning, Kathy -- despite that many people say they can visualize, the truth shows that isn't quite true most of the time.  At least that's my experience.    

Kathy...I have (over MANY years) come to the conclusion that very few buyers can visualize anything.

Well Kathy Streib You have done an admirable job of talking people out of staging a vacant house. It will be pretty hard to "justify" $4,500.00 just to facilitate the marketing.

Bill Roberts

Kathy, as you point out staging helps in so many ways. If their budget doesn't cover the whole house, staging the key rooms can help give the buyer the help they need to see the house as a home.

Kathy

You raise some excellent points here. Vacant homes can be a real challenge in terms of how they appear, and so many buyers simply cannot visualize the home with furnishings. It's especially true of homes that have unique configurations. Cost is certainly a factor in deciding whether to stage a vacant home or not, and it may also depend on how active the market is and the saleability of the property

Jeff

You explain the reasons for vacant staging very well here Kathy!

Hi Kathy - Good advice on when to stage. We have had excellent results from staging vacant homes when warranted, and found it to be well worth the expense.

I like your advice when sellers decide to forgo staging a home Kathy. Upper priced homes here are more likely to be staged here. Medium and lower priced homes not so much. I do encourage sellers who still live in the home to de-clutter and de-personalize so buyers can see themselves there rather than trying to see around everything else. Sometimes they listen and other times...

I think staging is the way to go in most circumstances...  but you bring up some great points!

I have come across a lot of vacant properties lately. A few years ago we had a huge wave of investors turning homes in to rental properties and a lot of them are spitting back out on the market now but the homes aren't being staged. 

To coin and old phrase Kathy Streib "Wish you were here". We do not have a professional staging service her (there is one gal who claims to be but no furniture and all she says is declutter). I have a couple of empty properties that would benefit greatly for adding furniture.

Good morning Kathy. The investment of hiring a home stager like yourself is a bargain, as the return on the investment is going to make a lot of sense.