Should a Home Be Staged?

SHOULD A HOME BE STAGED?

Many people have asked me whether staging a home really makes a difference when selling. I tell them, unequivocally, yes! 

Staging goes hand-in-hand with marketing and pricing a home that shows the best value for the money. First impressions are critical, and since 9 out of 10 buyers first see your home online, you truly have one chance to draw them to your property. 

What does staging mean, exactly? 

Well, it can be anything from simply de-cluttering a home, all the way to replacing and placing furniture in such a way that it favorably presents your house to the widest pool of potential buyers possible. 

The National Association of REALTORS® 2015 Profile of Home Staging gives the following insights: 

•81% of buyers say it is easier to visualize the property as a future home.
•46% of buyers say they are more willing to walk through home they viewed online.
•45% of buyers say it will positively impact the value of the home.
•28% of buyers say they are more likely to overlook other property faults.

Compared to similar, non-staged homes... 

•32% of buyer agents say a staged home increases dollar value 1-5%.
•37% of buyers are willing to offer 1-5% more.
•16% of buyer agents say a staged home increases dollar value 6-10%.
•22% of buyers are willing to offer 6-10% more.
•47% of buyer agents say a staged home has no impact or are unsure.
•29% of buyers say a staged home has no impact or are unsure.

Both buyer and seller agents agree that, in order, the most important rooms to be staged are 

1.Living room
2.Kitchen
3.Master bedroom
4.Dining room
5.Bathroom
6.Children's bedroom
7.Guest bedroom

What's involved? 

Typically, there is an in-home consultation with an accredited home stager, who goes through each room of the house as well as outside, and lists recommendation to make the home "buyer ready." After that, the home owner decides whether to make the recommended changes themselves, or leave it to the professionals to stage areas of the home. 

Just look through some listing photos that you can find on my website. I think the differences you will see make it easy to understand the upside of staging your house.  - See more at: http://www.brownsburgareahomes.com/index.php?page=blogdetail&id=147#sthash.j0pgfGcs.dpuf