6½ Reasons To Stage

As per Craig's request on my Listmania blog.  Drumroll Please!!! THE TOP 6 ½ REASONS TO STAGE 

#1 Staging gives the best first impression to potential buyers. Stagers strive to provide an ambiance that emotionally connects buyers to your home. A good stager will have researched the current trends in the market as well as the buyer demographics in the local area. If your demographic is mid thirties couples with 1.2 children, then that is the target style they will use. However, if your area attracts mainly baby boomers seeking a second home for vacationing a different style is called for. A professional stager will provide furnishings and accessories that appeal to broadest range of your buyer demographic.

#2 Staging neutralizes your home so that buyers feel relaxed and comfortable while viewing it. If a home is too personalized, buyers will feel as if they are invading your privacy, making them feel awkward about being there. By the same token a well staged home should not look 'staged'; if it is overly sterile or full of 'props' a buyer will feel manipulated.  A professional stager will strike that balance and interested buyers will stay longer, making the home more memorable to them. The longer they stay the more they will emotionally connect to the home.

#3 Staging sells your home for more money. For most of us our home is our largest investment, so when it comes time to sell, treat your home as just that: an investment. For example: what if you knew that you could buy stock "x" for $2,000 and were guaranteed to sell it for $6,000 in one month’s time for an ROI of 200%? Would you do it? Staging studies show that staged homes sell for at least 5% more than their non-staged counterparts. On a $300,000 home that would be $15,000. Even if the staging costs at a high price of $3,000 the ROI would be 400%. Plus, for most people this money is tax free, because the IRS excludes the capital gains tax on primary residences. And if this isn’t reason enough, in many cases the costs of preparing your home for sale (incl. staging costs) are actually tax deductible.*

#4 Staging sells your home faster. OK this one is pretty obvious, but lets really think about it. To me, this is the THE MOST compelling reason to stage. The longer your home is on the market, the longer you are in limbo and not able to move on to the next phase of your life. In a slow market it is physically and emotionally draining be opening your home to buyers, potentially over months; all the while having to keep it in ‘show’ condition.

#5 Staging allows you to pre-pack. Moving is a monumental task and one of the most stressful times in most people’s lives. De-cluttering and packing are unavoidable tasks, but by eliminating the clutter and excess items in your home prior to listing, you are breaking down the moving process into more manageable segments.

#6 Staging always costs less than your first price reduction. The BEST time to stage is BEFORE you list your property, when you have the most momentum and interest generated. However, if you have a home that is currently on the market that is not staged, I urge you to consider staging before reducing your price. Staging will have a much bigger impact!! Remember to have your listing agent replace old photos in the brochures and on the net with post-staging photographs. A professional stager will provide professional ‘after’ photographs as part of their service. I would also recommend that the agent re-list the property to give it a new MLS number. 

# ½ Staging is the Fendi bag of Real Estate. It’s trendy, it’s cool and everyone in California is doing it, Anyone else got a better one???

*Contact a tax advisor in your area to verify