After watching an episode of MythBusters over the 4th of July Holiday weekend I was happy to find out that waterproof sun block does not, infact, cause blindness when it gets into your eyes. Whew. And I was even more excited to learn that if you are stung by a Jellyfish while swimming you do not need to have someone urinate on the sting (instead treating with vinegar, baking soda and even meat tenderizer will work). Good to know!
And I was completely inspired to do some Myth Busting of my own….the Home Staging kind. (Kids, don’t try this at home!)
In all seriousness, with all the buzz about Home Staging it’s important to take a moment and clarify a few common misconceptions.
1. Home Staging is EXPENSIVE. 
FALSE! Home Staging does not have to be an expensive project. Whether you have a small, large or no budget at all, you can do things to help your home sell quickly and for top dollar. AND investing in a Home Staging project is most always less expensive than a price reduction!
2. Putting a few accessories around an empty house is Home Staging.
WRONG! While I am a firm believer in “doing what you can,” a few accessories placed in the kitchen and on the mantle is not technically Home Staging. The concept of true Home Staging is showing off a home’s functionality and involves proper furniture and furniture placement. Accessories are only to complete a look. Example: That beautiful piece of artwork on a mantel may look nice, but it does not help a buyer envision the space – where a sofa would fit, where a TV would go or how their family and friends would live in the space. This is the TRUE definition of Home Staging: creating a canvas for buyers to “paint themselves in.”
3. I can try my luck at listing my home for a few months and then stage if it hasn’t sold. 
Well, you most certainly can do this, but I have to bring one small point to the table: Any Real Estate Professional would tell you that the majority of buyers come through a home during the first month, maybe two of it being on the market. By postponing creating the “proper packaging” of your home, you are potentially postponing the sale of a home. This results in more mortgage, insurance, and utility payments. Example: Let’s say you have a great new soda. Would you put this great new soda out there for consumers in a plain, clear bottle? Of course you wouldn’t, well, not if you wanted to sell any! You would spend the time to create the perfect logo, label, etc. You want your great new soda to be able to compete with the best competitors out there! Same principle goes for selling a home. Your home is a product and much like the great new soda, it must be packaged properly!
4. Home Staging is only for people who have ugly wallpaper and shag carpet.
FALSE! Everyone and I do mean everyone, no matter how perfect a home is needs some form of Home Staging. Now, some do need more help than others. BUT just because your home is perfect in your eyes, doesn’t mean it translates that way to the majority of buyers that walk through the door. We live in our homes, but when selling we have to adjust our perceptions and see a home through a complete stranger’s eyes! You may LOVE the giant leather sofa in the den, but this comfy sofa may be too much for the space and could be making the area look too small with the other furniture in the room.
5. I don’t want to have to do all this work. I will just reduce the price then my home will sell.
Well, it could very well sell. But think of the added value you create by making appropriate updates and changes. Put your focus on a few things rather than being completely overwhelmed. Buyers, 99% of the time, are picky. (Surprise, right?) That unsightly wallpaper coupled with the dark paint colors spell one word to buyers: W-O-R-K. Even when the price is right, they may still shop around for one that is more move-in-ready AND be willing to drop a little more cash for it. The moral here – perception is everything. Your home needs to feel like home. If it overwhelms you, it will surely overwhelm the buyers!
So there you go! A few Home Staging myths busted, by yours truly!
You guys have a GREAT rest of the week!
Amber
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