Admin

Is home staging really worth it?

By
Real Estate Agent with Keller Williams American Premier Realty 615729

YES! Staged homes, on average, spend 80% less time on the market! There's a difference between the way you live in your home and the way you market and sell your house. When there is a lot of inventory on the market you need to separate yourself from the competition. Allow the buyers to envision themselves living there.

There are several common home staging myths that I'll address now:

1. It's decorating. Actually, it's the opposite. It depersonalizes a space and turns it back into a product -- from home to house.

2. It's expensive. Staging typically costs far less than the first price reduction, if you hire a home stager. With my ASP designation, I provide the service at no extra cost for my sellers.

3. It's just about fake flowers and candles.  It's more about neutralizing and de-cluttering. Think of it as "editing" a space to allow buyers to focus on a room's features and amenities.

4. The sellers can do it themselves. Yes, the sellers can help to remove extra items and divide their belongings into "keep," "donate" and "trash" piles, but there are some additional ways a home stager can make a property more appealing.

5. "I can't tell my sellers that!" If a seller is motivated, he or she will do whatever it takes to sell that home!

Here are a few tips to make a property more appealing:

1. Remember that the outside of a home is important because it's what a prospective buyer notices first. Make sure the grass is cut, leaves are raked, sidewalks are swept and paint looks fresh.

2. Barb Schwarz, the creater of the staged home concept, says, "clutter eats equity." Decide what you really need and remove the rest -- remember that tip about dividing belongings into piles?

3. Balance a room with hard and soft surfaces (e.g., you could soften leather furniture by adding fabric pillows or a throw.

4. When arranging items on a hard surface, like an end table, put a group of three items together (perhaps a lamp, a frame and a book). If there isn't much room, stick with one item.

5. Use a buyer's eyes when standing at the entrance of a room. If you were a buyer would you feel like the room is "inviting?"

6. Clean the home. It should be immaculate!

Show All Comments Sort:
Starstate Realty
Starstate Realty - Austin, TX

Hi Laura - Happy New Year.  Welcome to ActiveRain. I look forward to networking with you and reading your future post. Have a great day!!!

Jan 06, 2009 01:50 PM