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Home staging is a strategic way of preparing your home to spotlight all of its best features while downplaying its shortcomings. This includes decluttering, depersonalizing and making any necessary repairs or improvements to the house. Home staging is not required, but it can make a difference in a tight, competitive selling market.
Staged homes tend to sell faster than those that are not staged. According to the Real Estate Staging Association, staged homes recently sold for about $40,000 above asking price. Staged homes were reported to sell nine days faster than the average home.
While you can work with a professional stager, know going in that you will spend
somewhere between $782 and $2,817 for this service. If your home is in good shape and only needs some decluttering and rearranging of furniture, then the fee could be as low as $800. If you have already moved out of your home and your home is empty, you will need to rent furniture to furnish some of the important rooms. This is a necessary cost for selling your home.
If you would rather stage your home yourself, here are some key tips to help you through the process.
- First, try to see your home through the eyes of a prospective buyer. The buyer wants to see a home that is neat and tidy. To that end, you will need to declutter your home to make it look as spacious and airy as possible. An added benefit of taking this step is that it helps you discard some of your possessions as you eventually prepare to pack for your move. This is especially important when you are downsizing to a smaller home. Think about what is essential. Do you really need your children’s drawings to be prominently displayed on your refrigerator door when buyers are looking?
- You want the home to be as impersonal as possible so the buyer can imagine themselves and their furnishings in the space. Depersonalizing the home is one way to achieve this. No one wants to feel like they are intruding into someone else’s home. Seeing someone else’s family photos might be a distraction. Remove family photos and replace them with more neutral items such as plants or vases.
- After you have decluttered, you will need to deep clean the house. Again, you can call in professionals who can clean your home within hours or you can do it yourself over the course of days. Replace anything that needs to be freshened up such as towels, area rugs or plants. A clean home will have greater appeal to buyers.
- Next, take a look to see how the furniture is arranged. Does the seating invite conversation among guests or is it spaced too far away? Pull the seats close to the center of the living room so they are facing each other. Place a simple well-decorated coffee table in the middle of the arrangement. A few candlesticks, a short stack of art books or a glass vase are all that are needed.
A staged home conveys a message of pride of ownership to any potential buyer. Staging also improves the chances of a quick and profitable sale. Contact us for more staging ideas when you are ready to sell your home.
