Home staging is becoming a more critical step in selling your home, so why don't more people know about home staging? Even those people who do know about home staging find reasons why they don't need the services of a home stager but why?
Most homeowners will acknowledge that maybe they haven't been diligent in maintaining their homes (you've called my handyman business) so it makes sense to get a home inspection. By fixing problems before prospective buyers find them, you have a better chance of selling quickly.
Only a few people are willing to admit they aren't very good at decorating their homes but honestly, we're not professional decorators and we have a bias towards what we love.
Home Staging Attracts More Buyers
When you stage a home to sell, it needs to appeal to the largest number of prospective buyers. Homes that are priced correctly, well maintained and staged to show their best features, are the ones that sell quickly and for the highest prices. Why?
Buyers in a buyers market, have a lot of choices. Buyers know moving is stressful enough, so they want a home that is move in ready, i.e. why add an extra week or 2 to the schedule in order to paint every room in the house? When buying a Victorian in Portsmouth, NH, we wanted it painted. This gave us a once in a lifetime experience, painting with 2 teenage sons while camping out in our new, empty house.
It's not about your decorating skills. Home staging is about transforming your home into a picture perfect house that will appeal to the most prospective buyers. Home stagers work with you to:
- Remove clutter to make your home appear spacious.
- Put away personal items so your home feels move in ready to prospective buyers.
- Rearrange furniture to showcase each room's best features and provide comfortable flow through your home.
- Recommend painting where needed, to replace bold colors that could turn off some buyers.
- Recommend changes to window treatments and/or lighting to make your home inviting.
- Accessories to make your home look picture perfect for a magazine!
Yes, Home Staging is Affordable
Home staging is affordable because home stager's know the solution is temporary, and they will do their best to use what you already own. That's not to say there won't be expenses, there will be and like the HGTV shows, most homeowners fall in love with their homes all over again.
Typical home staging costs will show you why you can afford to stage your home!
- Most home stagers are flexible with packages to fit your budget. If money is tight, you can get what's called a curbside consultation or a 2 to 3 hour visit where the home stager walks through your home and makes recommendations for you to implement.
- Don't like to shop? Many home stagers will do the shopping for you, and many rent accessories as these are the secret sauce but they don't have the memories of Grandma's crocheted throw.
- Not enough time to get it all done? Ask your home stager to manage the project for you, from buying the paint and hiring painters to handling furniture storage and rearranging your best pieces for flow.
Home Staging Makes You Money
Home staging costs money, right? Of course you're going to pay your home stager along with the professionals who help to make your home picture perfect. Then how does home staging make you money?
Homes that are staged sell faster so rather than lowering your price after 90 days, with home stating you're increasing the odds of selling your home in the first 90 days. A beautiful, picture perfect home is more attractive to prospective buyers and this means they'll make an offer closer to your listing price.
Need more convincing that home staging works? For those who have to move, consider the cost of carrying 2 mortgages? If you can sell your home 1, 2 or 3 months faster with home staging, would you invest 1, 2 or 3 months of your mortgage payment? For those living in their homes, focus your investment on things you can take with you – a new, smaller couch that is perfect for the condo you plan to buy next, a new comforter for the master bedroom in the color (sorry, needs to be neutral) you want for your new home.
Home staging is a smart investment for many reasons and pay attention, as you'll learn a few tricks you can use when decorating in the future.
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