Putting Your Home Center Stage - Why staging before selling is always worth the investment

Putting your home up for sale can be a stressful endeavor, with many different factors to consider. From determining a listing price, to figuring out how much renovation is needed before the listing; selling a property requires a long checklist of do’s and don’ts. While most sellers know to keep their homes clean, bright and free from clutter, one step that is often overlooked by many sellers is the importance of staging. Most people try to avoid staging due to the expense and time, and with typical staging costs around $2,500 it’s sometimes hard to rationalize that expense as an investment. However, staging is an investment and one that, if done properly, will pay significant dividends. Here are several reasons that sellers should consider staging their homes before putting them on the market.

Reduces Time on Market

A well-staged property will showcase the best qualities of your home, and will help less imaginative buyers visualize the space they have to work with. According to the Real Estate Staging Association, professionally staged properties spend 73% less time on the market.

Yields the Highest Price

Walking into a professionally designed/furnished home, makes potential buyers feel more at home. When you bring a prospective buyer into an empty home, they often spend most of their energy visualizing what it could look like instead of what it does look like, which can drive offers down. A professionally furnished home increases its desirability and will help bring in the best offers.

Standard Practice Among Realtors

Some realtors will save staging for only those properties that are particularly difficult to sell, but according to Realtor.org, over one third of all realtors use staging for all their listings. Anyone who is a fan of HGTV programming will never see a home ready to sell that’s unfurnished. With staging becoming standard practice, it may throw off potential buyers walking into a home without it.

Selling your home is like showing up on a first date: first impressions count. Understanding how much a well-staged home impacts prospective buyers will make the decision for you. Contacting an experienced real estate agent will help make your selling process seamless, and together you can determine if staging your home before listing, makes the most sense for you.