You may not know this about me, but I love 1950’s décor, the color scheme of teal and yellow, and I love plants.
Now, close your eyes and picture my home (ok, you can’t close your eyes and still read this, so keep them open): My kitchen cabinets are bright teal, the floor is black and white squared tiles, and my stove is an original from 1956. My living room has bright yellow vases, about 30 plants, and vintage blue chairs from, you guessed it, the 1950’s.
I love my home. I love how I’ve decorated it. It suits my personality, and it makes it ‘my’ home. However, if I ever decide to sell, I know I need to have it professionally staged because unlike decorating, staging your home isn’t about personal style; it’s about creating ambiance and appeal for buyers.
Although everyone has different tastes in décor and furnishings, most people want a home that is welcoming, functional, peaceful, and organized. Staging sets your home up so that buyers will describe it in those terms rather than by your style of decorating. When marketing your home, you want to strive for a look that is fresh and welcoming but not really taste specific. People with varying tastes need to visualize themselves living in the house and feel that they can make the home their own if they purchase it.
Still unsure? I have a few statistics that might help change your mind:
Staged homes photograph better
- According to National Associate of Realtor’s 2020 Profile of Home Buyers the first step in the home buying process for 43% of recent buyers, was to look online at properties for sale.
- The share of home buyers who used the internet to search for a home increased to an all-time high of 97%.
- This is important because when tastefully decorated, each room can be photographed with a wide-angle lens and the photos used to effectively advertise the home on the MLS and other real estate sites to attract buyers.
The return on investment is good
- According to Real Estate Staging Association’s 2020 survey of 13k staged homes
- 85% of staged homes sold for 5-23% over list price.
- Approximately 75% of sellers saw an ROI of 5-15%.
- According to the National Association of Realtors, for every $100 invested in staging your home, the potential return is $400. That’s a 4x return for doing a few simple things!
- According to an article by nwi.com, home staging can fetch as much as 6% to 20% more than an empty home or a home not property staged.
Staged homes sell faster
- U.S. research states that home staging can reduce a listing’s time on the market by 50% according to an article by nwi.com.
- According to the National Association of Realtors, 53% of sellers’ agents said that a staged home decreases the amount of time a home spends on the market.
And according to me, Sellers who don’t stage a home before its listed risk losing out to comparable staged homes. I believe buyers view professionally staged listings as well-maintained, which is always a consideration when choosing a home. And I believe it often costs Sellers more not to stage; the average cost of a complete staging is usually much less than your first price reduction.
The cost of staging by a professional, someone who has a great track record in the business, sound design sense and who comes well-recommended, can mean money in the bank for you. I have a great working relationship with Euro Staging and recommend them without hesitation. (Their site even showcases one of my listings!) See their before and after photos of some of my other listings below.
If staging helps you sell your home sooner, if it saves you a month or more of carrying expenses, if it creates the kind of buzz that brings in offers above your asking price, then your money is well spent.
-Arynne
PS: Not sure if you’re quite ready to move to your next home just yet? No problem. The sooner you start learning the ins and outs of this process, the better. Click here to book a real estate possibility call with me today.
