Top 9 reasons to stage a home for sale

Stage a home for sale - what's in it for you?

Staging a home for sale will cost you money. Is it worth spending effort, time and money (in that order) on it or should you just call a real estate broker who will «evaluate» your house and suggest a price? After all, once the decision to sell has been made, you just want to get it over with as fast as possible, right?

WRONG!

Some factors are out of your control, such as the location of the property, sale price of comparable homes in your neighbourhood and today’s market conditions. But you definitely have a say in the «desirability» factor of your property, ie the way your property looks, feels and is percieved by the realtors and prospective buyers. And why is that important? We all know that first impressions make a big difference in the way we perceive a person, an object or a service and, subconsciously, the decision is taken within the first 30 to 60 seconds on whether we’ll be «buying» and what value we assign to it. When you stage a home for sale, you increase the visual value of your property and that will translate into some real benefits!

Top 9 reasons to stage you home for sale

1. Get the money you want
   If you are serious about getting the biggest return on your investment, you need to ensure that the property's best assets are put forward. Statistics clearly show that staged homes sell for more money than comparable houses (a conservative estimate is between 2% and 10% more). A down-to-earth appraisal of staging's effect is offered by HomeGain, an online resource for homebuyers and sellers: Their 2003 poll of 2,000 real-estate agents found that staging typically costs from $212 to $1,089 and adds from $2,275 to $2,841 to a home's selling price - a "return" of from two to 13 times the cost of staging. Stage a home for sale and you'll see the difference in the way people (including realtors) will react to it.

2. Reduce time on the market
   Statistics are not easy to come by as they change with the market conditions, but according to statistics compiled by Stagedhomes.com, unstaged homes spent an average of 22 days on the market. Those staged by a professional spent an average of 11 days on the market.

3. Stand out from the crowd!
   In a slow market, the buyers are kings (and queens) and you need every competitive advantage you can get. If your house looks and feels attractive, the potential buyers will notice the difference and will want YOUR house.

4. Bring more people in
   To stage a home for sale means maximizing your chances. It's the numbers game - more people see and LIKE your house, better are your chances of success. By using staging techniques, such as depersonalizing, you will make your property appealing to more potential buyers.

5. Get higher market price evaluation
   The best time to stage a home for sale is BEFORE a realtor shows up to evaluate your property. Being ready will demonstrate to the real estate agent that you are a savvy home seller and he/she will put a higher price on your property, as a staged home will «show» better and will be easier for them to sell.

6. Attract best real estate agent
   A realtor will evaluate the selling potential of your property against the risk he/she takes to list it. His/her reputation is at stake and the costs of marketing your listing are substantial(in time and money). The best looking properties will get the best agents who will work harder to show them and will sell them faster.

7. Enhance the advertising appeal
   Pictures are worth a thousand words. Especially these days, when most shoppers will preselect the properties they are interested in through Internet, you need to have the best pictures possible to move potential buyers to the next phase - a visit.

8. Show you love your house
   Show it with pride. Most buyers prefer a home in a move-in condition and a well maintained home inspires confidence. And you'll not be getting ridiculously low offers from bargain hunters....

9. Avoid potential price reduction
   A property is HOT for the first few weeks it's listed. If it does not attract buyers within that timeframe, chances are the realtor will try to convince you to reduce the price. When you stage a home for sale, the investment in staging is much smaller than reducing the asking price, you'll get it back at the sale - so protect your equity.

   You can see more of our «before» and «after» pictures from some of the projects we do. We add new pictures regularly to demonstrate the benefits of staging.

   If you are interested to read more on the topic, there are several excellent resource/information sites on how to stage a home for sale . Home staging is becoming very popular in the UK. One of the sites I really like is The Property Coach - Home decorating, home staging & affordable interior design advice. Services,free advice, articles and comprehensive directory for all things property oriented and getting more from your homelife.

   We search, buy and review books on the topic of staging a home for sale on a regular basis, so if you would like to know more, please read our Home Staging books review page.

   
   
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