Today’s home buyers are more particular than ever before, so as a home seller, you want your place to impress potential purchasers.
Home staging can do wonders for your space, and it gives prospective buyers a clear vision of how the home can be used.
If you’re on the fence about using a staging service, read on to learn more about why it might (or might not!) be worth it.
Home Staging: 5 Reasons it’s Worth it
Is home staging worth it? In many cases, the answer is yes. Here are five reasons why.
1. Sellers May get Higher Offers
In many markets, home staging has shown to give you more return on the investment when it comes to offers. A properly staged space entices buyers and helps them envision how they’d place that couch or piece of artwork if they were the owner.
When you use a staging service, it helps create a beautifully decorated home that encourages people to imagine themselves living there. The result? You’re likely to get a higher offer than you would without it in some areas of the country.
2. Your Home Will Look Fabulous
A professional staging company knows exactly how to transform your home into a gorgeous space. There will be no clutter here, only perfectly placed pieces of furniture and home accents.
When your realtor takes photos for the listing, that decorating expertise is translated into the pictures. Just staging a home alone can make it look new, even if the house is older.
3. Staging Appeals to More People
Maybe you have a thing for unicorns, or you love to show off your collection of antique German beer steins. The truth is, your personal style will likely not appeal to a wide swath of buyers.
When you use a home staging company, their goal is to make your space appealing to most people by using neutral designs that don’t cater to a specific niche. When you do this, it creates a blank canvas that adds style without being too much for the average buyer.
4. Expect a Quicker Sale with Staging
There’s no guarantee that staging your house will sell it faster. But in many cases, your home will likely sit on the market for a much shorter period of time.
When people see a beautifully arranged and decorated home, it makes them think there’s likely to be more competition. With staging, you should expect to sell your home faster than you would without it.
5. You’ll Stand out from the Competition
Staging has become increasingly popular in recent years, so expect your neighbors to have their homes staged, too. This doesn’t mean that yours can’t stand out, however.
With a good staging service, your home will shine and it will certainly stand out more than a typical listing. Let your stager be as creative as they want to, and you’ll be surprised to discover that your home is a unique place within the neighborhood.
5 Reasons Staging Might not Work for You
While the reasons mentioned might seem compelling, home staging isn’t right for everyone. Here are five reasons why you might want to hold off on staging your home.
1. Living in the Home Creates Issues
If you’re still living in the home when it’s staged, you’re going to need to be a lot cleaner than what you’re used to. This means constant vacuuming, dusting, and cleaning of the kitchen and bathrooms.
A staged home should look pristine, and it’s hard to do that when you’re living there at the same time. If you have pets or kids, this might be even more daunting.
2. Staging can get Pricey
Let’s face it: a home staging company is providing you with a professional service. Therefore, expect to pay out some serious cash, especially if you have a large home.
The longer your home sits on the market, the more you’ll likely pay since the stager is basically allowing you to “borrow” their furniture and decor. Find out what the terms are and what the costs will be before you make a commitment.
3. There are no Guarantees
While staging has a great track record in terms of shorter time on the market and higher offers, there is never a guarantee that you’ll get the outcome you want. Yes, staging will make your home look beautiful, but in the end, it really depends on the market.
When you opt to have your home staged, you’re putting your trust in the process that it will give you a good return. If the home doesn’t sell for as much or as quickly as you like, it’s not necessarily the stager’s fault.
4. You May Need to Store your Stuff
For sellers living in the home, you’ll need to find a place to stash all your stuff while you wait for a sale. This means you may have to move everything you own into a storage unit.
The stager needs a blank slate to place furniture, rugs, and other items and your belongings will be in the way. If you choose to do this, just be prepared to move everything you own twice: once from the home, and once again from the storage unit into your new place.
5. Your Neighborhood Might be a Problem
In the end, the value of using a staging service really depends on where you live. For example, if homes in your area are selling slowly, staging might help you stand out.
If you live in a competitive market, staging might not make much difference if homes are selling like hotcakes. You can read more about selling your home as-is if it’s easier to just get the deal done without the bells and whistles.
To Stage or Not To Stage?
In the end, using home staging really comes down to your budget, your market, and your lifestyle. A staging service can transform your home and entice new buyers, but it’s also costly and time-consuming.
Before you decide to use staging, check out our website for more information about real estate trends and much more.
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