For most sellers, staging a home is the last thing they want to worry about. Between dealing with buyers, agents, packing, and moving, prepping a home for potential buyers seems like a waste of time. However, this couldn’t be further from the truth.
Don’t take our word for it, though. Realtor Magazine puts out an annual Home Staging report to evaluate the effectiveness of these tactics. In it, they consider both buyer and seller points of view. After all, what the seller considers to be important might not resonate with buyers. Conversely, buyers may have different expectations of what a potential new home should look like. In their 2019 report, Realtor Magazine found the following:
Buyer’s Agent Perspective:
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- 40% stated staging had an effect on buyer’s view of home
- 83% found staging helped buyers visualize the property as a future home
- 47% said the living room was the most important, followed by 42% for the master bedroom, and 35% said the kitchen was the most important part of the home
- 25% of agents found that staging helped increase the offer by 1-5%
Seller’s Agent Perspective:
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- 28% staged homes before listing them
- Living room, kitchen, master bedroom, and dining room were the rooms staged most often – which mirrors that of the buyer’s agent
- 1-in-4 sellers offered to stage their home for sale
- On average, sellers and the seller’s agent spend $400 to stage a home
- 22% of agents found that staging helped increase the offer by the same 1-5%
Based on this, it would seem that staging a home is a no-brainer. Invest some time and a small amount of money to reduce the time on market and the average selling price. But what can sellers do to help stage their home for potential buyers? The most common fixes for home staging are: decluttering, entire home cleaning, removing pets during showings, and carpet cleaning.
Open up those curtains and pull the blinds wide open! Lighting is another aspect of home staging that is easy to do, but often forgotten. Buyers want to see every part of your home and making sure great natural light is available can do wonders. Small bedroom or den with little to no natural light? Consider adding lighting fixtures like a table or floor lamp around the corners of the room. This perimeter lighting will help light up dark corners and give a more inviting feel without using that dreaded overhead lighting. Depending on the room, you may also consider different light bulb temperatures. Living spaces such as family rooms, bedrooms, and dens are better suited for warm or yellow lighting. Whereas bathrooms and kitchens prefer bright white lighting. These different light bulbs can be found at most retailers and home improvement stores.
They say a picture is worth a thousand words, but before amazing photos can be taken of your home, staging is crucial. With most buyers conducting a majority of their home search online, photos and an inviting feel will help ensure a speedy sale with more money in your pocket.
Happy staging!
