Property staging involves decorating a home to look and feel great when potential buyers walk through the door. Making a comfortable and ornate setting entices buyers to fall in love with what the property offers and helps them envision themselves living there. Interior design and marketing strategies are employed to appeal to the largest demographic possible. Being in the age of technology, staging is an essential task to uptake for ideal results.
Staging is a crucial aspect of selling your home. A practice beginning in the 1970s, staging makes it possible for potential buyers to imagine what their life will be like in their new house. Many people count on scrolling through potential properties online. Staging photos will also attract more buyers as many buyers will glance at a property online before deciding to see it in person. A home decked out with clean and precisely arranged furniture can make buyers effortlessly envision themselves and their families in the house. This post will help you see the importance of staging and how it can help get that property off the market as quickly as possible.
Market Time
The longer a property remains on the market, the harder it is to sell. When a home is on the market for a minimal time, the chances of increasing the perceived value are higher. You are much more likely to get the best price when your home looks its best. Per the 2019 Profile of Home Staging report by the National Association of Realtors, 28% of selling agents reported a slight decrease in days on the market while 25% reported a significant reduction in days on the market when homes were staged. Only 12% of sellers’ agents said that property staging had no effect on the property’s days on the market. Staging is an excellent alternative to lowering the listing price and significantly affects the buyer’s view of their potential new home.
Staging helps buyers decide if they can picture themselves in the home, making it easier to envision the outcome without overworking themselves mentally. If the market is hot, buyers will feel more urgency in buying a property. Staged homes can attract multiple offers when the market is hot. Sellers have a lot of competition, so staging your home will make it stand out among others. This is where first impressions are critical to swift decision-making. The 2019 NAR report showed that 83% of real estate agents claimed that staging a home eased the buyer’s visualization of the property as a future home. The NAR reported that 38% of agents said staging made buyers more likely to see a property they saw listed online. Pricing is another aspect of staging that is not to be overlooked, and it doesn’t have to cost a fortune.
Cost of staging
According to the 2019 NAR report, the median price for staging is $400, but the cost can easily increase up to several thousand dollars. Depending on your budget and whether you plan to do it yourself, put the work in your realtor’s hands, or hire a professional staging company determines how costly this venture will be. Another consideration is the return on the investment, as staging can significantly increase the home’s value and thus the sale price. Some realtors even pay for the task of staging themselves since it can make their job more effortless in the long run. Staging costs are higher based on how many days the property is on the market, making it crucial to stage your home efficiently.
Staging certain rooms can save you money and address the focal points buyers care about most when purchasing a property. All rooms are not equally important for staging, says the NAR report. While 47% of agents noted that seeing a staged living room is vital to their buyer, only 19% said the same for bathrooms and only 8% for guest bedrooms. This is excellent news for sellers who don’t have unlimited resources for complete home staging. The most important rooms to highlight are living rooms, master bedrooms, kitchens, and dining rooms. Essentially, the rooms that people spend the most time in are to be the main focus. Sellers can focus on the most impactful spaces while avoiding unnecessary time and money on rooms that don’t make much of a difference.
Buyers know their preferences
Before a potential buyer even looks at listings, they have an idea of what they’re after. The 2019 report states that 74% of buyers’ agents claimed buyers had a vision of their ideal home before beginning their search. Staging is a huge benefit here, helping buyers recognize from the get-go if a property meets their expectations. Among respondents, 40% of realtors said that home staging affected the buyer’s view of the home, versus only 6% said it did not affect outcomes.
Knowing that your staging caters to the potential buyer and not the seller’s taste, it is vital to create an atmosphere that buyers will love. A home that’s been lived in is styled per the current resident’s tastes, not what you want to show potential buyers. You want the staged home to be styled in a way that entices buyers, not per the current resident’s style nor that of the realtor. There are varied styles and preferences per buyer, so there are key design options and tasks to uptake for the buyer to decide if the space is right for them. With all of these factors in mind, you’ll need an idea of how to stage your home and what it requires.
Home staging tips
Now that you understand the benefits that staging your home brings, you’ll need an idea of how to stage your home beautifully and efficiently for the most desired outcome.
â– De-personalize: A buyer will have difficulty picturing themselves in a home if they come across the current home owner’s family photos. Creating a blank canvas with minimal personal belongings about the property allows the buyer to imagine what their family photos will look like in the hallway, along the stairs, or anywhere they see fit in their new home. Make sure you put away any personal belongings, photos, children’s toys, even your bathroom toiletries.
â– Declutter: This task may seem insignificant, but it causes an enormous impact. Decluttering makes your space look larger and more appealing. Start with packing up the items you don’t use daily before your property staging and store them in your new home. A clean open space is very inviting for potential buyers.
â– Deep-clean: When you move into a new home, you clean it from top-to-bottom; you should do the same to the home you’re listing. Cleaning is essential to staging as it lends greatly to a buyer having an excellent first impression. Spending some money on a professional cleaning service can be a worthy investment if you don’t have the time to do it yourself.
â– Minor repairs: Paint touch-ups, spackling, and caulking are all worthy and inexpensive fixes you can uptake yourself to make improvements before staging. All the extensive repairs can be taken care of post-inspection. Spruce up the small details to enhance the clean and inviting appearance of your home.
â– Think neutral: It’s great if your style includes brightly colored walls and furnishings, but that doesn’t mean potential buyers will enjoy those style choices as much as you do. Considering people have varying tastes, keeping paint colors neutral will be your best bet when staging your home. Paint walls in white, gray, or even greige (gray/beige) to up the property’s appeal. Renting a storage space to stow away bright and boldly colored and styled furniture can be very helpful. These undertakings could be on the pricey side, but it is a worthy venture to impact your home’s value and how fast it sells.
Work closely with your real estate agent to decide how to stage your home for optimal results. With these tips, you can sell your property quickly and even get multiple offers to sell above the current listing price. After all, is the goal not to sell your property at the highest price possible? Whether you rely on yourself to stage your home, endow the task to your realtor, or hire out professional help for the job, staging your home is a worthy endeavor.
If you’re ready to sell your Boerne property, contact Denise Graves of The Graves Group. With my knowledge and dedication, I will go above and beyond, ensuring we find a buyer for your house for sale in Boerne, Texas. The Graves Group team sells and buys San Antonio real estate, covering many communities, including Boerne, Stone Oak, Castle Hills, and more. With my help, staging your home and finding a buyer will be a breeze. As a top San Antonio realtor, I’ll get the job done flawlessly and efficiently.
