Is Not Staging Your Home Costing You Time and Money?

Hello Everyone!

I've been inside a lot of different houses and I can tell you that a well-staged home
makes all the difference in the world! There was a sweet family looking to buy their first home this summer. They had narrowed their choices down to a couple of homes and were about to make an offer when a new home in their price range came on the market. This home was similar to the other 2 homes in terms of everything from square footage, to the number of beds and baths, garage size, and even year constructed. The only difference was that this newly listed home was very well-staged.

This couple dropped those other 2 homes faster than a hot potato and immediately put in an offer on the staged house even though it was priced $20,000 higher than the other two. Why? Because the staged home looked beautiful. They knew the decor wasn't staying with the house, but seeing it opened their eyes to the house's true potential.

There is a common saying that we eat with our eyes first. Well, the same principle is true in real estate only in real estate we buy with our eyes first. In today's blog, I want to talk not only about staging tips but also staging stats. Staging is kind of a buzz word right now and most people have watched enough HGTV to have a pretty basic understanding of what it is and why it's beneficial. But do you know the benefits in terms of numbers and real estate? Many studies have been conducted on the effects of staging and the sales prices of homes. The results are not exactly surprising, but it's always nice to look at hard numbers.

Part 1: Staging Tips

Keep in mind that these are great things to do even if you aren't planning on selling your house!

1. Declutter

Photo by Mark McCammon

Even the most beautiful homes are less desirable to buyers when there is clutter everywhere. Simple things like putting appliances in cabinets rather than on the countertops make a big difference. For some suggestions on ways to organize your home visit the home organization page of my website.

2. Depersonalize

Photo by Milly Eaton
You want buyers to be able to picture themselves living in your house. If they can visualize living in a house, the odds are good that they will buy that house. It is very hard for buyers to visualize themselves in a home filled with another family's pictures and kid's artwork everywhere they look. Start packing up these personal items first and you not only will help with the sale of your home, but you'll also get a head start on packing. Win-win!

3. Move Furniture Out From The Walls

Photo by Milly Eaton
Moving furniture away from the walls will make your space look larger. It also makes for quaint conversation spaces as well as adding general visual appeal.

4. Lighting

Photo by Victoria Borodinova
Lighting is often an overlooked yet highly impactful part of the home buying experience. Make sure all parts of your home are well lit. Add lamps as necessary. They add both light and interest. Generally speaking, it's best to have 3 sources of light per room. Just don't forget to turn them all on before a showing!

5. Display Decor Items Creatively

Photo by Lorraine Forever-Blooms

By displaying things in unique (but not crazy) ways, you can make your house stand out from the rest. It creates intrigue, grabs people's attention, and draws them in. The trick is to make it understated and elegant while still being out of the ordinary. Doing this will make both buyers and guests take notice and remember your home.

6. Arrange Decorative Pieces In Odd Numbers

Photo by Pixabay

This one is pretty self-explanatory, but research shows that people find odd numbers more aesthetically pleasing to the eye. Remember a grouping of three or five is always better than a grouping of four.

7. Bring The Outdoors In

Photo by Element5 Digital
By adding a few live plants and fresh flowers throughout your home you not only make your home more inviting, but you'll also make it look beautiful and smell fresher. If you have a black thumb faux plants will work too. It's always better to have fake plants than it is to have sickly barely live ones!

8. Hang New Curtains And Faux Wood Blinds

Photo by Fancycrave

Switching out plastic blinds for faux wood blinds or adding some style with curtains can help make your room really pop! Hang curtain rods wide enough that when the curtains are open they don't block the window. For a more dramatic effect, pick longer curtains and hang the rod as high as possible.

9. Add Curb Appeal

Photo by Setting for Four
Don't forget the importance of sprucing up the exterior of your home too! First impressions start before buyers enter the front door. Put out some patio furniture, a new rug, and a wreath. Layer it with some outdoor decorative items. Then top it all off with some cute planters. Repainting the front door and trim would be a great idea too. For lawn care advice, visit the lawn care link on my webpage.

Part 2: Staging Math

Professional staging costs between $300 and $2,000 depending on how extensively you do it, but by following the steps above you can do things yourself. If you don't have the time or desire to do it yourself there are plenty of options for Professional Stagers in the Ann Arbor area. There are many benefits to staging your home. Below you will find both the biggest benefits and the stats for them from a 2019 study on staging done by the National Association of Realtors.

1. Staging Helps Your Home Sell Faster

53% of seller's agents said that their staged houses sold quicker than their unstaged ones.

2. Staging Makes A Better Impression

Buyers have very definite expectations of what houses should look like because of house shows like the ones found on HGTV. Here are the homes that they most expect to be staged.

3. Staging Helps Your Home Sell For More Money

42% of agents say that staging their client's home helped it sell for more money.

For more information on what the National Association of Realtors found, you can view the study.