Top 10 Reasons To Stage Your Home
1. You'll Make More Money. U.S. Housing and Urban Development reports that a staged house sells, on average, 17% higher than a non-staged house.
2. Your House Will Sell Faster. Consider that statistics gathered by Stagedhomes.com shows that 94.6 percent of homes staged by an Accredited Staging Professional® sell within 33 days, compared to an average of 196 days for homes that are not staged. Staged homes stay on the market 83 percent less time than a home that has not been staged.
3. It Doesn't Cost You A Dime. In a 2003 HomeGain Survey of over 2,000 Realtors it was discovered that sellers who spent up to $1,000 staging their home recovered almost 200% of the cost in the sale of their home.
4. Most Homeowners Cannot View Their Home Objectively. If you can’t see objectively, you can’t “package” effectively. Have a staging professional give you a detailed enough report based on their extensive knowledge and training to have you “Do It Yourself”.
5. Only 10% of Homebuyers Can Visualize the Potential of a Home. That’s why staging a vacant home is critical! You don’t want the benefits of your beautiful home left up to the buyer’s imagination.
6. The Money You Make is Tax Free. Take advantage of your tax-free capital gain by getting every dollar you can in the selling price of your home.
7. The Cost of Staging a Home is Less than a Price Reduction. Most Staging Consultations cost less than $500.00 – a price reduction is always going to cost you more.
8. Staged Homes Often Have Better Appraisal Values.
9. Staged Homes are Viewed by Buyers as “well cared for” and in “move-in condition”.
10. Staging is Tax Deductible. It is considered a Sales Related Expense.
Isn't staging just another word for decorating?
There’s no doubt staging makes a difference and that certainly speaks to the seller. Yet many people are still reluctant to invest in staging services. Many are not aware of the difference between staging and decorating.
So just what is the difference between staging and decorating?
- Decorating is personalizing, staging is depersonalizing
- Decorating is about making your home reflect your personal style, staging is about making your home appealing to the masses
You may be wondering what exactly staging is then. Depersonalizing a home does not mean making it boring and lifeless. Consider these main points of staging:
Decluttering - This goes beyond the effort of just picking up and tidying your home. It includes taking out furniture that is crowding a space, clearing off countertops, taking down pictures and art to focus more on the room than on the contents, and even includes making closets and cupboards appear roomier by removing many of the items within them and organizing them to create a sense of order.
Depersonalizing - That beautiful picture of your family above the fireplace? It's gotta go. The goal is to make the home appeal to other people, which might be hard to do with a picture of your family staring them in the face. Personal mementos, family pictures, kid's drawings are all items that should be taken down and put into storage.
Cleaning and Brightening - Cleaning a home so that it is spic and span is one thing that most homeowners understand. No one wants to walk into someone else's dirty mess. But cleaning for staging goes beyond your weekly routine. Clean out cupboards and drawers, wash inside your refrigerator, get down on your hands and knees to get to the baseboards and corners where brooms and mops can't reach, have your carpets and rugs cleaned. A staged home should be spotless. Light is essential to making a home seem cleaner and be more appealing to buyers. Wash all windows, inside and out, hang new curtains that let more light in, clean light fixtures or update them, and remove anything that might be blocking light in your home.
Color - You may love your bright green dining room, but it may not be a color that helps sell your home. This doesn't mean your home has to be all white and beige. Pops of color in small amounts can have a dramatic effect that appeals to many. And if buyers don't like the color, they know that painting one small area is a lot less effort than painting an entire room. If you do go with more neutral shades on the walls, consider using pops of color in small peices of furniture, throw pillows, and art.
Outside - Don't forget the outside of the house when staging for maximum appeal. This is the first impression that people get when they come to your house. Many can be turned away at this point without even entering the home. Overgrown shrubs, poorly placed trees and plants, greenery that obscures the house, and too many weeds are all signs that your landscaping needs an overhaul. Also consider updating your outdoor light fixtures, changing out your mailbox or house numbers and touching up paint and trim. Resurfacing your driveway, adding mulch, keeping your lawn mowed, and adding some flowers in pots all do wonders for the curb appeal of your home.
Vacant homes - With all the talk of cleaning and decluttering adding furniture may seem like a contradiction. But many homes in foreclosure or on short sale, have been empty for some time. And empty home is not nearly as nice as a furnished home. If you have empty rooms, bring in furniture, rugs and artwork to fill out the space.
Stafford Family Realtors Staging Services
When you list your home with Stafford Family Realtors, we offer free staging services. That is a significant savings to the seller! We will work with you to get your home in perfect condition to sell quickly and at top dollar. We also provide staging services for a fee through Twin Cities Interiors, a division of Stafford Family Realtors, for those who are not listed with us. Twin Cities Interiors offers 3 tiers of Staging Services to help you prepare your home and make it stand out on the market: Consultations - for those wanting to do the majority of the work themselves; Staging an Occupied Home; and Staging a Vacant Home. For more information on our staging services please contact Sharla or visit our website.
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