Today’s topic is: what is staging, and why do we recommend it? We’ll give you the short and sweet answers to start with, and then offer you a few more details and tips.
What is staging? Basically, it’s the process of decluttering and depersonalizing your home, often with professional assistance, to make it attractive to potential buyers. To give you an idea of what we’re talking about out, staging could include changes like repainting a certain room, adding or removing furniture, or replacing family photos with other artwork.
Why do we recommend staging? Here’s an infographic about staging from a survey conducted by the National Association of Realtors (NAR) in 2017 that gives some of the numbers on the benefits of staging. In general, it’s one of the most important things that you, as a seller, can do to make sure that your home sells both quickly and for the best price possible.
What does this mean for you practically, as you consider staging your home? As a rule of thumb, you really can’t go wrong with hiring a professional stager (and we have local stagers that we’ve worked with before and can recommend). If hiring a professional isn’t an option for you, though, DIY works! It’s hard to be objective about your own house and see it through the eyes of a potential buyer, but that’s kinda the goal. Sometimes, even if you’re not going to be working with a stager, it’s worth it to have a one-time consultation with a stager to get their recommendations on the most effective adjustments that you can make. If you’re going to be going DIY with the staging, here’s an article that goes through the house room by room and gives suggestions for what to focus on in each room.
At the end of the day, we recommend talking to your listing agent about what the best option is for you. Selling is a home can feel complicated and overwhelming, and our agents are equipped to help you navigate the complexities and assist you in achieving your goals.