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There are people who can walk into a room and visualize what it can become – a coat of paint here, an area rug there, crown molding, soft lighting . . . they can imagine the potential. Unfortunately, most people do not have this ability. Therefore, when selling your home, you don’t want to rely on potential buyers to perceive the appeal of your home on their own; you have to set the stage for them.
Staging is the final step in preparing a home for sale on the open market. It comes after decluttering, painting, and cleaning, and goes far beyond simply decorating. Staging helps buyers understand how spaces can be used, what kind of furniture fits there, and how to accentuate the best parts of every room.
Staged rooms make your online photos (the first impression for most buyers) more enticing, can make your home sell 88 percent faster, and in some cases, may even increase your sale price by up to 20 percent.
Hiring a professional stager can cost anywhere from $500 to $5,000+, depending on square footage and how many pieces need to be rented. Your Realtor likely has a relationship with a stager, and some agents will even cover part of the staging cost for you.
We believe it’s always worth having the staging consultation to gain an understanding of what he/she would do to improve the space; then you can decide how much you want to do on your own and how much you want the stager to do.
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If you decide to try staging on your own, here are some of our best tips:
- Focus on the rooms that matter most, i.e., living room, owner’s suite, kitchen
- Depersonalize by putting away items like photos, clothing, and trophies
- Use the right scale furniture for each room and arrange it so there’s plenty of walkable space
- Paint the entire interior the same neutral color
- Put the tallest piece of furniture in the far corner of a room
- Follow the rule of three when grouping chairs, accessories, and artwork
- Choose a focal point to highlight in each room – fireplace, bed, view
- Create cozy conversation areas
- Use mirrors to make spaces appear larger
- Hide away tissues, trash bins, sponges, and household or personal products
- Clean windows inside and out and fully open or remove window treatments
- Get a professional cleaning
- Outside:
- Fix anything in disrepair
- Power wash the house, as well as paths, porches, patios, and fences
- Pull dead plants
- Trim, edge, mulch, mow
- Declutter porches and patios
- Put colorful flowers by the front door
Staging is well worth the time and effort. Talk to your Realtor about hiring a professional stager and what costs, if any, your agent will cover for you.
For more tips on preparing your home for sale, go to www.ericstewartgroup.com/resources or download our Market Ready Guide below.
