Selling your home can be an emotional process. It can even feel like you’re leaving a good friend behind. While it’s hard to say goodbye to your home and the memories you made there, your home is going to have a new relationship with a new owner. You want buyers to walk in the door and fall in love. First impressions are critical and it’s important to look at everything from the perspective of buyer. That’s where home staging comes in.
Bottom line, home staging can increase the sales price of your home and even help it sell faster. In a 2023 National Association of Realtors survey, 20% of both buyers’ and sellers’ agents said home staging increased the dollar value offered by between 1% and 5% compared to similar homes on the market not staged. And 48% of sellers’ agents reported that home staging decreased days on the market.
Still not convinced? Here are five reasons why home staging really matters.
1. Staging helps your home photograph well.
A picture says a thousand words, and the first thing any prospective buyer will see is pictures of your home, whether on a postcard, flyer, or website. A staged home makes for fantastic photographs and gets buyers in the door. And once they are in the door, my job is to sell your home to maximize your return. Being at open houses, meeting hopeful buyers, and promoting my listings is one of my favorite parts of my job.
2. Staging allows a buyer to see themselves in the home.
If potential buyers are looking at your photos, knick-knacks, and collection of books, it’s that much harder for them to imagine your home as their home. 81% of buyers’ agents said staging a home made it easier for a buyer to visualize the property as a future home. Also, stagers use the latest looks in interior design, making your home fresh, modern, and attractive to the most potential buyers. Plus, if your partner has a particularly hideous recliner you’ve longed to get rid of, seize the day!
3. Staging makes the space appear larger.
Removing bulky furniture, clutter, and rearranging furnishings opens up the space, making it appear larger and more inviting. Opening up the space establishes better flow and creates functional areas, allowing buyers to envision its potential. Also, buyers can move around easier in an open space, especially when you’ve got a crowd at your open house. Channel Marie Kondō, clear it out, and move on.
4. Staging brightens the rooms.
Any Hollywood actor knows that everything and everybody looks better in the right light—your home is no exception. Lighting is a critical part of home staging and the right light bulbs, carefully placed lamps, and clear windows brighten your home on even the foggiest San Francisco days. Get your light right and you’re ready for your close-up, Mr. DeMille.
5. Staging sets expectations, from the curb to the backyard.
Contrary to what your mother told you, what’s on the outside DOES matter. Before a buyer comes in to your home, a well-groomed front yard, clean paint, shining windows, and uncluttered entryway speak to what lies beyond that front door. Curb appeal is real and a well-staged home starts when buyers stroll up the front walkway.
Staging is also more than lamps, plants, and the right furniture. When I prepare a property to sell, I consider improvements to every aspect of the home, taking into account cost while maximizing your return on investment.
From my experience, a seller will get back at least two dollars for every dollar they put into fixing and preparing their home. Fresh paint inside and out, refinishing wood floors, deep cleaning, kitchen and bathroom upgrades, gardening, repairing fences, and more, are ways to heighten your home’s appeal and value. Every property is different and has different needs; it’s my job to help you make the best choices to ensure you get the most value out of your home.
Ultimately, everybody has their own aesthetic, and making your property simple, appealing, current, and clean allows potential buyers to imagine how they will use the space and make the home their own. And that has everything to do with your bottom line.
“The question of what you want to own is actually the question of how you want to live your life.”
― Marie Kondō, The Life-Changing Magic of Tidying Up: The Japanese Art of Decluttering and Organizing
