We, as real estate industry professionals, know first-hand the benefits of home staging. We see it over and over. In fact, before the current seller’s market, we have seen homes sell for substantially more than the list price and we believe that home staging is the primary reason.
It makes sense when you realize that something as simple as cleaning your home will bring you an 872% return on the money you invest in the process, according to studies by homegain.com. After making needed repairs, cleaning and getting rid of clutter is among the first steps to take when contemplating hiring a stager.
What is Home Staging?
Not everyone understands what home staging involves, so here’s a quick rundown for our readers.
In real estate, first impressions are everything, which is why increasing your home’s curb appeal is so important. Think of it as staging the exterior of the home. It’s that first impression that will either compel potential buyers to look at the home’s interior or send them to the next home on their lists.
If the home has been staged and buyers decide to venture forth to the interior, they should see a home that appears roomy, bright, and inviting. It should make potential buyers feel that the home has been well-maintained and that they can move right in.
The Costs and Benefits of Staging a Home
The services of a professional home stager can cost anywhere from several hundred to thousands of dollars, depending on the size of the home and how much staging is required.
There are also numerous ways to DIY your staging, and you can find inspiration and instructions on the internet. Did we mention that the homegain.com study reckons there is an average 586% return on investment for homeowners who stage their homes?
Additional benefits of a staged home include the fact that these homes sell faster than homes that aren’t staged. In fact, “95 percent of staged homes sell in 11 days or less,” Glendale, California professional home stager Betsy Wilbur tells Forbes’ Vanessa McGrady. We absolutely recommend the staging process to our listing clients.
