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Did you know that…
- Over 77% of the buyers find it “easier to visualize the property as their future home” when it’s staged.
- 27% of buyers are more willing to “overlook property faults” when the home is staged.
- 40% of buyers are “more willing to walk through a staged home they saw online”
When it comes to marketing and selling a home, staging can be a powerful tool. Some may argue that home staging isn’t worth the cost, but there are many good arguments for making the investment in a professional home stager. Staging not only helps a home sell faster in many cases, but it can also boost the buyers desire for a home, resulting in a potentially higher closing price. In a 2018 survey of more than 4,000 homes, 68% of staged homes sold for at least 9% more than those of their un-staged neighbors’.
There is an alternative to standard staging. Some agents are turning towards virtual staging. Virtual staging, broadly defined, is the use of computer imaging technology to create realistic listing photos which display a staged home, even though the property itself is not actually staged. Photos of empty rooms are transformed through 3D modeling and photo editing. The results can be quite impressive.
Proponents of virtual home staging say the benefits are obvious. Not only is it less expensive than traditional home staging, but it can also be completed in less time. Stagers, on the other hand, feel the practice is somewhat deceptive. The main argument seems to be that buyers will be disappointed when they arrive at the empty home after seeing staged photos online.
Virtual Staging Software Options
It might depend on your philosophy when it comes to staging. If your primary motivation is generating interest in the home online, you might want to go with virtual staging to create appealing photographs to drive more leads. If you want buyers to experience a home’s potential when they visit at an open house or walk-through with their agent, you’ll probably want to go for a traditional home staging.
What if you physically stage your home?
In researching staging options, it appears you get what you pay for. According to Home Staging Resources, when sellers spent just .5% of the sales price more on the staging services, they saw at least a 6% price difference! What this means, when stagers charged less or stopped short due to the seller’s tight budget, the results were not as good. Those extra, cosmetic updates like paint, new light fixtures or flooring made a huge difference in the sales price outcome.
What Part of Your Home Should You Stage?
Below is what over 4,200 surveyed home buyers deemed as the most important rooms in the home to have staged.
- 86% Living Room
- 84% Master Bedroom
- 68% Kitchen
- 63% Outside Space
- 71% Dining Room
Source: HomeStagingResources.com
In either case, it’s a good idea to view staging not as an expense but an investment, much like minor renovations you hope to recoup when the home sells for a better price. If you’re thinking of selling soon and would like to work with a stager, get in touch with me today. I can connect you to trusted professionals who will make your home look its best.
