Why Home Staging Is Important

Staging a home is a way for home sellers to appeal to the largest segment of would-be homebuyers. It can be an expensive and time-consuming process in which your home is made to feel like…well, not your home.

It’s also one of the most effective strategies for selling your home quickly and for the best price. Staging a home may be a difficult process as your beloved possessions are rearranged or put into storage, but staging is a way for prospective buyers to envision their favorite items in your home — after they’ve purchased it from you.

Here’s why staging a home is important.

Staging Helps Buyers Visualize Your Home as Theirs

What do you look at when you walk into a friend’s home? You likely notice, or even comment on, things like personal photos, artwork, and the layout. It’s their home and that’s reflected by the possessions they have within it.

But when someone is looking to buy a home, they want to think about how to make it theirs. Personal belongings and family photos distract from their ability to visualize your home as theirs. While your possessions may not entirely dissuade a buyer from making an offer, staging makes it easier for 81 percent of buyers to visualize your home as their own.

Buyers’ agents recognize the power of staging, too. In fact, 77 percent believe staging a home helps buyers visualize the home as theirs, according to a report by the National Association of Realtors.

Staging Sells Homes Faster

You’re responsible for monthly mortgage payments and utility costs even when your home is listed for sale. These expenses add up, especially if your home sits on the market for awhile.

Staging a home has a direct impact on how quickly it sells. The same report by the National Association of Realtors states that 39 percent of sellers’ agents find staging a home greatly decreases the amount of time it’s on the market. 23 percent of sellers’ agents report slight decreases in the length of time a home is listed for sale.

Home staging pays off by helping to sell your home faster, keeping more money in your pockets.

Staging Helps a Home Sell for More

Staging a home often costs between $2000 to $2400 per month. While this number might seem alarming at first, staged homes often sell for six percent to 20 percent more than those that are not staged.

Staging, then, helps to maximize how much your home sells for. Home staging is an investment that, statistically, pays for itself.

Virtual Staging is an Effective Alternative

Virtual staging is a form of home staging using photos and editing software. While virtual staging doesn’t impact the actual, physical staging of your home, it’s a way to make your home listing as appealing and presentable as possible and get feet to walk in the door.

Virtual staging is also much less expensive than physical staging, costing about 90 percent less than physical staging.

It’s an effective alternative to the high cost of physical staging, while still serving as a means for home buyers to visualize your home as their own.

Home Staging is a Necessary Part of Selling a Home

At first glance, you may be taken aback by the investment of cash and time required by staging a home. The benefits of home staging, however, far outweigh any hesitation you have.

In such a competitive home selling marketplace, staging gives you the edge to convince buyers it’s your home they want to buy. Home staging helps your home sell faster and for more money than choosing not to stage it.

If you’re in the market to sell a home, don’t miss out on the benefits of physical or virtual home staging.