Why Is Home Staging Such An Important Tool For Selling Your House?

Before and after staging. The seller of this house accepted an offer just 10 days after it was listed, in January of 2007.

It’s simple. What’s the first thing you do before you sell your vehicle? You have it detailed, right? It’s all spiffed up--there are no candy wrappers strewn around or gum stuck to the seats. You want it to sell quickly, so you invest your time, your money, and sometimes both, to make your vehicle shine! And it sells, more quickly and for more money than if you hadn’t done the prep work.

Now, your house is usually a much bigger investment that your car—so why wouldn’t you give it the same kind of consideration? Statistics show that, in a buyers’ market, staged houses sell twice as quickly as un-staged homes, and often for more money. And in a hot market, staged houses cause bidding wars, and generally sell above list price! (Think California, where staging started in the mid-70’s)

The purpose of staging is to make your house stand apart from all the competition out there—to give you an edge in selling it. It’s all about creating an emotional bond with the potential buyer—doing what it takes to allow her or him to literally “fall in love” with your house. Staging does this by neutralizing paint colors and décor styles, de-cluttering and de-personalizing the house so that it appeals to the broadest range of buyers—giving you more chances to “connect” with more people. Staging also addresses issues of deferred maintenance. Buyers today want a move-in ready home, and most will accept nothing less.

People buy your space, not your stuff. And most of us live with much more furniture and many more accessories than we should have in a staged house. The right accessories and the correct furniture placement will call attention to the architectural details of your space—those are what people are purchasing, and they are what make your house different than the one next door that’s for sale. Staging also adds that “wow” factor that makes buyers remember your house—important when people are looking at dozens of homes before they buy!

Your house is competing against new construction. So by using the “model home” strategy of home staging, you house is better able to stand up against new-built houses as well as all the other previously owned houses on the market. And your house will look so much better in the photos and virtual tours on the Internet—the place where at least 70% of buyers shop today!

So, the question you should be asking isn’t “Why stage my house?” It’s really is “Why wouldn’t I stage my house?” -Kathy Presutti, owner of Re:Style. Kathy is an Accredited Staging Professional and member of the International Association of Home Staging Professionals. Her website is www.ReStyleStaging.com and she can be reached at kpresutti@comcast.net or 810-333-5240.