8 Misconceptions about Home Staging

Home staging is the process of preparing a home for sale. This takes on several different elements to ensure that the home is warm and inviting, has optimal flow and the features of the property are highlighted, allowing buyers to develop an emotional attachment. As a result, stagers address many elements, such as paint colour, room function, furniture layout, de-cluttering, organizing, accessorizing and of course, curb appeal. They also address the condition of the property, such as broken doors and door handles, unfinished trim, damaged counter tops, mismatched lights, etc. In other words….there is a lot that is involved in staging. Home staging is the best tool available to market your home and allow it to be positively memorable to buyers and therefore, sell faster and for more money. 

 

 

Here are 8 Misconceptions about Home Staging:

#1: Home Staging Is Expensive.

As mentioned already, there are many different areas addressed with staging. Therefore, the price varies quite a bit. It can start with the consultation fee where you will receive a detailed room by room assessment detailing exactly what needs or should be taken care of before listing your home. The price can go up if you choose to have a staging company take care of painting, minor renovations, cleaning, junk removal, etc. However, certain companies emphasize low cost recommendations and cost-effective solutions that will gain the best return on your investment. And don’t forget that this is a small investment in your home to ensure that you are protecting the equity in your home and increasing the potential for profit.

#2: Other houses sell without home staging.

This is absolutely true. Houses can and do sell without staging…eventually. However, those sellers may have missed out on the opportunity to sell faster and for more money. It is very important to remember that when a buyer makes an offer, they will deduct money based on items that they feel they will need to address in order to improve the condition of the home. These deductions will always cost you more than if you take care of them prior to putting your home up for sale.

#3: Buyers can make changes that they want themselves.

Of course, they can and this is one of the biggest mistakes that a seller can make. Think of it this way. Would you prefer to remove the wallpaper in the living room and paint it a neutral color for about $100 and one weekend of your time or would you prefer to take about $1000 off the sale price of your home? Which option makes more financial sense? As much as you may not want to do that work, buyers don’t want to do that work either. Especially if there is another home available that is “move in ready”. Find a company that makes changes that will create the most appeal to the largest number of potential buyers as well as justify the asking price.

#4: Staging is just for vacant houses.

Yep, vacant houses need to be staged. But so does yours! Let’s just say for example that you put your house up for sale without staging. Then a vacant house in the neighborhood goes up sale and has been staged. Which house do you think will look better in the online photos, draw a larger group of prospective buyers to view the property and create more interest for offers?
The fact is your house is competing with all other homes in your area and price range vacant or not. You want your home to stand out above all of the rest. Your goal is to sell fast and get the most money that you can. Staging is a fantastic marketing tool that can help you achieve these goals.

#5: I don’t need staging because I’ve already tidied up and organized my stuff.

Organizing and cleaning are definitely a part of staging, however, only a small part. A staging company is able to help walk you through all areas of staging and ensure that nothing is overlooked or forgotten. They position themselves as the neutral third party that looks at your home from the “buyers eyes”. As we live in a house for many years, we begin to not see things like a door handle that does work properly, the door that sticks, the piece of furniture that blocks the walkway in a room, etc. A staging company will have a strategic approach when evaluating exactly what needs to be addressed, what colors will work in certain rooms, what features need to highlighted (or minimized) and how all of this can be achieved.

#6: Staging is just a trend.

Well, staging is still a fairly new concept in the grand scheme of things. The notion of staging began about 25 years ago. It started with just a few savvy individuals seeing potential in sprucing up homes to make them look their best prior to putting them up for sale. These people were simply interested in protecting their investment and the value of their home. Today, home staging has gained the attention of a countless number of real estate agents, home sellers and media (all of those TV shows focused on the need for staging). Real estate has seen many changes over the years such as the need for home inspections, marketing via the internet (namely MLS), marketing via social media and staging, to just name a few. Staging is not a trend. It is quickly becoming an essential part of the home selling process, just as marketing on MLS has. Buyers watch HGTV, they read the design magazines and that’s what they want. A home that looks like it belongs on the cover of a magazine…..they want the dream!

#7: No one will care if my closets and cupboards are messy.

Actually, messy closets, cupboards and storage spaces give the impression that there just isn’t enough storage space. Buyers will open cupboards and closet doors. They want to see that everything is in working order and they want to get a good sense of whether or not all their stuff will fit. By making sure that everything is neat and organized, you are showing buyers that not only is there plenty of storage space, but they too can live the dream of an organized life in this house. And the best part is that this part of staging is free! Why wouldn’t you do this??

#8: Anyone can stage a home, after all, it’s just decorating.

This is probably the biggest misconception. As mentioned throughout this article, staging engages many different facets. Stagers must make suggestions that are based on real estate, not design. In others words, suggestions are fueled by who the target market is, the location of the home, the price point and market conditions. In preparing your home for sale, a staging company takes all of these items into consideration along with color, lighting, flow, use of rooms, etc. They strategically create a plan to allow your home to stand out above the competition. While there is definitely a creative design element to staging, there is also a logical and strategic plan that must be implemented. The way you live in a house and the way you sell a house are very different. Home staging does not hide flaws or mislead buyers about the overall condition of the home. It highlights the positives. A stager's goals are the same as your goals – sell fast and sell for the best price possible.

If you are looking to stage your home, please contact us for recommendations. We have worked with some of the best stagers in the area and we are always happy to help!