Appealing to Buyers: Staging Your Home to Sell Makes a Difference

Staging your home to sell is one of those things that sellers want to do before they list a house, but they don’t always get around to doing. And it’s also one of those things that can make a huge difference in the house selling process. Staging your home to sell is really about maximizing the positives in your home and appealing to the greatest number of home buyers.

Staging Your Home to Sell Quickly

The simple answer is yes. Staging your home to sell can reduce the time your house is on the market and increase your selling price. According to recent data compiled by Stagedhomes.com, 94% of homes staged by an Accredited Staging Professional sold in 29 days or less, compared to an average of 145 days for homes that were not staged. And homes staged by Accredited Staging Professionals stayed on the market 83% less time than a home that had not been staged.

Staging Your Home to Sell: Is it Worth it?

The study by Stagedhomes.com also revealed that staging your home to sell brings an average 3% minimum increase in final sales price compared to homes not staged. While buyers may be reluctant to spend money, staging your home to sell is often a wise investment. It costs several hundreds of dollars, upwards of a few thousand for a professional home stager, but this may be money well spent. Sellers with homes that sit on the market with little activity often have to drop the listing price of the home by thousands. The expense associated with staging your home to sell is often much less than dropping the listing price by thousands of dollars.

Simple Tips for Staging Your Home to Sell Like a Pro

Staging your home to sell is an art, and professional stagers are recommended for home sellers looking to reap the most reward from the staging process. However, there are simple tips that the professionals use for staging your home to sell:

• Clean, declutter, remove. Clean the entire house, top to bottom, until every surface sparkles. Wash all fabrics: drapers, rugs, pillows, etc. Remove all personal items. Clear the shelves, counters, tables, dressers, bookcases and built-ins.
• Start with a fresh canvas. Staging your home to sell is all about finishing touches. But it’s impossible to do this without a blank slate. Be sure that you are working with a minimum amount of furniture and accessories in the house.
• Grouping. Home stagers often group items in bundles of 3 and 5. Odd numbers work well so if you are adding color to a mantle or side table remember to group items in 3 or 5. For example, a vase, a candy dish and a paper weight. This also works with groupings of framed artwork on walls.
• Scenarios of comfort. Design kitchens, bathrooms, and master bedrooms to be clean, welcoming and relaxing retreats. Clear kitchen counters of everything. Add one colorful bowl of fruit, a healthy, green plant, or a set of new canisters for a fresh look on the counter. Place a small basket of clean, rolled washclothes, designer bathsoaps and lotion in the bathroom along with a small flowering plant. Make the master inviting with big, stylish pillows on the bed and spa-like finishing touches in the bathroom.
• Dress up the outside. Along with trimming shrubs and keeping the lawn mowed, staging your home to sell requires some creativity outside. Add pots of plants along decks and steps. Clean and arrange deck furniture and set the outdoor table with a vase of fresh flowers and colorful plates and serving pieces.

Staging Your Home to Sell: Where to Start?

The first step is to work with an experienced real estate agent. At Capital Residential, we specialize in home selling and buying on the South Shore, and work with experienced staging professionals who will make your home attractive to the largest pool of qualified home buyers. Our agents work and live right in the community. We watch and study the trends, and understand what both buyers and sellers want in this market. Wondering how homes are selling on the South Shore? Sign up for our free market reports to receive the latest real estate numbers for Norwell, Hingham, Hanover, Marshfield, and other surrounding towns. If you’re thinking of selling your home, contact me, George Jamieson at Capital Residential in Norwell, MA. I can be reached by email at George@capitalresidential.com or call/text me at 617.877.4839.