As a seller, you often have two goals in mind when first listing your home – sell it as quickly as possible and for the most money possible. To do this, your home’s first impression is of the utmost importance in wooing the perfect buyer.
“From the perspective of a buyer, a search for the perfect home can feel like the search for the perfect mate.”
From the perspective of a buyer, a search for the perfect home can feel like the search for the perfect mate. They search online, swiping through the pictures of the homes that fit their basic parameters, but looking for that special something that catches their eye. It may be the overall characteristic of a clean, updated home. Or maybe they are willing to look past a few outdated features for the home that comes with that “wow factor” like floor-to-ceiling windows or a spectacular outdoor space.
Just like you wouldn’t post a picture online of yourself fresh out of bed in your rattiest clothes and expect your inbox to be flooded with messages, your home is most likely not going to get the attention you’re looking for if initially presented in its “daily life” state. Clutter, disrepair, and quirky, overly personal décor can distract the buyer from the assets of the home. Put your best foot forward! Whatever a buyer is searching for, you want to make sure it’s your house that stands out among the rest.
“Staging your home can be the perfect way to draw buyers through the door.”
Staging your home can be the perfect way to draw buyers through the door. Modern, cohesive staging allows the structure and potential of your home to shine through while presenting a forward-thinking and clean visual of what the buyer’s future in this new space could hold.
A vacant home may allow potential buyers to view it as a blank canvas and let their imaginations run wild at its possibilities, but for buyers that lack more of a vision, it may leave them feeling uninspired and overwhelmed. A staged home that is outfitted with attractive furniture and accessories in an on-trend color palette will make the space feel fresh and move-in ready as well as work to highlight some of the home’s more special and unique features.
But is it worth it to stage a home? Will it allow you to accomplish the goals of a quick sale for top dollar? It most certainly can be a contributing factor.
“Will [staging] allow you to accomplish the goals of a quick sale for top dollar?”
According to the “2019 Profile of Home Staging” conducted by the National Association of Realtors [NAR], 25% of sellers’ agents staging a home reported an increase of one to five percent of the dollar value offered by buyers, in comparison to similar homes. And 17% of sellers’ agents stated that staging a home increased the dollar value of the home by six to ten percent.
In the same survey, 28% of sellers’ agents stated that staging a home greatly decreases the amount of time the house is on the market. Perhaps it is linked to the fact that 83% of buyers’ agents said that staging a home made it easier for a buyer to visualize the property as a future home as well as the fact that 38% of buyers are more likely to walk through a home they saw online that was staged. None of the respondents reported that staging a home had a negative impact on its value and 25% reported that staging a home greatly decreased its time on the market.
Staging a home may push you slightly out of your comfort zone, but if attracting potential buyers to your home is your top priority, it certainly is a valuable option worth considering. Give your home the chance to be the one that stops all the buyers in their online searching, picture-swiping tracks.