It may be overly optimistic – even delusional – but many buyers think that if they buy a home that looks and feels the way they aspire their home to look and feel, their lives will be instantly transformed. That is why the show home is always the first to be sold and why home and property staging is rising in popularity. So for anyone wondering if it’s worth staging your home for sale – here are 7 reason why you should.
1. Better online images lead to more viewings
In today’s world of modern technology – the first thing we do when looking to buy a new home is browse properties for sale online. The more attractive the image, the more likely we are to click on it. The higher the click rate, the higher the number of viewings. Human beings are very susceptible to attractive u=images, Hence the rise in popularity of social media platforms like Instagram. Hence, if we love the look and feel of an image, even if the property is outside our price range and not in our ideal location, we will want to take a look.
2. Focuses on the strengths
Every property has its strengths and weakness and most of us live in properties that are less than perfect. Home staging draws the viewer’s attention to the property’s strengths and detracts from possible problem areas such as small or dark rooms, fading decoration or worn carpets. If a potential buyer falls in love with a beautifully staged property, they will turn a blind eye to the fact that it may need a lick of paint or a new bathroom floor. In an empty property, every minor defect is highlighted and can become a major sticking point.
3. Well furnished rooms look bigger
Empty rooms can look deceptively smaller than they actually are. Viewers can query whether their double bed will fit in a compact bedroom, even after the agent has used their tape measure to prove that it can. Home staging isn’t about stuffing a room with furniture but choosing ideally proportioned pieces to present an ideal layout. Conversely, a room with too much or oversized furniture can feel small and claustrophobic. Home stagers will find the right balance to show every room at its best.
4. Open plan living areas can be a challenge
The current trend is to design properties with open plan living, dining and cooking spaces, but if the space is empty, viewers can often struggle to imagine where to position their furniture and how the space will accommodate everyone’s needs. If the property is furnished but in a way that doesn’t meet the buyer’s needs, they struggle to see themselves and their furniture in that space. In which case, they are less likely to make an offer. With carefully considered furniture placement, home staging can present the space in a way that allows viewers to see its full potential.
5. Buying a home is an aspirational pursuit
Choosing a home is a bit like choosing a life partner. We start with a long list of requirements but actually, once the essential boxes have been ticked, finding the right one is more of a gut instinct than a box-ticking exercise. Home staging is a way of creating the emotional reaction that makes people want to buy a home. We want a property that can provide us with the lifestyle we aspire to. The more aspirational it feels, the more we are willing to pay for it.
6. Too many properties, not enough buyers
In the current economic climate there are more properties on the market than buyers, so it’s never been more important to make your property stand out from the crowd. Staging your home for sale will give your property the edge over the many other similar properties currently on the market. With the rising popularity of home staging in the media, many have themselves been staged so be careful not to be left behind.
7. The bottom line – higher price, faster sale
Much research has been carried out to evidence why you should stage your home for sale and the results are clear. For all the reasons listed above, staged properties sell, on average, twice and as fast and for 8-10% more properties that haven’t been staged.
If you have would like to stage your property for sale but don’t know where to start or would like some home staging tips, why not contact a home staging specialist to give you a hand? A home stager can help in a variety of ways from giving advice on the areas in your home that need particular attention to fully staging and styling your home ready for sale. They may even be able to help with the moving process.
Janine Shalev is a professional property and home stager at JS Property Staging. She transforms empty properties into spaces that prospective buyers or tenants would love to call home. Call or message Janine if you would like to discuss home staging tips and strategies for your property.
More to read:
Why Home Staging Maximises Your Sale
Moneywise – Is professional home staging worth the cost?