Staging Your Home to Sell It

By Real Estate February 6, 2019
Staging

For those of you who may not be familiar with home staging, it is defined as, “the activity or practice of styling and furnishing a property for sale in such a way as to enhance its attractiveness to potential buyers.”

Essentially, professionals are hired to come into a home that’s being sold to furnish and style it in the most attractive and appealing way.

A lot of sellers debate whether or not to skip over the home staging step when they sell their homes. It can be difficult for homeowners to think their style isn’t up to par, they aren’t in touch with the “latest trends”, or simply seeing their personal items replaced with other items can be difficult to handle. But, the numbers speak for themselves, and staging your home to sell is worth it. In fact, “In a recent Real Estate Staging Association Survey, professionally staged homes spent 72% less time on the market” – homestagingresource.com

So, why is it that staged homes sell so much faster than non-staged ones? What are the benefits that staging provides to a seller? If you’re interested in staging parts of your home, but not the whole property, what areas are most important? Here are some tips, tricks, and facts when it comes to staging your home:

Get Ahead on Packing

One of the many benefits of staging your home are the unexpected perks that come along with it. Here are just a few of those examples:

  • It increases your chances of moving out faster and the new buyers getting in quicker. Basically, it requires less moving time for the both of you.
  • There is less stress when it comes time to officially sell. There are no packing struggles, and there is no rush to box up all of your belongings – It’s already taken care of!
  • No clutter! Every item within your home has a place to call its home. There are no stacks of papers, tchotchkes, or miscellaneous items scattered throughout the property.

Your Home Can Sell Faster and for More Money

  • It gives you a leg up compared to non-stagers. Your home is designed better, the layout is appealing, and the decor balances everything out.
  • Buyers can see themselves in your home. Staging a home creates a neat but homey space, all while taking the personal touch away from the current owners. This allows potential buyers to better see themselves in a home that seems like it is already offering them a fresh start.
  • Staging a home “showcases your space.” Everything is laid out in a stunning way that will bring in the most natural light and maximize room space.
  • It creates a great first impression
  • All of these points listed above will go on to increase the perceived value of your home

Showcase Your Space

This was already mentioned above in the previous section, but its impact and importance is huge. Professional stagers will best showcase your space by:

  • Decluttering
  • Arranging furniture properly – in a way to make the home look bigger, brighter, inviting, and more
  • Depersonalizing – Many pictures, collection items, heavy curtains, décor, etc. will be removed and replaced with subtle accent pieces to pull a room together
  • Making the entrance to the home inviting by being open and bright, and perhaps adding “welcoming” touches such as a sign, mat, and/or plant
  • Every room will serve a purpose that the buyer can see (no awkward corners in a room or small third bedroom studies left unfurnished)

From here, professional photos can be taken and marketing the property will be a breeze. This will get more potential buyers through the door. Prospective buyers look at photos on the internet before they make any decision as to whether or not they should see a home in person – “Your first showing is online”

Overall Home Staging Tips for the DIY Seller

If you prefer not to hire a professional, or just need to save some money, here is a list of the most crucial home staging tips you should never skip out on doing:

  • Boost your curb appeal – Think flowers, mowing the lawn, cleaning up the yard, etc.
  • Declutter and clean – also depersonalize (i.e. all those family photos and albums) – by packing up anything that isn’t necessary
  • Rearrange your furniture. Open up the space to make it look bigger, inviting, and livable
  • Choose the right colors – Nothing too bright, shiny, or overpowering
  • Give extra rooms and spaces a more defined purpose, such as an added office, guest room, or play area for the kids
  • Stage the outdoor area too, whether it’s for entertaining guests or serving as a relaxing getaway right at home
  • Think seasonally. Take which season it is into consideration when decorating
  • Let the natural light in
  • Update a room and make it look refreshed quickly with a fresh coat of paint
  • Camouflage outdated features
  • Update lighting fixtures. This will give rooms more light and an overall better look
  • Use virtual staging for any rooms that you cannot afford to stage
  • Know your audience. Who is going to be coming through your front door?

Looking for even more tips on buying or selling a home? Reach out to our team at MovingGreaterBoston.com for more information on how to sell your home for more, or buy your next one for less.

About the Author
Joshua Stephens, Vice President

Joshua Stephens is the founder and president of Moving Greater Boston and a Vice President of Berkshire Hathaway Home Services Warren Residential. After graduating from UMASS Amherst with a degree in psychology in 2008, Josh dedicated five years to social service work on the North Shore before joining Berkshire Hathaway in 2013, where he found his professional calling and quickly distinguished himself as a motivated innovator capable of synthesizing the needs of buyers, sellers, investors, and developers. In just a few short years, Josh formed Moving Greater Boston and achieved over $100 million in sales after only 7 years in the business. Josh's team has been consistently recognized at both the local and national levels, receiving numerous prestigious awards for sales and customer service. Last year, the Moving Greater Boston team was awarded the coveted Chairman’s Circle Platinum award for all of Berkshire Hathaway Home Services, which recognizes agents and teams that are in the top 1% for sales across a network of over 70,000 agencies. In 2017, Josh was also personally selected to serve on the Berkshire Hathaway Home Services National REthink Council, an honor bestowed upon only 15 agents among thousands of applicants. Despite his many and ongoing successes in the world of real estate, Joshua has never lost sight of his social work roots. A compassionate and principled professional who knows the value of strong communities, Josh continues his advocacy outside of the office by being actively involved in a number of local organizations and charities. In 2016, he was instrumental in conceptualizing and developing Business Networking International (BNI) Prospect Hill, an organization that connects local business professionals and aspiring entrepreneurs. As a native of Massachusetts, Joshua has an intimate knowledge of Boston real estate, while having a degree in psychology helps him to understand each of his clients' unique needs, enabling him to connect them with ideal communities, an opportunity which he considers both a priority and privilege. Rather than simply facilitating the buying and selling of property, Josh views his role as a realtor as a lifelong commitment to continually serving the best interests of the people who have put their trust in him. Josh continually strives for excellence in service, provides in-depth knowledge of the market, and blends unwavering integrity with amenable good humor to alleviate the stress of real estate transactions and assure the experience is one that lets the sensation of being in the perfect place, at the perfect time, truly resonate.