Due to the inundation of HGTV home décor programs and the use of photos on MLS to entice potential buyers to come view a property, home staging is a must for those considering putting their home on the market. It has become a vital piece of the selling puzzle and is a tool that cannot be overlooked, especially in our current housing/real estate market.
You only have one chance to make a first impression. Many homeowners make the mistake of going on the market first, only to realize that low foot traffic and no offers means their online present and marketing efforts are not effective. The listing becomes stale and showings become scarce. Today’s worldwide real estate market is driven by an online presence and fueled by social media platforms. Realtors base their marketing strategies heavily on the internet and buyers will potentially see your home for the first time online. For this reason, staging and photo styling are imperative to making a strong online connection. A stager will make sure the room doesn’t photograph too over stuffed or sparse.
What is home staging? First and foremost, home staging is not interior design. Stagers will not spend 6 months choosing upholstery fabric or finding the perfect dining room chairs. A home stager’s sole purpose is to neutralize the home from personal taste. When a homeowner makes the decision to put their home on the marker, it becomes a retail product and therefore must be able to compete with other properties listed while reaching a wide market of potential buyers.
So, what is home staging? Home staging for the real estate market is the act of reimagining and redefining spaces that will appeal to the mass market. By utilizing neutral and mid-range paint colors, de-cluttering personal belongings, arranging current furnishings and adding contemporary finishes, a home can be transformed from cluttered and taste specific to a welcoming and useful space.
It is important to remember that we live in our homes very differently than we sell them. Every one of us has “that stuff” that defines our home. Whether it be backpacks, sports equipment, toys, pet bowls, winter gear, grandma’s china or dad’s book collection or family photos.; it all needs to disappear once the photographer arrives. Home staging helps with de-cluttering, editing and organizing; all designed to help the homeowner with the separation process. Buyers are only interested in the space, and not your vintage art collection or family photos. Therefore, it is imperative to thoroughly remove anything that may identify who lives the home such as religious items, diplomas, financial information, children’s names and family photos.