Thursday, January 5, 2023 / by Julie Winter-Paez
What Is Home Staging And Is It Worth It?
Did you know that a professionally staged home spends 73% less time on the market? This is a huge difference if you’re in a hurry to sell your house.
But what is home staging? What makes it so useful? How much does it cost, and is that cost worthwhile at the end of the day?
What Is Home Staging?
Home staging is something homeowners, investors, or sellers do before they sell (or rent out) a home. It’s a way to make a home look lived in, but not too lived in. The goal is to show off the home’s potential.
There are many different ways to stage a home. Generally speaking, you want to stage a home for your ideal buyers. For example, if you’re selling a single-family home in a neighborhood with good schools and playgrounds, you may stage it in a way that would appeal to families with young children.
On the other hand, if you live in an area that’s popular for retirement, you may want to stage the home in such a way that it appeals to empty nesters and single older adults.
Home staging isn’t a necessary part of selling a house, but it is a helpful one. In a market that isn’t super hot, staging a house can be the difference between a quick sale and a home that stays on the market for weeks (if not months). A staged home may even get a better price (more on that later).
There are many different ways to stage a home. Generally speaking, you want to stage a home for your ideal buyers. For example, if you’re selling a single-family home in a neighborhood with good schools and playgrounds, you may stage it in a way that would appeal to families with young children.
On the other hand, if you live in an area that’s popular for retirement, you may want to stage the home in such a way that it appeals to empty nesters and single older adults.
Home staging isn’t a necessary part of selling a house, but it is a helpful one. In a market that isn’t super hot, staging a house can be the difference between a quick sale and a home that stays on the market for weeks (if not months). A staged home may even get a better price (more on that later).
Benefits of Home Staging
So why do people stage homes? There are a few reasons.
First, staging helps buyers emotionally connect with a home. When a buyer sees a home looking like a home rather than an empty shell, the home becomes more appealing. They can see themself living there.
But what if you already have things in your home? Do you still need to stage it? It’s already “homey” enough, right?
Staging a home takes away personal touches to create a blank slate for the buyer. It also makes a home look neater and cleaner. The average lived-in home is far less tidy than a staged home.
Again, you can also stage a home for a specific buyer. If you don’t have children, but you know your potential buyers likely do, staging a home allows you to tweak your home for those potential buyers.
Staging a home also makes marketing the house easier online. A well-staged home looks great in photos, and those photos are generally the first impressions people will have of the home.
Generally speaking, the benefits of staging a home outweigh the downsides if sellers have the time and money to do it effectively.
First, staging helps buyers emotionally connect with a home. When a buyer sees a home looking like a home rather than an empty shell, the home becomes more appealing. They can see themself living there.
But what if you already have things in your home? Do you still need to stage it? It’s already “homey” enough, right?
Staging a home takes away personal touches to create a blank slate for the buyer. It also makes a home look neater and cleaner. The average lived-in home is far less tidy than a staged home.
Again, you can also stage a home for a specific buyer. If you don’t have children, but you know your potential buyers likely do, staging a home allows you to tweak your home for those potential buyers.
Staging a home also makes marketing the house easier online. A well-staged home looks great in photos, and those photos are generally the first impressions people will have of the home.
Generally speaking, the benefits of staging a home outweigh the downsides if sellers have the time and money to do it effectively.
Is Home Staging Worth It?
If you’re selling your home the old-fashioned way, staging it is worthwhile in most cases. A large percentage of staged homes received higher offers in 2021.
This is especially true if you don’t pay much for staging in the first place. If you choose to do mostly DIY staging fixes, the financial benefits are obvious (if you have the time to do so).
Staged homes also sell more quickly than non-staged homes.
But what if you’re paying a lot of money for staging? Is it still worth it? In theory, yes, but if you’re in a tough market the ROI may not be as high as you’d hope.
Spending thousands of dollars to stage a home will likely not be as worthwhile as spending a few hundred.
If you’re in a hurry to sell, staging may also not be the best option. Yes, it significantly hastens the sale of the home, but it still takes time. There is a better alternative if you’re in a rush.
This is especially true if you don’t pay much for staging in the first place. If you choose to do mostly DIY staging fixes, the financial benefits are obvious (if you have the time to do so).
Staged homes also sell more quickly than non-staged homes.
But what if you’re paying a lot of money for staging? Is it still worth it? In theory, yes, but if you’re in a tough market the ROI may not be as high as you’d hope.
Spending thousands of dollars to stage a home will likely not be as worthwhile as spending a few hundred.
If you’re in a hurry to sell, staging may also not be the best option. Yes, it significantly hastens the sale of the home, but it still takes time. There is a better alternative if you’re in a rush.
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Find Out What Your Home Worth: Click here!
