You are familiar with the term ‘staging’ from the many shows regarding makeover, makeunder, flipping houses and finding your dream home. You have heard the advice to declutter and depersonalize your home and get rid of any bad odors, but what tips do professional home stagers offer?
Ask Amy Staging, serving the Dayton and Miami Valley area, reiterated the importance of de-cluttering and a thorough cleaning before beginning the staging process and shared some great data from a survey of 2,300 National Association of REALTORS regarding home staging.
The survey found the following of buyers:
- 81% believed a staged home helped buyers picture the house as their home
- 46% believed staging made buyers more willing to schedule a visit after seeing a property online
- 32% believed staged homes increased buyers offer amounts between 1-5%
- 16% believe staged homes potentially increased offers between 6- 10%
And of sellers:
- 62% of seller’s agents offer a home staging service to their sellers
- 39% said sellers pay for the staging before the home is listed while
- 10% pay for staging once the property is sold
- 3% of agent firms will pay for the home staging service
The least important room to stage is the guest bedroom while the three most important rooms to be staged in order:
- Living room
- Kitchen
- Master bedroom
“Ask Amy Staging” also had the following to share about specific rooms in the home when putting it on the market.
Den/Living room space
- Do not ever put furniture in front of a fireplace. It is an asset that buyers are interested in so be sure to highlight it by arranging furniture in a fashion that makes it the focal point.
- If you have an open concept layout don’t block the flow of traffic or the visual connection to the rest of the space.
- Pay attention to a room’s balance. If the architecture is symmetrical then the decor should be too.
Kitchen
- Keep kitchen countertops as clutter-free as possible and put away small appliances. The more surface the buyers see, the larger the kitchen will appear. Remove anything on top of the upper- level cabinets which will also make the space feel larger.
Bathroom
- On a long bathroom counter, clear off all of the daily clutter and replace it with a few key decor items such as folded white towels, flowers and a vase that gives the space style without cluttering it.
Master Bedroom
- Extra pillows on the bed in the master bedroom will make it extra inviting and luxurious. Fresh new bedding in a neutral tone will help the home buyers to see the master bedroom as a retreat.
In addition to these tips, Jodi Poliseno of Design to Market serving the Greater Cincinnati Area offered some budget friendly advice that can be done with or without a professional stager.
- Clean and tidy is critical. People can tolerate their own dirt, but not others so be sure to clean baseboards, light fixtures, and especially kitchens and bathrooms. No matter what your budget, cleaning is KEY! If you have the money, hire a professional cleaner or get in with some elbow grease and make everything sparkle.
- Remove any wallpaper. Use nice neutral tones that are popular and in line with today’s trends. If you do not have any money to spare, take a photo of your space and furnishings and bring to the paint store so that they can advise you on what is the best for your home.
- Change out any metals that are older and dated looking. Brushed nickel is the best choice for a new chandelier and adds a nice touch.
- If you have questions, hire a professional so you do not misspend money. A pro will be able to tell you where to spend to get the biggest bang for the buck, which can save you money in the long run.
As with every industry, those most passionate know what they are doing. Specialists exist in every field because they have narrowed down their love to a few specific things and know the ins and outs of those specialties. Home stagers are a fantastic resource to tap into because they love what they do and that love and passion will pour out into your home and likely more dollars in your pocket from your sale.
