Is Staging Your Home Really Worth It?

Staging is the process of showcasing a home through the arrangement of furniture, accessories, art and light.

One question Realtors are frequently asked is if the money spent on home staging translates into better offers, faster selling and ultimately a higher selling price. The short answer: YES!

Here’s the long answer:

In real estate as in life, you only get one chance to make a first impression. Selling your home is no different.  Before it makes its big debut on the market, at a minimum, you should take it through the following process:

(1) Declutter (come to our 'on the move' Rightsizing Workshop for step-by-step process)

(2) Make any necessary repairs and updates

(3) Clean yard and improve curb appeal

(4) Deep clean from top to bottom! (this is critical - any smells or grime can easily turn off buyers)

(5) Stage it to sell!

Home staging isn’t just decorating or taking all the personality out of a home, it’s taking your personality out of it!  Effective stagers make buyers feel like they want to live there.  As most buyers form their opinions about a home in the first 7-10 minutes, that first impression is critical.  Buyers want a home that they can move right in and enjoy. The stager's job is to showcase your home so that buyers can imagine living a new easy life when touring it - that's the first step to selling fast and for top dollar! 

As real estate professionals, our job is getting as many potential buyers as possible to see your listing, whether online or in person.  We know that creating the right first impression really matters, especially online as this is where the majority of people start their home search.  Effective staging and professional photography are the two key factors in getting people to go look at a home in person.

Many times, staging simply involves rearranging some furniture (maybe removing a few items to create more space) and adding some colour with pillows and accessories.  Every situation is different but at the very minimum, it's worthwhile having an in-home staging consultation for ideas and suggestions. 

Often when comparing the cost of staging to the cost of most price reductions, the initial investment of staging makes much more sense.