All the world’s a stage… 5 reasons why you should stage your home!

In the past, a thorough scrubbing and a little de-cluttering would suffice as adequate preparation for making your home "show ready" to potential buyers. With the popularization of home-decorating shows and HGTV, sellers are now faced with higher expectations for design, style and overall tidiness than ever before. Yet staging your home for the market and decorating for everyday living are two very different things. You may find your collection of cat figurines from around the globe to be beautiful reminders of your travels and unabashed love of felines... but a potential buyer may find your memorabilia to be a little distracting, or worse, have difficulty envisioning themselves in your home because of the personal nature of your items.

For this reason, (and many more you'll read below!) we highly recommend making home staging a necessity in your selling process.

1. Staged homes sell faster : According to greatimpressionshomestaging.com, 95.6% of staged homes sell on average in 37 days vs. 212 days for non-staged homes. RESA, the Real Estate Staging Association, surveyed 39 homes that were listed un-staged and spent an average of 233 days on the market. After they were staged, they sold in 53 days on average. That's 78% less time on the market!
2. First impressions are key : Buyers make a decision about what your home is worth to them within the first few minutes of being in it. An empty home can feel sterile and cold. Awkwardly shaped spaces may leave potential buyers wondering how to set up furniture in a unique space. This is where home staging helps to guide the imagination and indicate the intention behind each room. Staged homes also photograph much better than empty homes, resulting in more potential buyer leads and a higher likelihood that you will get the best possible price for your home.
3. Staging highlights the good so your Home's "flaws" can be overlooked : After conducting a survey with brokers and agents, the National Association of Exclusive Buyer Agents (NAEBA), found that 82% of buyers overlooked existing issues at a property if the house was professionally staged. While you'll of course be honest and up front in the buyer disclosure regarding existing maintenance issues that need to be addressed, there is no harm in showcasing your home in the best possible light.
4. Staged homes sell for more : According to homestagingsource.com, a 2015 survey of over 3,500 homes that were professionally staged revealed that over half of staged homes sold for 10% more than their un-staged counterparts. Since every home-owner wants to make the most from their investment, this is an important factor to consider. You should also consider trends in the market. If everyone else is staging their homes (as is the current trend) the relatively small investment you'll make on paying  for home staging will far out weigh the benefits long term.
5. Experts in the field recommend it : Last but not least, take advice from the pros... home staging works! Competition can be stiff when buyers have high expectations and other owners on the market are putting their best foot forward with staging. It is no wonder that according to a 2014 Zillow survey of real estate experts, home staging was listed as the second most important necessity on the list of steps for owners putting their home on the market.

Interested in potentially selling your home? We can help!

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