If you are trying to sell your home, you should seriously consider getting it staged by an interior designer or home stager. Staging your home can be an investment, but studies show that it’s well worth the money you are spending because there is almost always a greater return on investment when you sell your home.
According to the National Association of Realtors, for every $100 invested in staging, the potential return is $400.
Professional home stager, Betsy Wilbur, says, “A staged home will sell for 17% more on average than a non-staged home, and 95% of staged homes sell in 11 days or less. That is statistically 87% faster than non-staged homes.”
Staging your home can involve anything from painting the walls and updating lighting fixtures, to just rearranging the furniture so that it’s more neutral and appealing to potential buyers.
When I’ve staged homes in the past, I’ve had a few homeowners get upset that I was telling them to take down family photos and hide personal heirlooms. They thought I was telling them that those things didn’t look good, but I explained to them that as a home stager, my job is to just neutralize the space so that anyone could walk in and picture themselves living there. When they see your family photo on the wall, they won’t be able to envision their own family living in the home as easily.
Some general tips to use for staging your own home are:
1. Get rid of clutter- you don’t have to donate it or throw it away, but at least hide it! This includes baby toys, pet accessories, and anything that doesn’t have a home that ends up on your counters, end tables, bookshelves, and floors. The more you can get up off the floor, the better!
2. Clean your home-if you don’t want to deep clean it yourself, it’s worth it to hire a cleaner to come and wipe down baseboards, clean window blinds, and just make sure your home is sparkling from top to bottom. Everyone enjoys walking into an organized clean home.
3. Stick to a neutral color scheme- you can use your existing furniture and artwork, as long as it’s mostly neutral because neutral is less subjective than bright colors or something more controversial. Try to stick to generic artwork and only small pops of color to appeal to more people.
I really enjoy staging homes and I love that it has great benefits. I can help you stage your home using what you already have or suggest a few new items to purchase to make it feel more complete. A staging consultation can easily be done virtually over Facetime or Zoom and an in-person consultation is even better. Whether you’re trying to sell your home, market a rental or Airbnb, or just want your current home to feel a bit more put together, let me help you! Contact me today to learn more about my staging services.