Staged Homes Sell Faster, For More Money

by Jill Heineck, Associate Broker
Heineck & Company @ Keller Williams Realty Peachtree Road

You’ve decided to sell your home. Now, make this your mantra: Staged homes sell faster and for more money.

It’s true. Staging done right maximizes a home’s appeal and helps potential buyers visualize it as their own. The professional stagers I work with see the homes they stage sell 80 percent faster. As with most things, time is money, and the longer a house sits on the market, the lower the selling price. So, it pays to invest in prepping your home before the “for sale” sign goes up.

You’ll get the most bang for the buck from a staging pro who knows how to highlight your home’s strengths and make sure there isn’t undue attention drawn to any weaknesses. Even a well maintained and nicely furnished home can benefit from the professional stager’s eye and experience.  He or she will see things you’ve become blind to or just didn’t realize had an effect on a buyer’s perception of a home.

A Few Staging Basics

Clean and get rid of clutter. Believe it or not, this is where a consult with a home stager really helps. What might feel cozy to you could seem cluttered and messy to others.  A stager looks at your home objectively, with an eye toward making it appeal to the greatest number of buyers. Following a stager’s cleaning and de-cluttering recommendations is time very well spent!

Go neutral. Have bold colored walls painted in a neutral. Remember, one of the goals of staging your home is to help buyers see themselves in it, with their furnishings and their preferred color palette. Neutral walls help them do that. Right now the trend is shades of gray, white, and ivory.

Make a space feel roomier. Paring down and rearranging furniture can work wonders. So can culling decorative pieces and pictures on walls. It’s difficult to put away family photos and other favorite pieces when you’re still living in the house; knowing that you’re following the advice of someone who has your best interest in mind can make it easier.

Turn on the lights. If every room in your house has good lighting, you’re in the minority. The amount and quality of lighting is so important for creating the right feel when you’re showing the house and for marketing photos. Don’t rely on the sun or the photographer – rely on a stager who will make recommendations about lamps and bulbs.

Don’t forget the outside. What do people see before they ever enter your home? If the yard and exterior of the house aren’t in good shape, it gives the impression that there are problems on the inside too. Lots of house hunters do drive-bys before setting up an appointment up with a Realtor®, and if they don’t like what they see, they cross the property off the list. And all the great work done on the inside will be for naught.

Sound like a lot to think about and do? It can be. That’s why working with a coordinated team made up of your Realtor, stager, and organizer is the best way to go. And investing the 2 to 4 weeks it takes to prep before listing is the best way to ensure a successful sale.