Home Staging is a cottage industry that has really gained some prominence in recent years. I must admit that the first time I heard of the concept of “home staging” that I surmised it was somewhat of a racket. It just didn’t make sense to me that someone would come into a house, shift furniture around, and make a profit doing it.
Does Staging Really Work: Watch Video
Boy, was I wrong! First, I was wrong about what home staging entails. It is about way more than simply re-arranging furniture. And, secondly, I underestimated the power of home staging to get a home sold…for more money, in less time…which is what every home seller wants.
What does a home stager do? One of Trez Robinson’s (Staged2SellVA.com) favorite mantra’s is that she is a “de-decorator.” I laughed the first time I heard her say it, but it actually makes perfect sense. Trez’s role is to take away the personality and style of the current owner, so that prospective purchasers can more easily visualize themselves moving in. There are a number of ways that stagers accomplish this:
- Remove personal photos and effects
- De-clutter so that buyers focus on the “bones” of a house rather than the distractions of the stuff in the house
- Neutralize colors, so that prospective buyers don’t object to the current owner’s personal taste, or be turned off that they will need to invest time and money in repainting before they move in (need to neutralize and curious about what color? Trez recommends Sherwin Williams Believable Buff)
- Remove any “extra” furniture, so that rooms look and feel more spacious. Same goes for things on shelves, mantles and tables – minimalize, so that lookers are seeing the room, not your things.
- Remove window treatments, and let the light shine in!
In today’s real estate market, the first showing always takes place online. That means that your photographs are the first impression of your property to a prospective buyer or agent. For that reason, at Liz Moore & Associates, our agents hire a professional photographer when appropriate to insure that we are making the best possible first impression of our listings. When you look at listings online, you’ll quickly see the difference between a home that was professionally staged and photographed, and one that was not.
Curious to see the whole checklist that stagers use when they visit a property? Download one below, or email us at concierge@lizmoore.com to learn more.
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