Have your home up for sale and looking for ways to make it more marketable? Home staging helps potential buyers visualize themselves living in your space.
What is home staging? It’s the process of prepping your residence for sale within your local real estate market by temporarily adding furniture and other decors. The goal is to ensure that the property looks attractive to as many potential buyers as possible, so it sells faster and for top dollar.
In today’s post, we examine the benefits of staging your home, as well as some statistics from the National Association of Realtors (NAR) on home staging. We’ll also discuss some staging tips for selling a house in today’s market.
NAR Profile of Home Staging Statistics
Not every home needs staging. But oftentimes, this process can make a listing look more complete in online photos, videos and during showings. It helps potential buyers visualize what the home could look like with their belongings in it.
Your local Atlanta real estate agent deals with getting homes staged regularly. Ask your agent if staging is the right option for getting your home sold.
The following are statistics from a 2019 NAR report:
Home Staging: From the Buyer’s Perspective
According to the NAR report, buyers’ agents reported the following when it comes to staged homes across the country:
- 40% said it affected the view of the home for most buyers
- 83% said it helped buyers visualize calling the property home
- 38% said buyers were more willing to view the inside of the home after seeing it staged online
- 23% said their buyers were willing to overlook many of the faults in the property when it was staged
- 47% of buyers found living room staging most important, 42% voted for the master bedroom and 35% cared more about the kitchen
How Home Staging Affects Dollar Value Offers
The NAR report also breaks down stats on what buyers’ agents stated about staging a home and its effects offers made while it’s listed on the market:
- 25% said it increased the dollar value of offers received by 1-5% compared to un-staged homes on the market
- Only 21% said their buyers could care less about the staging of the homes they viewed and therefore, it didn’t impact their offers
- 0% reported the staging negatively impacting how they viewed the home
How Staging Impacts Time on the Market
So, what did these buyers’ agents report concerning how much time staged homes stayed listed?
- 9% said the time on the market was greatly increased
- 9% said the time on the market was slightly increased
- 12% said the time on the market was not impacted
- 28% said the time on the market was slightly decreased
- 25% said the time on the market was greatly decreased
- 18% had no comment on the matter
Home Staging Tips for Selling a House
Good staging is a mixture of visual merchandising and the basics of interior design. The objective is to subtly flatter the home without making it look “staged.” Think of it as dressing up for a special occasion, but having such a dashing smile that no one really notices what you’re wearing.
The art of staging is all about:
- Showing off the home’s best assets
- Impressing buyers by making the home shine
- Selling the home fast for top dollar
Just like in the scenario above, you want to stage your home to show buyers how it could look fully furnished and subtly decorated. However, instead of them oooing and awing at the décor, you need to stage it so that it shows off the home’s best features and assets.
Some Do’s of Home Staging
- Declutter – Remove all the clutter from your home, including closets, cabinets and drawers. Clutter makes houses look unwelcoming and smaller than they really are.
- Reduce Furniture – Most buyers prefer open floor plans because they give the home a more spacious feel. The same goes for having too much furniture in the house, especially when it draws the eyes away from the home’s key features.
- Neutralize Colors – Each potential buyer has her/his own tastes. Colorful homes turn many buyers off immediately because they know they’ll have to repaint as soon as they move in. So, use neutral colors to attract more buyers and higher offers.
- Hang Mirrors – Make your entryways and bathroom look more spacious by hanging mirrors. The same goes for other areas of the home, such as walk-in closets.
- Add Innovation – Technologically-friendly homes are what most buyers crave in the 2020s. Install some lower-end innovative tools, such as smart locks, a camera doorbell, automatic garage door opener, etc.. to improve marketability.
Some Don’ts of Home Staging
- Neglected Exterior – Curb appeal is the first impression your home makes on a potential buyer. Make sure the exterior of your home and the landscape are clean and attractive when they pull up to the front of the house.
- Heavy Drapery – Buyers want to see the natural light coming into your home. Don’t mask it with heavy curtains. Hang up some sheer curtains instead.
- Overcrowded – Keep all the rooms of the house, including the garage, well-defined and clear of clutter. Too much “stuff” makes a home feel smaller than it actually is.
- Personalize the Home – Depersonalize every room of the house so buyers can visualize themselves living there. Remove refrigerator art, keepsakes and family photos. Empty the bathroom counters of everything but hand soap and hide all the clothes, toys and pet gear away.
Selling Your Atlanta Home
Looking for an Atlanta real estate agent who knows the art of staging a home for the local market? Then, look no further. Kereen Henry has been flipping, selling and staging homes for over 12 years now. She knows the right high-quality vendors to work with and has an eye for what buyers want to see when viewing listings.
Give Kereen a call at (404) 210-1674 or use the form below to schedule a 30-minute online chat to discuss putting your Atlanta home up for sale. She’ll conduct a CMA (Comparative Market Analysis) to give you an idea of what it’s worth in today’s market. Then, she can move forward with staging, taking high-quality photos and videos and getting your home sold fast, for top dollar.
