Is staging a home necessary?

Home staging has become a must-have for many sellers, as 82% of buyer agents said staging the home makes it easier for prospective buyers to view the property as a future home. There is no need to stage every room in the house.

Is staging a home necessary?

Home staging has become a must-have for many sellers, as 82% of buyer agents said staging the home makes it easier for prospective buyers to view the property as a future home. There is no need to stage every room in the house. In fact, a home that looks too perfect can prevent buyers from imagining living there. The most important rooms to stage are the living room, kitchen and bathrooms, those are the rooms that sell houses.

You can leave guest rooms and home offices unstaged. In those rooms, focus on tidying up and keeping the rooms spotlessly clean, for an attractive “blank canvas” that allows prospective buyers to visualize what they could do with the space. Homebuyers still make many of their buying decisions online, and a home like those shown when you search Tennessee cabins that have been professionally organized and properly photographed will stand out from the competition. Believe it or not, some real estate agents can prepare your home for you or contribute money to help you pay for professional assembly services.

Of course, those at home will try to use what you have available, but that's often not enough to get the job done right. According to the NAR report, the most common rooms that are organized are the living room (93%), the kitchen (84%), the owner's bedroom (78%) and the dining room (72%). Depending on what's involved, it can cost several thousand dollars to set up a large house with charming and attractive decor. Because not all sellers organize their homes, especially homes in lower price ranges, you will have an advantage if you decide to take the extra step of organizing your property.

If you've ever walked through an open house or a house for sale and saw a perfectly designed interior, with everything placed like that, you might have witnessed a staged house. Dawn Trachtenberg, co-owner of staging company Staged Ryte, says that in situations where it's impossible to paint and a homeowner has walls of different colors or at least not a scenic's preferred neutral white, it's more important than ever to simplify space through other means, especially ordering. Ninety-five percent of ready-made homes sell in 11 days or less, which is 87% faster than stage-free homes. Homes assembled in expensive states like California, where homes buy quickly don't sell at significantly higher prices than empty homes.

The events of the past year changed the buying and selling process, including the way homes are organized. For example, you wouldn't stage a renovated loft in Tribeca just like a renovated loft on the pre-war Upper East Side. You don't have to pay a lot of money to change your existing furniture and you can even rent furniture to decorate your home. It can take days for the home setter to bring everything needed to organize the house, and even more time to organize it properly.

If you live far away or don't have time to prepare your empty house, you can hire a professional to do it for you.

AnnMarie Bostrom
AnnMarie Bostrom

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