Why Stage?
According to the NAR, staged homes sell faster and at a higher price than homes that aren't staged.
Buying a home is an emotional decision, buyers must connect with a home on an emotional level to be motivated to make an offer.
There are 3 aspects to staging: decorating, marketing, and psychology.
I am a Certified Staging Design Professional, and owner of From House to Home, LLC. I can provide staging services to my clients at a much more affordable rate then hiring it out to a third-party company.
Types of Staging
Vacant Staging
If you have already moved out of the home you are selling and it is empty it can sometimes be difficult for buyers to envision how to place furniture, or it may even feel cold and dull not allowing the buyers to see the potential and develop a connection to the home. Vacant spaces can actually feel smaller; staging can help define spaces and help buyers envision themselves living in the home. Buyers typically only spend about 5 minutes in a vacant house but will spend up to 40 minutes in a staged home. This extra time spent in the home allows buyers to start developing that emotional connection to the home.
Occupied Staging
If you are still going to be living in the home while it is on the market, you can still benefit from staging. You've probably herd declutter and depersonalize, and it's true. You want the home to feel spacious so you might benefit from removing some items from the home. Rearranging furniture can also help with the flow and feel of the home. As far as depersonalizing, you still want the home to have some personality but something that will appeal to a wide range of buyers and help them see themselves in the space. If it is decorated to a very particular taste, it can be harder for some buyers to imagine it with their personal belongings.
