4 Good Reasons to Stage Your House Before Selling

Should you stage your home before selling it? The answer is generally yes. Home staging is your chance to make buyers fall in love with your space by highlighting its best features – without a full remodel.

First impressions matter, and staging is a powerful tool that can make your property stand out. Here are four compelling reasons to consider staging your home before listing it for sale.

Home staging entails decluttering and depersonalizing, as well as rearranging furniture and décor to best compliment the space. Some people choose to upgrade furnishings, while others may hire a professional home stager who can bring in their own items.

Doing these things can instantly give the space a renovated feel, even if it isn’t newly built. This simple approach helps showcase the potential of each room and can make your home more appealing to buyers. To take it up a notch, people often repaint their walls, opting for light and neutral colors, and invest in better lighting to increase brightness throughout the home.

Staging your home can impact its sale price and can potentially benefit your return on investment. After all, when a home appears updated and well-cared for, buyers are likely to want it more.

According to the National Association of REALTORS® (NAR) 2023 Profile of Home Staging report:

• 20% of sellers’ agents reported an increase of 1%-5% of the price offered by buyers on a staged home in comparison to similar un-staged homes
• 21% of sellers’ agents reported that staging a home greatly decreased the amount of time the home was on the market

A crucial aspect of staging your home is decluttering. Clearing out excess items enhances the visual appeal and can make each room feel larger – a concept especially helpful in smaller dwellings.

Start by optimizing floor space. Then, clear unnecessary items from countertops and store away overly-personal items or mementos. Remember that overcrowded surface areas could distract potential buyers from important features throughout the home.

The same report from NAR found that 81% of buyers’ agents said staging made it easier for a buyer to visualize the property as their future home. Staging is essential for helping these prospective buyers to forge that emotional connection, making your home feel like the backdrop for their memorable moments.

To create this bond, keep decorations simple and neutral, allowing the space to feel like a blank canvas for their future rather than a reflection of your past. Scent – adjusted with things like air fresheners and incense – is another way to evoke emotion and make buyers feel right at home.

Staging is part of an effective home-selling strategy – and by thoughtfully curating your home’s appearance, you can leave a lasting impression on buyers and help your house go from “for sale” to “sold.”

Searching for a trusted professional to help you sell your home? Connect with a local RE/MAX agent today.

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