4 Common Misperceptions About Home Staging
We've learned over the years, there are 4 common misperceptions about home staging. Today let's set the record straight! We are going to help clarify these 4 commonly held, but mistaken ideas that people (the public and the real estate community alike) have when it comes to Home Staging.
Aren't Stagers Really Just Decorators?
No, they aren't actually, not at all. Most everyone knows someone who 'does decorating'. And they may offer, with the best of intentions, to help you prepare your home for sale. But generally that is NOT a good idea. In fact, it could be very costly to you in an extended selling time and a reduced sales price. Professionally accredited Home Stagers have specialized training in the arrangement of furnishings to maximize salability and to create mass appeal. Conversely, decorating and interior design are intended to reflect the personal taste preferences and lifestyles of homeowners. So you see, home staging converts your home into a 'product'. This is intended to elicit the highest and widest appeal in the marketplace. It motivates serious buyers who see homes with a 'critical purchaser's eye'.
Staging is too expensive!
Pricing for Home Staging varies widely. Not just among various staging companies but also among the types of services offered by those companies to clients. At Staged To Sell Design Services we have a variety of home staging services for nearly every situation. Whether you are looking for a do-it-yourself consultation to prepare your home for sale or to provide your vacant home with a Builder's Model set-up from top to bottom and everything in-between. Professional Home Staging shouldn't be a one-size-fits-all proposition. Allow your stager to help you find the most workable option for your goals!
Additionally, when it comes to the investment, people worry that staging may not be worth the cost. Yet statistics by the National Association of Realtors and by the myriad Home Staging Associations prove otherwise. They have empirically shown that professional home staging causes homes to sell much faster (up to 82% faster)! And staging causes homes to sell for significantly more money (5-18% more) compared to non-staged homes. Clearly, it's not what you spend on home staging, but what you net at the closing table that matters!
We are in a good market so if our home doesn't sell quickly, THEN we'll stage it.
We urge you to reconsider! You see, buyers are just like you. When they see a home that hasn't been staged, they're extremely unlikely to visit it again. Everyone gets a feeling from their experience when first visiting a property. If it doesn't make a great first impression it's very difficult to convince buyers to come back for a second look. Properties that are unstaged won't present nearly as well as they would've had they been professionally staged before being offered for sale. If an unstaged home was cluttered and felt too small, or it was vacant and the buyers couldn't imagine how the floor plan works, they don't want to bother covering old ground. You always want buyers to be excited about looking at your home. The way to make certain they feel that way is to put your 'best face forward'...from your first day on the market.
We staged the house but we don't need professional photos, iPhone (or Android) pictures look ok to us.
So what do professional photos have to do with Home Staging?!
In a word...everything! A buyer's first look at your home occurs online before they ever walk through the door. Staging your home and skipping the professional photos is like carrying a football to the five-yard line for a game-winning touchdown and then deciding instead to head for the locker room. The game isn't won until you make the touchdown! And your house isn't sold until you have a closing. You must draw in as many buyers as you possibly can while it is fresh on the market. How?! By having beautiful, realistic and professional photos taken of your home. Usually, they are quite affordable...and seriously, don't be the least shy about asking your real estate broker to order and pay for them. Over 97% of all home buyers begin their search online so if your photos are of poor quality you can't even measure how many lost opportunities you'll suffer. Give buyers every reason to call their agent (or yours) to find out how soon they can come and tour your wonderful, professionally staged home!
At Staged To Sell Design Services, every one of these important points and so many more, are covered through our professional Home Staging Services. Find out for yourself why we are considered Arizona's #1 Home Staging Company for our outstanding customer service and amazing results!