Home Staging, also known as Real Estate Enhancement, is the art of enhancing a home's best features with the intention of enticing potential buyers when the house is on the market for sale. In layman's terms it means getting your house ready to be critically viewed by those picky buyers who are looking for that "WOW" effect the minute they walk through the door. The trick to getting your home sold is making sure the buyers fall in love the moment they arrive. Model homes are built and strategically decorated to entice the buyers and help the builder sell their properties, sometimes before the actual property has even been built. We are decorators, but we still find ourselves walking into models homes and screaming "I want to live here!"

 

 

Studies show that homes that are staged spend less time on the market and often get the seller what the house is worth... and sometimes more! Think about it, the more buyers that are swept off their feet means more offers. The more offers there are, the more you'll have people trying to get this house that everyone seems to want! They'll surely want to give you the highest price. As a seller, you want this process over with as quickly as possible and you definitely want the highest purchase price possible. 

Home Staging to the rescue!!!

 

Here are a few commonly asked questions and our expert responses:

 

Why should I stage my home?

Home staging works! You can find several reasons to stage your home here, but the main one is that it will benefit you! A typical homebuyer decides if they are attracted to a home within 8 to 10 seconds, so you have to make a great first impression even from the outside. Also, only 10% of homebuyers can visualize the potential of a new home... so if the house is empty, poorly decorated, or cluttered, 90% of people viewing your home will not be able to picture themselves living there and probably won't make an offer. Sellers definitely need the help of home stagers to help get your home sold.

 

 

What does it involve?

In a nut shell, we accent your home's best features. We know what makes those potential buyers ask, "Where do I sign?". We help to ensure your home's cleanliness and eliminate clutter that can be a distraction from your home's real beauty. We also neutralize the color palette of your home since most people can't see past hot pink walls and purple shutters. Most importantly we envision your home from the buyer's perspective. We do what we know will grab a potential buyer's attention, whether it consists of bringing in rental furniture of moving around existing furniture. 

 

What will it cost?

Every seller's home will have different needs and those needs will determine the cost. Keep in mind that cost of staging will always be less than your first price reduction.

 

Why should I put more money into my house if I'm going to sell it anyway?

The way your house is perceived, will be reflected in the offers you receive. It's okay to trim the fat, but don't toss the meat (sorry vegetarians)! You don't want to put money into your home that may not give you a return on your investment. As Home Stagers, we know what changes and adjustments need to be made, and most of them do not cost boo-koo bucks.

 

 How long does it take?

Home staging can take anywhere from a few hours to a couple of weeks depending on certain variables like: Is the home vacant or occupied? Is rental furniture needed? When is the house going on the market or when is the next showing?  Will the seller being doing any of the work themselves?

 

My house is already decorated, why do I need to stage it?

Home Staging is very different from decorating in the sense that when you decorated your home, you decorated to meet your design style. The moment your house goes on the market, the design style now needs to appeal to the greatest majority of potential buyers.

 

 

 Why do I need a professional?

While there are minor items a seller can take care of on their own (if they want to be involved at all), most cannot view their home objectively. Therefore, they won't address the areas potential buyers will pay attention to. They have lived there for years and have grown attached to all of the memories there, not to mention their design choices.

 

Where do I start?

It's simple! Pick up the phone and call us to schedule a consultation. For more information about the Home Staging services we provide, click here. 

 

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To learn more about home staging, view this video by yours truly...   

Heart of Decor presents: Home Staging 101