Real Estate: What Is Home Staging?

When looking at property or reading magazines, you’ve probably noticed the perfect interiors with beautiful furnishings and not a single hint that the property is actually lived in…

That’s because, although houses can be sold using your own furniture or with empty rooms, realtors found that home staging can increase a house’s sale price by anywhere between 5-23%. If you’ve already moved house but need to sell an empty property, Resa Studies found that homes sold 85% faster after staging, with an average of just 23 days on the market.

Not only that, but home staging brings in more interest, with 77% of homebuyers saying they found it easier to imagine themselves in a staged home, and 40% were more willing to go visit a property if there was staging involved.

So, what is home staging, and, more importantly, how can you make it work for you?

What Is Home Staging?

Home staging is about making your home look even more beautiful than it already does. Adding new décor, changing the furniture arrangement, and adding new lighting are all ways home stagers create a bright and homely feel in even the darkest of interiors.

Home staging can transform a home that has sat stagnant on the property market into a highly sought-after home within a couple of hours. However, staging your home isn’t enough on its own. If you want to make a bit impact in the selling process after staging, the easiest way is to call in professionals. You can discover out more information here about realtors in your area that can help you sell your home once you have staged it for the most success.

Why Hire A Professional Stager?

Even if you’re a professional interior designer yourself, there’s so much more to staging than making the house look pretty. Only the professionals will be equipped with the market knowledge and interior tricks that can really transform your home.

There’s a lot of psychology involved in home staging. Simple tricks like using softer furnishings, such as silks, combining accessories into groups of three or five, or even using inflatable queen-sized beds to bring to life unused spare rooms are all fantastic ways to stage your home. Professional stagers offer a huge amount of value that can be vital for the ever-changing property market.

Can I Stage My Own Home?

It is possible to stage your own home by yourself. Realtors often suggest using your own furniture and décor to keep the process at a low cost. That said, you might still need to buy a few other accessories, as well as calling in an expert to give it a last-minute check over.

If you want to try to stage your own home, here are a few tips:

• Move close together furniture around to create an illusion of more space
• Add homely touches to bedrooms and living spaces to give a homely feel
• Remove two-thirds of personal belongings from photos – this makes it easier for potential buyers to imagine themselves in the space
• Deep clean the whole house
• Use candles or reed diffusers for visits, so the house smells amazing for prospective buyers
• Paint the property with neutrals or muted shades