Why Do I Need to Stage my Home?

We have all seen the gorgeous homes: on social media, on the pages of magazines, on websites, and on popular TV shows. What do these homes all have in common?  They have been staged. A staged home entices buyers with a move-in-ready look.  Staging can be a significant factor in that process if you are thinking about selling your home.

What is Home Staging?

Home staging is a simple process. It is no more than adding décor, rearranging furniture, and dressing up your home to make it look stunning for walkthroughs and listing photos.  Staging a home can make even the darkest space feel homey, bright, and full of energy.  This process may involve pairing down and giving your belongings a refresh or renting furniture and décor to make your home look its best.

You have three options for staging your home or combine all three.  You can do it yourself (DIY), have your real estate agent help with the process, or hire a professional home stager. The staging you choose will depend on your specific situation and budget.

              Do It Yourself (DIY) Home Staging

Your budget may not allow a professional to stage your home, which is okay.  There are several things that you can do to make your home picture-perfect. These tasks may be a myriad of repairs and home design:

• Rearranging furniture – give the illusion of more space
• Decluttering – reduce items to 1/3 of what you had in each room before selling your home
• Removing personal photos and décor
• Adding new curtains and throw pillows
• Repainting and touching up walls
• Lots of cleaning – clean until you can’t clean anymore

You may even consider adding those touches that make a home feel warm and welcoming, like fresh cut flowers and house plants. Add candles or a diffuser to ensure your home always smells amazing.

              Seek Advice from Your Real Estate Agent

              Staging your home isn’t the job of your real estate agent, but they want your home to sell as much as you do.  They will be able to provide recommendations for a professional home stager. Others may help spruce up the property. Some real estate agents are certified as home stagers themselves and can be very helpful.

              Hire a Professional Home Stager

The ideal solution would be to hire a professional.  If your budget and situation allow, opt for a professional staging company.  They have the design and decorating experience to work wonders with your home. They often provide a consultation before staging to let you know how to increase the home’s appeal to prospective buyers.

Professional home stagers typically have a wide array of furniture, décor, and artwork that can be used to stage your home. (Furniture rental may be an additional charge, always ask) They will assist in rearranging your furniture to help you declutter as well. Home stagers know how to make the best and most efficient use of your space and showcase your home in the best light possible.

How Do You Stage a Home?

Let’s get down to staging.  You have options in how it’s accomplished, but it all comes down to the same steps.  It may sound simple, but it can be difficult to figure out where to start. You are looking to highlight the strengths and downplay the weaknesses when staging your home to sell. Here are some excellent tips to get you started.

1. Manage Clutter: This is the most important thing that you can do when preparing your home to sell and staging your home. Having too much furniture is the main contributor to clutter. Professionals recommend having the least amount of furniture possible to make your space look larger.
2. Furniture Groupings: Group furniture away from walls. Repositioning couches and chairs into cozy groups and placing pieces, so traffic flows in a room. This not only makes your room look more inviting but spacious as well.
3. Move Furniture: Give your home a new feel. Move furniture and décor whenever you feel necessary. This gives life to rooms and helps present a fresh feel.
4. Room Transformations: We all have that one space that collects clutter. Repurpose that room into something meaningful that buyers will connect with. Buyers need to see the purpose behind every room in the home you are selling.
5. Lighting: Well-lit rooms are more welcoming for buyers to step into. Professional home stagers recommend three types of lighting in staged rooms: ambient (general or overhead), task (under-cabinet or reading lights), and accent (table or wall fixtures).
6. Paint Rooms to Appear Larger: To make a room look larger, paint it the same color as the adjacent room. This gives a seamless look and makes both rooms feel like one big space.
7. Neutral and Appealing: Professional stagers recommend painting the living area’s walls a neutral color. Often, bold colors reduce offers from potential buyers and can be distracting.
8. Experiment with Color: Keeping the living room neutral doesn’t mean you can’t use color in other spaces. Darker, dramatic colors are suitable for bathrooms, dining rooms, or bedrooms. This lends the space a more intimate feel. Accent walls with a bold color also draw attention to room areas.
9. Accessorize a Room: Pull the room together with accessories. Grouping objects in odd numbers, preferably three, is typically appealing to the eye. Accessories should be grouped by color, shape, texture, or another unifying quality for the most significant effect. These pieces, when placed correctly, make a space more inviting to a potential buyer.
10. Finish Unfinished Projects: Unfinished projects can scare away potential buyers. Be sure to finish all projects before selling your home.

The National Association of Realtors says that 31% of buyers increased the offer on a home by 1-5% because the house was staged. 77% of buyers said they were able to see themselves moving into a staged home and 40% of potential home buyers said they were willing to get into a car and visit a staged online find.  If you were questioning whether you needed to stage your home, the answer is a resounding YES! Home staging is worth doing for many reasons and doesn’t have to be overwhelming. Get the most out of your home by exposing its beauty and potential.

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Jim McInerney Real Estate is the region’s most innovative real estate company, representing spectacular properties and selective home buyers. Providing exceptional real estate services in a unique luxury market like Southern California is an endeavor we perform with professionalism, integrity, and a lifetime of local knowledge on behalf of our clients. For decades, we’ve been here to help clients either sell or find and acquire their dream home while sharing in the excitement and protecting them from the stressors of the process. Call us today; we’ve got the Native Knowledge you need!

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La Jolla, CA 92037

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