“Is home staging worth it?”
“Home staging is not decorating,” is the first thing I tell my seller clients when discussing ways to bring in the most possible money in the shortest amount of time. Home staging is really about de-cluttering and making a home desirable to the majority of people in the buyers market. The best part? Home staging done right can completely transform a space. Take these before and after photos of one of our listings as proof:
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- Living before
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- Bedroom after
Of course, prior to actually staging your home, there are three things that need to happen first:
1) The home needs to be clean inside and out,
2) the home needs to be clutter free,
3) the home should have some color,
…and then the home can be creatively staged.
This last point is where things get fun. Many seller clients think that staging sounds expensive, but the good news is that it doesn’t have to be. All it takes is some creativity.
My own short list of secrets includes the following “must dos” that can be done at little to no cost:
Inside:
• Clear the clutter
• Put away all electrical cords and extra small appliances
• Put away family photos
• Think open space
Outside:
• Paint/Power wash
• Front door – repaint or stain
• Plants with different heights with lots of color
• Clean yard, mow lawn and trim shrubs
And while cleaning is never fun, just remind yourself that you’re doing this to bring in top dollar for your home. This effort up front is always worth it.
(Professional staging done by Stacy Standley of ReDO Design, Email: [email protected])
