Every home can—and should—be staged.
We’re often asked what kinds of homes we stage. The expectation is that we only stage luxury real estate or houses that have proven difficult to sell. But we’ve staged houses that sold for under $100,000, and we’ve staged houses that sold for over a million.
Jessica Carroll, Rave Home Staging’s Director of Business Development, took over for Melissa on this week’s radio show to talk about these and other home staging myths. Feel free to listen along below as we dispel some common staging misconceptions.
Staging is marketing, not decorating
When we stage a house, we’re staging with a specific demographic in mind. How do we determine the most likely buyer?
The community the property is in, its price point, whether it’s a suitable home for children, what kinds of schools are nearby…these are just a few of the thoughts running through a stager’s mind as they plan a stage. Once we know who will probably buy the house, we stage it to suit the way they would most likely live in the house. We can stage all kinds of homes, including luxury real estate, because we know how to adapt to different markets, neighborhoods, and buyer demographics.
If you’ve lived in your home for a decade or more, you need to stage
On average, a home buyer is 10 years younger than the seller. Why? If the original owner lived in the home for 10 years, they’re probably selling it to someone who’s the same age they were when they bought it. The way the home is styled, then, is probably 10 years out of date.
As a seller, it’s hard to see that. You like how your house looks, so you assume a buyer will too. But a stager can step in and immediately point out what needs to be modernized in order to appeal to younger buyers.
Home staging is for occupied homes too
Just because a seller likes the way their home looks doesn’t mean that a buyer will too. A seller’s personal style might be out of date, or it might not reflect the style of the rest of the neighborhood.
A seller’s personal decor may be hiding, rather than accentuating, the best features of a home. As a homeowner, you may like keeping plants on top of your cabinets or knickknacks on your mantle. But those items could be covering up great selling points to your home.
At Rave, we have a dedicated Occupied Staging Specialist, Gabriella Miller. When Gabriella does a consultation, she walks through the home and points out what needs to be moved or decluttered. Then, she gives the client the option to make the changes themselves or let Rave make those changes and bring in other furniture and accessories the home might need.
Whether you’re selling luxury real estate or a humble studio apartment, don’t risk a poor first impression
As the first person many of our customers talk to, Jessica hears this a lot: “We’ll sit on it a bit before we stage.” This is a huge missed opportunity.
If you list your home before you stage, the first impression a buyer gets is usually not the best. If you eventually decide to stage and re-upload better listing photos, people will be less likely to click on them since they already passed on that property once before.
You want to put your best foot forward from the very start. Staging works best and gives you the greatest return on your investment when you stage a home before it goes on the market.
For the full video, click here. And be sure to follow us on YouTube and Facebook for more tips and tricks!
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