The Importance of Staging Your Home

by Trish Luzzi | Engel & Völkers Foothills Longtown

For many sellers, making sure you handle all the paperwork, get your home on the market, and ultimately making it to the closing table are your top priorities. However, many sellers forget that staging a home is very important and can benefit you in several ways. While some sellers may find this an unnecessary investment, in most cases it can draw a higher sales price or help the home go under-contract faster. Let's dive into the real reasons you should be staging your empty listing when it hits the market.

Let's be honest here - in a nicely staged home, buyers can visualize themselves living in the space. They are presented with a clean, clutter-free environment that highlights the property's best features and livability, ultimately making it more appealing. Whether buyers are able to see a home without the seller's personal effects or avoid walking into a completely empty home (which can often feel void of life and emotion), when you stage your home you are creating a better buying experience and getting one step closer to a closed deal.

Here are some of our top highlighted reasons why staging is so important for vacant listings.

Staging Improves the First Appearance Appeal

As soon as the buyer enters a staged home, they are first greeted with a positive and welcoming appearance, curated to draw them in. This manicured interior will make the home look inviting and well-maintained, and will showcase the best use of space in a professional manner. According to a study from the National Association of REALTORS ® (NAR), 77% of buyers reported finding it easier to visualize a staged property as a future home. Staging also makes a home look more "move-in-ready" – indicating to buyers that the home doesn't seem to need a lot of work or repair before the new buyer could move in (source). All of this to say, people will enjoy what they see when they enter a staged home versus an empty home.

Staging Allows Buyers to Visualize Their Own Belongings

If you are working with an empty listing then it is rather obvious that strategically placing furniture and accents throughout the home will allow a buyer to easily reconcile where their own furniture might go. However, by utilizing staging in a space that may otherwise be cluttered or overtaken with the seller's personal items, you are creating a clean, minimal and neutral space, where buyers can easily see how their personal items would best fit while avoiding roadblocks and wary eyes due to seller's own pieces. Added bonus: if a buyer is looking to purchase the home furnished or they plan to move in as a "light-traveler" and wish to acquire some new furniture upon move-in, most staging companies will allow them to purchase some of the staged furniture since they already know where it might work best in the home.

Staging Highlights the Benefits of the Home

By staging a home correctly, it will show the buyer the best aspects of the home by showcasing the spaciousness of rooms, displaying storage options, and illuminating unique architectural details - all factors of a home that many buyers simply can't fully comprehend when a listing is empty. Both interior and exterior staging should be considered as well. Natural light is vital when it comes to showing the potential of a home. Specific geographic regions may favor this more than others, so it is always best to create a welcoming and positive atmosphere for all.

Staging Allows for Better Photos & Less Time on the Market

As mentioned above, both buyers and sellers want to make it to the closing table quickly and smoothly. Staging can help get you there. Homes that are staged tend to sell faster than vacant homes because they appeal to a wider range of buyers. You are removing another step from their buying process when they don't have to worry about how their couch might look, if they will get enough lighting, if they can have a dresser and a king sized bed on the same well, and so forth. Less barriers during the buying process means time saved for everyone.

Staged homes often photograph better for that first online impression for both buyers and buyer agents. We all love a good photo, and a good photo is one that catches the eye. Staged homes, with meticulously planned interiors, create that ideal living environment that ultimately we are all looking to create. When you can capture this in a picture, you are sure to attract hungry buyers looking to explore more. More demand from buyers can even lead to higher offers and a better outcome for the sellers looking to get top-dollar for their home.

In conclusion, you really can't go wrong when it comes to staging your listing. Regardless of the vacancy of the home, if you are looking to really appeal to buyers, especially if you are in a hurry to sell, staging your home provide the foundation for a great sale.

If you are looking to sell your home in the Western North Carolina region, you're in luck. I have compiled a list of trusted staging experts in the region, and I would love to share it with you. As your real estate advisor, I will be here to guide you through staging questions, prepping your home to list, and so much more. Let's chat!

Trish Luzzi | (828) 423-0248 | Trish.Luzzi@evrealestate.com