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Real estate staging is the best way to make your home appealing to the widest range of potential buyers. According to an article in the San Francisco Chronicle (June 2000), “Home staging is the secret weapon of real estate agents and their savvy clients.” Homes that have been staged typically sell quicker and for higher prices. It is a common belief that buyers tend to make their decision within the first few seconds of entering a home. Staging capitalizes on the emotional impact of that first impression by catering to the senses and showing the home in its best possible light. Staging draws potential buyers in with designer touches, making buyers feel welcomed and comfortable.
Real Estate Staging can be as simple as packing away personal items and rearranging the furniture. It can be as involved as repainting, carpeting or landscaping, depending on the condition of home. A quick assessment by a professional stager of the home’s curb appeal and interior impression will tell you what your home needs to sell. Typically, homes get a weekend’s worth of re-designing and a list of minor repairs in a staging.
Most homeowners assume that the listing agent provides the necessary guidance to stage their home to sell. Some agents do take classes on staging and prepping a home. And, although it’s true that many listing agents are capable of gauging what a home needs to sell, the home may still not get what it needs to sell for two reasons. First, because of their relationship with the homeowner, the agent may have a difficult time conveying the information honestly, worried about offending the homeowner and losing the listing. Secondly, a home may need a designer’s knowledge to improve the flow and balance of the furniture and accessories, something that is beyond the scope of a weekend course offered to agents.
A professional stager, on the other hand, has no long- term relationship and can be completely candid. As a designer, a stager highlights your home’s best features, while downplaying it’s lesser attributes. The best of the home’s collection of furnishings and accessories is displayed and the rest is boxed up, providing for a jump-start on packing. The potential buyers feel the comfort and sense the style, without being distracted by the accessories.
Real estate agents are professionals hired to market your home. Stagers are professionals hired to showcase your home. It makes sense, then, that real estate agents may work closely with professional stagers to seriously market your home. If you are in the market to sell your home, it may be well worth the investment to have it staged.
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Port Ludlow Voice, March 2002 |