Home Staging – Double Feature

Whether doing it yourself or hiring a professional, staging can boost a listing’s chances of being sold more quickly in any kind of market. – See the complete article at The Residential Specialist.

trs_posts Whenever a client or colleague expresses skepticism about staging, Risé Johns, CRS, with Keller Williams Realty in Lago Vista, Texas, outside Austin, shares a couple of examples of how two of her listings sold more quickly after staging. In one instance, a property languished on the market for nearly a year because buyers were confused by the unusual layout of the lower level of the home. “The feedback we got from people was that they could not see how the lower level was to be used,” Johns recalls. The space contained a tiny kitchenette and three rooms: one with no windows that was used as an office, a second area with a tiled floor that was vacant and a third room adjacent to it that was carpeted and used as a craft room.

Her stager, Susan Honning with Texas Staged Homes, converted the two adjacent spaces into one combo recreation area with a TV room and a game room with a table, chairs and a chess set. She also added a wine rack and glassware in the kitchenette, turning it into a wine bar. The overall presentation appealed to younger buyers, and the home sold in 45 days, far less than the 142 days average time on the market in her area.

The second example involved the sale of a friend’s home, which also had been on the market for a year. “I had suggested staging his home on several previous occasions, and he always said ‘no,’” Johns recalls. This time, she invited him to visit the home with the unusual layout so he could see the effects of staging. After viewing it, he agreed to have his home staged. “In the year my friend’s home had been on the market, a young couple had come twice to see it, but walked away because they could not see themselves living in it,” recalls Johns. After it was staged, she invited them to see it again. “This time, the couple spent an hour walking through the house, admiring the way the rooms were decorated,” Johns says. The couple put a bid on the house shortly thereafter and closed on it quickly.

Johns says staging has the biggest impact on bedrooms. “Buyers believe bedrooms are too small for their needs and that the bed is actually bigger than it really is. But a bedroom with basic furniture appears larger than a vacant room,” she says.

“Most sellers are reluctant to spend money on staging. But when they see how other homes appear after staging and how quickly those homes sell on the market, they are willing to try it,” Johns says.

While concerns about costs and effectiveness remain, staging has proven to be a worthwhile practice that is here to stay.

This information is coming from The Residential Specialist where you can read the complete article.