Staging your house can add a lot of value to it
When you’re selling a house you need to make an impression with potential buyers. A house needs to tick all the boxes of someone’s dream property purchase. Get enough interested buyers and you can spark a bidding war on auction day. But how do you get to this point? You need to help your property gain wide appeal. There’s got to be something about your property that appeals to everyone. Is it suitable for a family or couples? Does it have a big backyard and space for renovations?
There are many things you can cover when it comes to making your house more desirable. You can spend thousands on renovations if you believe adding an extra room or bathroom will do the trick. A big backyard makeover can help people see the house has more potential for a family home. There are so many options for improving the value of your house, but not all of them need to be so costly.
Staging is one thing that many sellers tend to overlook before they open their house for inspection. When you stage a house, you are setting up your property to look more appealing to prospective buyers. The process of staging can involve removing extra items from the house to eliminate clutter. Staging can also involve putting in additional items to make the house look more appealing to certain buyer demographics.
What are the benefits of staging a house?
If you’re asking “why should I stage my house to sell?”, the answer is simple. It’s a way to make your house more appealing to the right people. Potential buyers need to imagine themselves living in this house. It needs to have a more homely appeal for them.
Your house might not have current or up to date furniture and accessories. A house staging professional can arrange to have new furniture and accessories positioned throughout the house for inspections. New additions to your property can show potential buyers just how the house can look for them. New accessories and furniture aren’t just used for inspections. These items can also be used for a professional photoshoot to help your house look its best when it’s advertised online.
One aspect that people tend to overlook about staging is that it doesn’t have to be done in the traditional way. You may be able to take advantage of virtual staging. This type of staging involves a professional designer taking a photo of each room before digitally editing the image to include new furniture and decorations. It saves a lot of hassle when it comes to the logistics of filling your home with staging furniture. So if you think you’ve missed your opportunity to style your house after it’s been emptied, think again! Ask your real estate agent about virtual staging and see if they can arrange it for you.
What does a home stager actually do?
A good home stager is always committed to making your house look its best for the right people. Home stagers understand what demographic your house will need to appeal to. After thorough research, a home stager will use their knowledge of interior design trends to transform the look of your house. Their mission is to make your house look more livable. A professional home stager will pick out a great range of accessories and furniture to help make your house look more appealing to the potential buyers you really want on auction day.
A home staging service doesn’t always take the approach to redecorating the entire house. You can hire a staging service to only focus on one room or just a small percentage of rooms if that’s what you really want for the house. For example, you might just need a slight kitchen or bathroom makeover. The bedrooms and lounge rooms may already look appealing enough.
Advertising a house with empty rooms doesn’t make it easy for potential buyers to visualise how the house could look for them. If you’ve already moved out of the house, then a staging service can provide you with a full set of furniture items to fill the entire house. The same can be said for home decorating accessories such as wall art, indoor plants, and curtains. By the time a staging service is done with your house, everything will look picture-perfect and ready to impress your potential property buyers.
What to consider before choosing home staging
When it comes to home staging, you essentially have three options. Your first option is to carry out the staging by yourself. If you still have existing furniture in the house, try and think of the most effective way to space everything out. Does the layout of your house have a natural flow to it? Now’s the time to effectively move furniture around and pack away anything that usually makes your house look cluttered.
Your second option is to let a house staging professional do all the work for you. Everything from the supply of new furniture to the placement and styling can be done for you. It’s simply a matter of your real estate agent arranging all of this before your house is open for inspection. Ideally, you may want to rent this staging furniture for at least two weeks while your house is listed on the property market and regular inspections are taking place.
Your third option may be slightly cheaper than the previous one. We’re talking about enlisting the services of a virtual staging professional. With a great set of virtual staging shots taken for the online listing, you may be surprised how much more interest you generate online. More online viewers will be keen to learn about your property. Just be wary that some potential buyers may be surprised by the fact your house isn’t styled the way it looks online when they do a physical inspection.
Don’t forget landscaping
Your house may look amazing on the inside but what’s going on outside? Are the front and back yards looking tidy? Overgrown grass and trees can make even the loveliest properties look messy and uninviting. Leading up to the days when your house is open for inspection don’t forget to give the gardens a bit of TLC as well. Chances are there’s plenty of local gardeners in the area that can assist with cleaning up your yards.
Today you’ll find that most lawn mowing specialists also provide basic landscaping services too. See if you can get any bushes and trees pruned back or weeds removed. Every little bit counts when it comes to improving the look of your backyard. Don’t forget to consider what time of year it is too when you book a gardening service. Summer weather often spawns rapid growth for lawns and other plants. So always try and book your gardening services a few days before your house is open for inspection.
Other elements of a yard to consider include deckings, fences, and any concrete surfaces. Fences can be repainted to help modernise the look of your backyard. The same can be said for deckings and other outdoor entertainment areas. Hard surfaces such as pavers and concrete are prone to gathering mould, dirt, and grime. It’s best to attack these surfaces with a high-pressure hose to restore the look of them.
Final thoughts
So if you’re asking yourself “should I stage my house to sell?”, the answer all comes down to how much value you want to add to your house. While looks aren’t everything they certainly help when it comes to attracting buyers. With the right staging, your house can look more appealing to families, couples, singles, and property investors.
Don’t forget how important online representation is. An online listing is usually the first impression a potential buyer gets of your house. So make sure you get the best looking imagery for your listing. One of the best ways to do that is by taking photos of your beautifully staged house. Still not convinced? Try comparing similar houses online. Look at the ones without staging and look at the ones that are staged. Ask yourself which house is easier to imagine calling a home.
