What is Home Staging and Why Should I Care?

If you're an HGTV junkie like me, you are probably well aware of home staging and how it can help you sell a home. But for everyone else, this article will serve as an introduction to home staging as it applies to selling a home.

So let's take the two parts of this question in turn: What is home staging and why should you, as a home seller, care about it?

Home Staging Defined

When selling a home, it's important to help potential buyers see themselves in the home. This is key, because if buyers have trouble envisioning themselves in your home, they will be less likely to make an offer on the home.

Have you ever purchased a new or used car, and had the salesperson say how good you look in it? "Oh, you are right at home in this car. I think it was made for you. Go ahead and turn the radio on ... make yourself at home."

This is the same concept used on a different product. Here, the salesperson wants you to see yourself in the car so that you'll be more inclined to take it home. After all, how can you just leave it on the lot for somebody else, now that you've seen yourself in it?

So we might define home staging as those actions taken to help buyers see themselves in your home. When they can see themselves having friends and family over at their housewarming party, the chances that they will buy your home have just gone up considerably.

But staging a home is more than just cleaning it. When you stage a home, you show what is great about the home. You arrange furniture in a way that maximizes space. You neutralize the color scheme to appeal to the largest possible audience. You tidy up the lawn to increase the curb appeal factor. In other words, you do everything you can to bring out the best features of the home, and to remove anything that might be viewed as a negative feature.

Now let's move on to the second part of the question we began with: Why should I care about home staging anyway?

Why You Should Care

When selling a home you must do everything possible to create a good first impression. Many buyers will make a tentative yes / no decision based on their first impression of a home. Sure, they'll go on to examine the structure, the size, the layout, etc. But it's that initial impression that either draws them in or sends them away, and that is why home staging is so important when selling a home.

Here's the bottom line. A well staged home will usually sell quicker (and for more money) than a poorly presented home. If that doesn't motivate you toward staging your home, nothing will.

Okay, so it's important to stage a home before showing it to buyers. But how do you go about it? Entire books have been written on this subject, so let's just cover some of the basics.

• For maximum curb appeal, keep your lawn neatly mowed and trimmed while the home is on the market. If necessary, plant some new flowers or shrubs to liven things up. A little mulch goes a long way toward improving curb appeal too.
  
• Go through your house with an eye out for space and "flow" problems. You know, like that door that doesn't open all the way because of the oversized couch. Traffic patterns should be unimpeded, and rooms should be arranged to maximize space.
  
• Painting is one of the cheapest yet most effective things you can do to make your house seem newer. Use neutral tones that will appeal to a higher percentage of buyers. Stay away from bold colors, as fewer people will appreciate them.
  
• They might be keepsakes to you, but they look like clutter to a potential buyer. So clear away the knickknacks and the items piled up on shelves and mantles.
  
• While you're at it, pack away those family photos as well. Remember, you want potential buyers to see themselves in the home. They can't do that if they see you everywhere.
  
• If your furniture is in bad shape, or simply too large for the space where it resides, move it into storage and bring in some nice rental pieces. High-quality slipcovers are also very handy in these situations.
  
• You can make kitchens and bathrooms appear more modern simply by updating the faucets, knobs, lighting, etc. It only costs a fraction of a complete overhaul, but it makes a big difference toward that first impression.
  

Here's the key to home staging. You want to control your costs so you don't eat into your profits too much. But at the same time, you want to do enough to make a difference and to help sell the home. It's a balancing act, and one that has a lot to do with the state of the real estate market. In a buyer's market, you will have to do more to sell the home. In a seller's market, you can get by with doing less.