Is home staging really necessary during the listing process? There are a few key points to consider when making the decision of whether to stage your home.

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Today, I’d like to address a couple of important questions: “What is home staging?” and “Is it necessary to stage your home before you list?”

To address the first question, the idea behind home staging is arranging furniture and decor within your property to highlight the positive features of the home. Professional home stagers work to optimize a home’s space and “flow” to entice potential buyers to submit higher offers.

Presenting a property in its most positive light through home staging can improve potential buyers’ first impressions and also help them overlook any minor issues with the home. However, staging can be expensive.

Depending on the rate the staging company charges, the size of the property, and a number of other factors, having your home professionally staged can cost anywhere from $2,000 to $20,000. For example, having a 3-bed, 2-bath, 1,500 square foot single-family home staged will normally cost between $4,000 and $6,000.

With that in mind, it’s important to remember that the benefits of staging can help you net more for your property. Professional home stagers often bring new furniture into your home when they arrange it for showings. This new furniture can give your home a “retail” feeling. Staging is usually very effective for homes that have been recently updated or remodeled.

Another benefit of staging is that it allows buyers to visualize ways they could effectively utilize the space. In my experience, a well-staged home can look even more spacious than a room that’s completely vacant. People sometimes need help seeing a home’s possibilities.

Also, staging is meant to give the home a neutral feeling. Buyers are very diverse in their tastes and preferences. Keeping the home as neutral as possible will expand its appeal and increase the number of interested buyers.

Still, many sellers aren’t in the financial position to have their home fully staged. Beyond that, different sellers maintain different goals. Some sellers’ top priority is to net the most they can from their sale, while others also care greatly about being able to maintain a comfortable lifestyle while they’re still living in the home. Living in a property that you have listed on the market may cause some inconveniences, but there are certainly ways to stage your property without sacrificing your own comfort.

If you are going to be living in the home while it’s on the market, remove any personal items. Family photos or other things that might make it difficult for buyers to imagine themselves in your home should all be stored away. Also: declutter, declutter, declutter. Items that make your home look cluttered should either be stored, thrown away, or donated.

Ultimately, the decision to stage your home or not is one that only you can answer. It truly depends on your circumstances and goals, which is why I highly recommend working with professional agents like my team and I as you navigate the process.

If you have any other questions or would like more information, feel free to give me a call or send me an email. I look forward to hearing from you soon.