Do you ever browse on Zillow and admire how the home interior looks so immaculate and tidy? Do you look at a listing with such impeccable styling that you start imagining yourself living in that house? These are just some wonders that staging can bring.
What is staging?
Staging is reorganizing your home to make it more attractive to potential buyers. This is typically done by homeowners who want to sell their houses quickly.
Why do I need to stage my home?
Although staging is already a thing before the pandemic, it becomes even more important now. Because of the many restrictions to the home buying and selling process, real estate agents are becoming more creative in their approach. Open houses have now become virtual tours. You can even watch a live tour of the entire property and directly ask questions all while you’re on Facebook.
One of the best things about home staging is that it can bump up your total earnings. A survey conducted by the National Association of Realtors (NAR) has shown that homeowners who opted to stage their homes have seen an increase in the offer price to as much as 5%.
Apart from the financial benefits, staging can help your prospects better visualize themselves in that space. It’s a wonderful way to highlight rooms or particular areas that you feel are the strongest selling points of your property. You become in control of showing the unique features that will make your listing stand out from the rest. Staging can also help hide the less-than-ideal aspects.
Where do I start?
The most common rooms that are often staged are the living room, kitchen, master bedroom, dining room, and bathroom. One of the first things to do is to tidy up and unclutter your home. Putting away unnecessary stuff can instantly make any room more spacious and easier on the eyes.
Repainting the walls is one surefire way to update and freshen up any room quickly. While you’re at it, cover and repair holes before you start painting. Remember to stick to neutral colors since it’s easier to style and cater to a broader demographic.
Zero in on repairs.
Inspect each room so that you know the areas that need to be fixed. Figure out which repairs you can handle yourself and which ones to hire a professional for. An easy and budget-friendly DIY for dull-looking wooden floors is to refinish them.
Today, if something’s broken, there’s a good chance that there’s a video on how to repair it yourself. The excessive amount of DIY home improvement videos on the Internet is both helpful and dizzying. Many websites offer valuable information on basic repairs and many enjoyable projects that you can take on to upgrade your interior quickly.
Don’t forget the exterior, too. You can find a lot of information on the Internet on how to improve your lawn and add curb appeal.
Think of a theme you’d like to follow.
Consider the furniture, appliances, and fixtures that you already have. What kind of style do they represent?
Look up interior designs that look similar to the pieces that you already own and use that as your theme. For example, if you have neutral-colored furniture and walls, the Minimalist, Scandinavian, and Japanese Zen styles are great options to start. They also happen to be among the most popular.
If you want to go down this route but have a brightly colored couch, that’s fine. You can still use it as an accent, or you can use a slipcover to match the theme you have in mind.
Take excellent photos.
One of the ultimate goals of home staging is to take great photos that you can use to market your home. You can choose to hire a professional to do this bit, but if you’re feeling adventurous, you can DIY all the way and take photos as well.
A professional camera setup will give you the best quality shots. But if you have a decent smartphone with a good quality camera, you can still take good photos as long as you learn proper lighting techniques. All you have to do is learn the tricks and practice, practice, practice.
Businesses continue to thrive thanks to online marketing. Virtual tours and home staging are just some modern solutions to modern challenges. Staging your home can give you an edge in an already competitive market. It is a worthy investment that not everyone is willing to take. If you want to get ahead of competitors, then home staging is definitely the way to go.
