{"id":108122,"date":"2019-03-03T14:30:12","date_gmt":"2019-03-03T21:30:12","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.biggerpockets.com\/renewsblog\/?p=108122"},"modified":"2021-03-16T14:52:39","modified_gmt":"2021-03-16T20:52:39","slug":"home-staging","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.biggerpockets.com\/blog\/home-staging","title":{"rendered":"Home Staging: Tips &#038; Tricks for a Faster, Most Profitable Sale"},"content":{"rendered":"<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">My dad used to say he sold houses. But \u201cselling houses\u201d only described the process between him and buyers playing out on paper. The truth is that people overwhelmingly base their buying decisions on emotion\u2014emotion generated from a feeling of home, something that home staging can accomplish. <\/span><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Facts like\u00a0number of bathrooms, square footage, property taxes tell\u2014but feelings sell. <\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Home staging presents your property to a prospective buyer in an impactful way. It gets them to envision themselves already living there and entices them to feel like, \u201cYeah, this is home.\u201d Cultivating that feeling through home staging helps you sell your property faster.<\/span><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">\u00a0H<\/span><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">ere\u2019s how.<\/span><\/p>\n<h2>What Is Home Staging?<\/h2>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Start with the mindset that you aren\u2019t selling <\/span><i><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">your<\/span><\/i><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> property to anyone; you\u2019re selling the buyer <\/span><i><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">their<\/span><\/i><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> property. It has to look like theirs<\/span><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">\u2014<\/span><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">or at least not like yours. Everything that says <\/span><i><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">you, <\/span><\/i><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">then, has to go. That includes:<\/span><\/p>\n<ul>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Personal family photographs<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Soccer schedules and the kids\u2019 drawings on the fridge<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Toiletries<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Shoes and laundry<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Your Dallas Cowboys throw pillow<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Junk mail<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">The dog smell you don\u2019t even notice anymore<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Dishes in the sink and the ring around the tub<\/span><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Clear away every last scrap of clutter. Paint, caulk, and tackle all of those home repairs you\u2019ve been putting off forever. With that done, your stage is set. Now to put on your show. <\/span><\/p>\n<p><em><strong>Related:<\/strong> <a href=\"\/renewsblog\/sell-home-fast-most-money\" target=\"_blank\">Want to Sell Your Home Fast\u2014for the Most Money? Do This<\/a><\/em><\/p>\n<h2>The 3 Most Important Rooms to Stage<\/h2>\n<p><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"alignnone size-full wp-image-108166\" src=\"https:\/\/www.biggerpockets.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/03\/home-staging-cost.jpg\" alt=\"home-staging-cost\" width=\"702\" height=\"332\" title=\"\" srcset=\"https:\/\/www.biggerpockets.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/03\/home-staging-cost.jpg 702w, https:\/\/www.biggerpockets.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/03\/home-staging-cost-300x142.jpg 300w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 702px) 100vw, 702px\" \/><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">You don\u2019t have to turn your property into a <em>Better Homes &amp; Gardens<\/em> photoshoot. But nearly one-third of buyers\u2019 agents claimed that home staging raised the property\u2019s dollar value 1 to 5 percent, according to a <\/span><a href=\"https:\/\/www.nar.realtor\/sites\/default\/files\/migration_files\/reports\/2017\/2017-profile-of-home-staging-07-06-2017.pdf\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">National Association of Realtors (NAR)<\/span><\/a><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> survey, with another 13 percent of agents attributing a 6 to 10 percent increase to a well-staged home. The potential ROI is certainly there. <\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">The same NAR report reveals that the living room, the kitchen, and the master bath are the most critical areas in the home-staging game, so lend extra attention to these rooms.<\/span><\/p>\n<h3>1. The Living Room<\/h3>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">More people find neutral colors and subtle patterns appealing in a home environment. Create an inviting, warm, and comfortable feel, starting with the living room. It\u2019s a place to put your feet up on a big, comfy couch with a few pillows.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Challenge yourself by seeing if you can coax prospective buyers into actually settling down on that couch, the home-buying equivalent of taking a car for a test drive.<\/span><\/p>\n<h3>2. The Kitchen<\/h3>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Clear your countertops, replace old appliances, and give your cabinets a face-lift if needed, with fresh paint and some new fixtures. Then appeal to buyers\u2019 senses by positioning atmospheric details in the kitchen, like a bowl of fresh fruit, a couple of cookbooks, flowers and placemats, and a batch of cookies in the oven. <\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Better yet, offer prospective buyers a warm cookie as they walk through the thoughtful touches of what could be their future kitchen. <\/span><\/p>\n<p><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"alignnone size-full wp-image-108170\" src=\"https:\/\/www.biggerpockets.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/03\/stage-home.jpg\" alt=\"stage-home\" width=\"702\" height=\"332\" title=\"\" srcset=\"https:\/\/www.biggerpockets.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/03\/stage-home.jpg 702w, https:\/\/www.biggerpockets.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/03\/stage-home-300x142.jpg 300w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 702px) 100vw, 702px\" \/><br \/>\n<em><br \/>\n<strong>Related:<\/strong> <a href=\"\/renewsblog\/cheaper-ways-to-sell-your-house-than-using-an-agent\/\" target=\"_blank\">3 Ways to Sell Your House Cheaper Than Using an Agent<\/a><\/em><\/p>\n<h3>3. The Master Bath<\/h3>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">The master bathroom should inspire tranquility. Hide your dingy towels and put out a few big, fluffy white towels in a tasteful wicker basket, along with a couple of spa-worthy body products. Consider lighting a few unscented candles and hang a plush white bathrobe to give prospective buyers an aura of relaxation. <\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Think about some quick upgrades in your master bathroom, including faucets, towel racks, lighting and mirrors. Empty your medicine cabinet and hang a new shower curtain. And, of course, make sure to scrub every surface and corner.<\/span><\/p>\n<h2>More Effective Home-Staging Tips You Should Know<\/h2>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Go to a furniture store and you\u2019ll see bedroom sets, dining room sets, sofas, and love seats, all surrounded by additional items that make the furniture look more appealing, but actually aren\u2019t part of the deal. When staging your home, shoot for that same appeal:<\/span><\/p>\n<ul>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Hang clean, if not new, drapes<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Hang a mirror in the living room and front hall<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Put up some pictures or paintings<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Replace outdated light fixtures<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Lighten the load on your bookshelves with some trinkets and short rows of books<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Leave a couple of late-issue magazines on the coffee table<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Liven up the room with plants<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Include a practical appliance on the kitchen counter, like a new coffee maker<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Add an occasional accent color from a vase, throw blanket, or a picture frame<\/span><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">As you\u2019re putting the home-staging show together, minimize the amount of furniture in each room and ensure rooms have one purpose (e.g. an office, a guest room, or a playroom, but not all three). <\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Keep closets and the garage tidy and sparsely-inhabited so they look bigger.<\/span><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> And one final pro tip: Like colors, keep props neutral. No politics or religion. Show off your musical tastes at your own peril.<\/span><\/p>\n<h2>How Much Does Home Staging Cost?<\/h2>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Home staging comes at a cost in both dollars and hours. As a loose guideline of what you might want to spend, think about how much a 1 to 5 percent home price increase is worth to you, along with the property\u2019s condition and the boundaries of your budget.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">If you have room in your <\/span>budget, but not your calendar, consider hiring a professional home-staging service to get the property ready for you. Th<span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">e cost of professional services varies according to the size of the home and how much of it needs staging. <\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Your local market is another consideration. A New York City property, for example, likely costs more to stage than a rural home of the same size. That extra cost may be worth it, however, when you consider the steady migration of new home buyers into New York City, ranked 18th on the <\/span><a href=\"https:\/\/www.hireahelper.com\/moving-statistics\/migration-report\/#section-10\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">list of top cities people are moving to<\/span><\/a><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">If you have an empty house, you\u2019ll need to rent and haul in more staging furniture. However, if the home is currently occupied\u2014or isn\u2019t entirely cleared out\u2014you might spend more for cleaning which can still be cheaper than staging a home from scratch.<\/span><\/p>\n<h2>Pros and Cons About Virtual Home Staging<\/h2>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Virtual home staging\u2014creating a computer-generated environment for online prospective buyers\u2014has its pros and cons. The advantages of this option include:<\/span><\/p>\n<ul>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Cheaply \u201cfurnishing\u201d your home to give a warm, inviting impression<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Having flexibility to design each room in various ways to appeal to different people<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Showing in-person buyers the many possibilities of each space, including how it looks empty<\/span><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">The one main drawback to virtual home staging is that, unless you also stage your property in reality, you are limiting yourself to the online buying community. Having a good balance that caters to in-person and online buyers is ideal.<\/span><\/p>\n<h2>Home Staging Helps You Sell Faster<\/h2>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Your goal is to sell your property. In today\u2019s market, creating an environment that turns a simple walk-through into a revelatory experience makes all the difference. Home staging empowers you to transform a dry \u201cit has four bedrooms,\u201d into \u201cthis place has serious potential\u201d without having to say a word.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><a href=\"https:\/\/www.biggerpockets.com\/webinars?utm_source=newsletter\" target=\"_blank\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"alignnone size-full wp-image-91217\" src=\"https:\/\/www.biggerpockets.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2017\/08\/blog_ads-01.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"700\" height=\"85\" title=\"\" srcset=\"https:\/\/www.biggerpockets.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2017\/08\/blog_ads-01.jpg 700w, https:\/\/www.biggerpockets.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2017\/08\/blog_ads-01-300x36.jpg 300w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 700px) 100vw, 700px\" \/><\/a><\/p>\n<p><em>Do you use home staging to sell your properties? Why or why not?<\/em><\/p>\n<p><strong>Weigh in with a comment!<\/strong><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Home staging presents your property to a prospective buyer in an impactful way. It gets them to envision themselves already living there and entices them to feel like, \u201cYeah, this is home.\u201d Cultivating that feeling through home staging helps you sell your property faster.\u00a0Here\u2019s how.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":536241,"featured_media":108173,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_acf_changed":false,"footnotes":""},"categories":[5524],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-108122","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-real-estate-investing-for-beginners"],"acf":[],"comment_count":0,"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.biggerpockets.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/108122","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.biggerpockets.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.biggerpockets.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.biggerpockets.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/536241"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.biggerpockets.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=108122"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.biggerpockets.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/108122\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.biggerpockets.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/108173"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.biggerpockets.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=108122"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.biggerpockets.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=108122"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.biggerpockets.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=108122"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}