Staging a Home to Sell

Those who enjoy flipping houses for profit understand the value of staging a home, or the act of preparing both the interior and exterior of a house to be sales-ready when would-be buyers walk through. Staging is a relatively new concept in the real estate industry.  It has gained a lot of ground in the past few years due to its merit and profit-boosting abilities. To give an introductory view of staging, first we’ll clarify home staging then provide home staging advice to assist your home to sell as quickly as possible.

What is Home Staging?
Home staging can be likened to the stage of a playhouse. Depending on the production --the stage will be set-up, decorated and positioned to meet the needs of the actors and script while giving the audience the right image to support the story. Similarly, when trying to sell a house, it’s important to set up the ‘stage’ both externally and internally to assist buyers in imagining themselves in the home, make them feel comfortable and give them a canvas to picture their own belongings within the prospective property.

Back to Basics
Setting the stage for a home may involve changes to the current landscape of your belongings. From an exterior point of view, make sure the landscaping looks pulled together and fresh. Since the exterior is the potential buyers’ first impression, make it a good one.

From an interior standpoint, less is more. Arrange your furniture in such a way that your home will look optimal. Could your main room appear larger if you rearrange a few things? Play around a little and see what looks best.

Another important component of setting the stage for the sale of a home is to make sure that the atmosphere is ideal. Therefore, keep noise and regular family chaos to a minimum. When the house or apartment is being shown, take a walk or go for coffee and let the realtor work their magic.

Minimalist
There’s something to be said for minimalism when showing a home. Since the goal of staging is to increase a seller’s profit by creating the right atmosphere for buyers, it’s best to present a clutter-free home laced with simplicity so buyers can visualize their unique style and tastes while walking through each room. Since it’s important to create the right canvas, it may be wise to start packing up some of the extra, non-essential items before the house is shown to create the right ambiance.

Target Market
The other important consideration in staging is target market. The target market comes up in almost every step of house flipping because it is one of the foundations of flipping. With house staging, knowing your target market will assist in how to stage styling-wise. Think about how your target market lives their lives, what they like, how they would typically use a space and craft your space after these important indicators.

The Cost Breakdown of Staging Services
Pricing for staging services depends on location, popularity of staging, market fluctuations, and many other factors, however, home stagers typically charge hourly for consultations or create packages for those who want to leave the job to the professional. First ask for an estimate as prices can range significantly.

If you’re a person who has the time to meet with a house staging professional, first get advice and then do the work yourself as this is likely the cheaper option. However, if you have limited time to invest, a package option may be a better alternative.

Ultimately, staging your home to sell could translate into a sizable increase in profit. Consequently, if real estate profit is what you’re after, take the extra time to create staging solutions for your space.