Importance of Staging Your Home
Retailers will often set up elaborate store displays that exhibit the function and possible placement of certain items. For example, televisions are often displayed within a living room setting. This isn’t done just because it looks nice: it’s done to aid potential buyers in envisioning how the television will look within a household setting. The same can be said for the staging of your home in preparation for a sale. Much of our learning and decision-making is done so visually, and the same goes for a buyer’s impression of a home. Very frequently, people have difficulty visualizing an empty house as a full one. Furthermore, it’s very difficult to gauge the size of a room when it is empty; by being able to see a possible configuration for a room, the buyer can more accurately determine if the size of the room is pleasing.
Furthermore, staging is an excellent opportunity to create a warm, inviting atmosphere for the potential buyer. The important thing to keep in mind is that a properly staged home is comfortable, but not cluttered. An empty house, as mentioned above, can make visualizing a space difficult, and a cluttered house can make a space seem smaller and unappealing. Ultimately, a good rule of thumb is that a little goes a long way. Let the room speak for itself and create the necessary space for buyers to envision the home as their own.
Something else that will help buyers envision a property as their own is to limit the amount of personal items that are visible, such as family photos. Not only will this help ensure security for the sellers, but it eliminates distractions so focus is directed on the house. Ultimately, you want to de-personalize your home without making it look deserted.
Also, be sure to pay attention to things such as scratches in the floor, chips in paint, and unpleasant odours. Unwanted factors like these can be off-putting and sully an otherwise fine space. The clientele that will be viewing your home are varied and so are their standards, but everyone can appreciate a clean, polished property, regardless of its age or asking price.
Finally, staging is very important for non-local buyers. For non-residents, they are not afforded the opportunity to visit the homes they are interested in. Therefore, they have to rely on photographs and virtual tours to gauge whether or not they like the property. The onus, then, falls on the seller to make sure that their property is both appealing and appropriately arranged.
