What is Home Staging?

What is Home Staging?
The general idea of “home staging” is that it is a method of preparing a home for sale to make it appealing to a vast audience.

There are many levels of staging; from do it yourself quick fixes to hiring a professional who specializes in this type of trade. It can be done using limited funds, to spending thousands of dollars with a professional, to going as far as renting or buying furniture, making a vacant home feel homey. Each method is used in different degrees to make the home more attractive to potential buyers.

The professional “Stager” will promote the home’s “living area” with the goal of getting potential buyers to imagine themselves living within its space. By many this is considered an art, it is the art getting buyers to look past the “stuff” we all collect (occupied homes) and view the assets of the property while downplaying its negative features. In vacant homes it is the art of giving potential buyers a vision of how a room could be laid out or where your sofa or TV is going.

The do-it-yourselfer “Stager” or the home seller on a limited budged can undertake some “staging” of their home by removing all clutter, painting a room a neutral color, keeping the home clean, the landscaping manicured, removing personal items from counter tops, shelves, kitchens, laundry rooms and dresser tops. The object is to create a neutral, spacious, and inviting atmosphere. No matter how cute all your stuff is, unless its going with house it won’t be the selling feature that gets it sold. Remove clutter.

The differences between de-cluttering or cleaning a home and one that is professionally staged are huge. Creating that inviting “model home” look takes a true professional.

Don’t get me wrong, homes sell every day without staging professionals and will continue to do so, however if you are like every seller who has ever existed, you want to get the highest possible price in the shortest amount of time. Some level of staging should be considered by every home seller. Staging could make the difference between your home selling or the “neat and tidy” one around the corner. About the Author:

Greg Sullivan is the President of http://www.byownermls.com/, a For Sale By Owner MLS service, the leading real estate search engine of homes for sale by owner, FSBO. For more information, please visit http://www.byownermls.com/.