Dressing your Home for Success: The Importance of Staging in the Real Estate Industry

Staging a home has become very popular over the past few years, following the growth in cable real estate television programming. The National Association of Realtors refers to the phenomenon as "the cable TV effect"; the homes on these programs have been manicured to perfection which has, in turn, impacted the expectations of home buyers.

Displaying your house properly should transform a property from a personal home into the ideal home that appeals to everyone.

Staging has become a tool of the trade for real estate agents. In a study by Proctor and Gamble, they discovered that a seller can influence 72% of all the first impressions buyers reach when looking at a home for sale. Interior details like cleanliness, odors, d‚cor, and clutter influence over 50% of the general impression of a home.

A seller can choose to find a realtor in Irving to help them stage their home, but there are many tips that can be done without help. These simple guidelines help impact the greatest number of potential buyers, often without spending any money.

Deep Cleaning your Home

The number one factor found to affect a buyer's opinion of a home was cleanliness. Homes that were thought of as clean received overwhelming praise compared to ones considered dirty or untidy.

This boils down to one simple piece of advice; sellers must clean their homes thoroughly before placing the home on the market. This point is non-negotiable; the home should be cleaned from the inside out.

Dusting of light fixtures, ceiling fans, and window treatments is expected, and no portion of the house should be left untouched. Buyers will examine homes with a fine tooth comb, so when you are cleaning you should do so as well.

Packing and Eliminating Clutterd

As with cleanliness, home buyers are very particular about clutter in the homes they view. A significant portion of the staging process is about eliminating mess and adding utility. When a home is cluttered, it appears smaller in size.

A motivated seller should make every attempt to pack as many boxes as possible prior to listing the home. This additional step will open up rooms, making the home appear larger than one that is still filled with belongings. In addition to removing clutter, home sellers should also eliminate any furniture not being used on a regular basis.

Furniture that is taken out of the main home should be stored offsite to maintain the integrity of the home's size. This also helps potential buyers see the house as a blank slate, and helps them to envisage what it will look like with their own furniture and belongings inside.

Lightening Up The Space

Bright, airy homes sell faster. Potential buyers love natural light, and they want to purchase a home that has both ample lighting installed and natural light coming in through windows. Part of the staging process would be opening all the window treatments to allow natural light to pour into the home.

Buyers aren't interested in viewing homes that are dark and depressing. They want to live in and view a happy, sun-filled home.

Home selling has become more sophisticated in the modern era of internet access and digital photography. Real estate agents in Irving, Texas are required to cast a halo of perfection over each home listed in their inventory, and the best way to make a home look perfect is to employ staging techniques.

Hiring an agent from HFMA can ensure you have access to the most professional stagers in your area who understand how to make your home as appealing as possible to buyers. Get in touch today to discuss how we can help make your home shine.