April Newsletter

In this fast-paced housing market, preparing a home for a showing can be overwhelming for sellers. However, having a house staged can help buyers fall head-over-heels in love with their future home. It can be an important part of selling a house quicker and at a higher price.

 

Most buyers look through images and floor plans before they step through the front door. It’s important to wow them upon first impression.

 

Home staging involves cleaning, decluttering, rearranging furniture, or furnishing an empty house.

 

If you have already moved out of the house, you can hire a professional to stage the common areas such as the living room, family room, dining room, office, and primary bedroom. In Fairfield County, the average staging cost can be anywhere between $10K to $20K for three months. Some stagers offer a month-to-month option.

 

A less expensive way to market your empty home is to do virtual staging. An empty space can be virtually staged instead of using real furniture so that buyers envision how they can use the space. Real estate agents have to disclose when photos are virtually staged on multiple listings so buyers won’t be surprised when they enter an empty house.

 

If you still live in your house while you have it on the market, a professional stager can assist sellers by restyling their houses with existing furniture. The first step of staging is to clean and declutter your home. Sellers can rent a storage unit to get items out of the house completely - storing them in the garage or basement will be counterproductive.

 

Staging allows buyers to imagine themselves living in space. Keep the color scheme and design neutral, simple, and classic. Depersonalizing your home is crucial in helping buyers see the space as their own and feel great being there. Family pictures, college diplomas, and awards should be stored away.

 

When buyers come to see the house, you want to make sure they walk and explore comfortably within the space. You might want to remove that sectional sofa and replace it with a smaller couch, so there is easy flow from room to room. Less and smaller furniture makes the space feel larger.

 

It is overwhelming to have to keep your house in pristine and ready-to-show condition. However, if you make the effort to show your house at its best, you will get a signed contract quickly and you can start packing. Besides, by decluttering you are already halfway there.