Home Staging from a Personal Perspective

Before working at The Staging Company, I knew close to nothing about home staging. In fact I didn’t even know it was a real thing. Though I am just the marketing coordinator, my knowledge of home staging and the importance of it have increased immensely, and now I want to share it with you, and since I am not a stager, I feel as though I can share what I know without bias. I am not here to convince you to hire a home stager, but merely to give you the facts. I spend part of my day collecting data and statistics, and seeing firsthand what staging can do for our clients. So what is home staging? Basically it’s furnishing and decorating a home in a way that is most appealing to potential buyers, but if you’re reading this blog you most likely already know that. So why bother hiring a stager?

Why would you want to spend MORE money to SELL your house? Well, to put it simply, staging your home can get it SOLD for MORE. You’re now probably thinking, “yeah, yeah, sounds like a sales pitch”, but here’s some facts. The Staging Company recently staged a home that had been on the market for 70 days with no offers. Our team was then hired and transformed the home into a place people could picture living. In just four days later, the home was sold.

Realistically, an impressive amount of the homes we stage sell within a month, if not within a few days. When I first started I thought it was unbelievable, but now when I receive these statistics, I’m not at all surprised.

When house hunting, potential buyers will be able to better picture themselves in the home if it is furnished. If stagers furnish the home, it will not only help them get a better picture, but it will also inspire them for future ideas for their own furniture and decor. When I was looking for a home, seeing a listing professionally staged made such a difference. To start out, when looking online for prospective properties, looking through photos of homes that are vacant and unfurnished, I couldn’t get a good idea of the rooms and their sizes. I was also a lot more likely to go look at a home that was decorated in a clean, modern, light look. It made the home seem homier and more captivating. Out of all the homes I scheduled showings for, 80% of those were furnished, and most of those furnishing being from staged.

According to realtor.com, staged homes sell 88% faster and for 20% more. Homes staged prior to being listed sell in 90% less time and 97% of buyer’s agents said that staging affects the buyer’s view of the home. Buyers view a home for an average of 6 minutes and form an opinion in the first 15 seconds. HOWEVER, Buyers tend to stay in a furnished home for an average of 40 minutes. Because of these facts, 61% of listing agents incorporate staging into their marketing strategies (National Association of Realtors).

If I could give anyone who is about to list their home for sale any advice, it would be to stage their home. I have seen the positive effects of it personally, both when searching for my own home, and seeing the results while working at The Staging Company. Let professional home stagers bring your home to life. And when it comes time for me to sell my own home, I know just what to do and who to call!