Home Staging or DIY When Getting Ready to Sell?

It’s common knowledge that if you want to sell your home fast and for the best price, staging is necessary.

Staging a home lets buyers see the property in its best light and may help give them an idea as to what the property can offer.

But staging isn’t easy and doing it yourself could be a lot of work, so you might want to consider getting a professional stager to do it for you or ask your realtor for suggestions.

As a seller, you have a lot to gain from making it easier on the buyer to see the potential of the space — without all your stuff, the best option is to stage the home.

Benefits of Home Staging

The National Associations of Realtors 2019 Profile of Home Staging Report, lists many positives about selling for sellers and buyers, below is some of the information derived from the report.

Buyers Are Well Versed in Their Wants

About 74 percent of real estate agent respondents to NAR’s survey on home staging said buyers know what they want in a home before searching.

Staging a home makes it simpler for buyers to know when a home meets their expectations, while little or no staging could mean a buyer is unable to envision the space — and get a feel for what it could be. Among respondents, 40% said home staging affected most buyers’ views of a home, versus 6% who said it made zero difference.

Home Staging Shows Potential

Designing and living in a home is personal, and there are plenty of individual styles and tastes. However, it’s the buyer, and not the seller, who the home needs to appeal to when it’s on the selling market.

According to 83% of buyers’ agents, staging a home makes it simpler for a buyer to envision the property as a future home. And 38% of buyers’ agents report staging makes buyers more likely to see a showing at a home they saw listed online.

Because while you can’t predict what everyone’s tastes are going to be, you can stage a home to highlight it to a broader audience.

Staging Prioritizes Key Spaces

All rooms in a home aren’t on the same level in terms of the importance of staging, the NAR report states. While 47% of buyers’ agents report seeing a staged living room is important to their client, only 19% of buyers’ agents say something similar like bathrooms are more important and 8% say so for guest bedrooms.

This is important info for sellers, who may have limited resources toward a full staging. Knowing what rooms are key lets sellers prioritize certain areas when staging to make the best impact for the least amount of work.

Staging May Increase Home’s Value

In the report, it was found that one-quarter of buyers’ agents told the NAR that staging increased the offering price by 1% to 5% compared to homes not staged. Among sellers’ agents, 22% reported the same and 17% said it increased the offering price by 6% to 10%.

Also, 0% of sellers’ agents and just 1% of buyer's agents said staging hurt the offering price. With not much to lose and the possibility to gain, staging appears to be worth the effort.

Staging may Decrease Time Home Is On Market

No seller wants to find themselves sitting on a forever listing. The longer a home stays on the market, the more difficult it can be to sell, meaning there’s much incentive to get the home sold in a few days as possible. And 28 percent of sellers’ agents said a small decrease in days on the market for staged homes, and 25% reported a substantial decrease. Only 12% of sellers’ agents said staging a home had no effect on its days on the market.

Why do staged homes tend to sell faster? Probably because of the various points listed above and staging helps buyers evaluate if they can visualize themselves in a property and its potential.

Staging a Home Costs

The median price of home staging varies from state to state, and this cost can easily be recouped if it leads to an increase in the home’s value.

Who pays for staging? Many sellers’ agents do staging themselves, as it may make their jobs easier. However, in some cases, it’s the seller who pays for staging, either spending the money toward hiring a professional staging service or doing the improvements on their own.

These are some of the basics when it comes to staging a home and here are some other things sellers should consider:

De-cluttering. Getting rid of clutter is effective and highly encouraged as it opens the space and makes the areas look larger and more appealing. When you’re getting ready to sell, box up everything not needed on a day-to-day basis and store it away until you move.

De-personalizing. It can be hard for a buyer to envision themselves in a home if they see the items of the home’s present owners. It’s better to create a blank canvas. Stowaway family photos and any other personal items — including beauty items, and other personal hygiene products on the bathroom counter.

Deep Cleaning. Cleaning is essential to staging and makes a positive first impression. If you don’t have the time do hire a professional cleaning service to do the job.

Small Repairs. Larger repairs can be done in post-inspection negotiations, but small repairs—like paint touch-ups should be performed during the staging process. Small fixes are fast and inexpensive and can be glaring to buyers if they’re not.

Go Neutral. The above can be helpful when selling a home, and if your home is painted in bright colors or if you have an unusual decorating scheme, it may be worth neutralizing the space for buyers. Paint over odd colors in white, gray, or another standard neutral shade. Change bright carpeting for taupe or beige. Rent a storage unit to place other bold and/or extra pieces of furniture. It’s not cheap but may impact how fast a home sells —as well as the price.

Staging Can Help

Overall, staging a home can help sell a home in a competitive buyer’s market but it can also be costly if you hire someone to do it for sure. On the flip side, doing it yourself can take much time and effort.

Do work with your real estate agent and decide if staging is important for your home and if it makes sense overall.

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