Staging is definitely a hype word in today’s real estate market. With the majority of buyers starting their search online, and with the popular rise of many home improvement shows like Fixer Upper, buyers expect homes to be clean and styled in order to even take a look at them in person. Buyers, however, only know what they see and can’t imagine what it could be. Today, the internet has replaced the first showing and the pressure to make a great first impression online has risen immensely. When it comes to getting a home ready to sell, there are three critical steps that must happen: staging, styling, and killer photos. Today we are going to talk about the first two.
Staging is the act of preparing a home for sale which includes working with the “flow” of a home, eliminating clutter, editing and arranging furniture, and even assisting in enhancing curb appeal. Many times homeowners are left to their own discretion as far as preparing for showing because most agents, while experts in the field of selling and closing, are not design savvy. When we enter a home, we give our homeowners room by room instructions on what needs to be done. Most of the time the staging aspect involves removing…removing clutter, excess or oversize furniture, etc. Sometimes a key piece is needed and we all work together to determine the best avenue for achieving that. There are times where paint is needed and we give color recommendations that will complement the flow and overall color palette of the home. Paint is easily one of the biggest bangs for your home selling buck.
After the staging list is complete, we then work on styling the home. Styling is taking the functional, staged space and then properly showing it off. One of the key ways we do that is placing key accessories (that we provide) throughout the home that both show fabulously in photos and make buyers feel like the home is not only homey, but well cared for and stylish. For example, we know that white fluffy towels and a crisp white orchard in a master bath transforms any bath into one that feels spa like. Since buyers form an opinion of a home during the first ten seconds, we focus heavily on what they are viewing when they enter a home. A well styled entry and/or entry table is a must and leaves a very strong lasting impression.
Bottom line, staging and styling are a MUST for every homeowner if they are wanting to maximize the sale of their largest investment. At Greenbrook Realty, we hold your hand and help you every step of the way. Not only are we experts in buying and selling, we are experts at design. That is why we are REALTORS with a Vision.