Staged Homes Or Not? (Ready To Sell?)

Staged homes or not? Are you ready to sell? But I love my gnome collection!  Realtors hear this a lot.  Hired to sell a home that could possibly be a movie set for a 1970s or 1980s show.  It was fabulous then and so comfortable for the current owners.  Absolutely.  We get it.  But here’s the thing, today’s buyers have seen umpteen shows from HGTV on redoing homes.  What’s interesting is that the painted and staged homes may not necessarily have the great bones one truly looks for in a home (or at least what we should be getting). But these are the homes that sell fast and for more money. 

What Are Buyers Looking For?

What, you say?  What ARE buyers looking for?  They want to be able to imagine themselves coming home from work.  Picking up the children and in their minds, have a peaceful, organized and clean home to come home to.  Staging creates that belief in their minds.  Why? Because the whole point is buyers want a new experience.  Staging is like leaving the messy house and walking into a hotel room. The minute one walks through the door, it feels great, smells great, looks great.  We forget that the laundry will be waiting for us when we get home. Remember, Take Me Away Calgon? Now I’m dating myself, lol.

Okay, so 15 minutes later in that marvelous hotel room with ocean view,  there are socks on the floor, bags on the bed, closets left open, noise from running water in the bathroom and trying to figure out where we left the room keys.  Not exactly the perfection we entered into, but at least the first 15 minutes were great.

What’s With Staging?

Staging is about creating that first impression.  We know first impressions are key to selling anything!  Imagine being in court and the lawyer shows up with a wrinkled suit and shirt. I’m a lawyer also, so I know what I’m talking about :-)  What impression are you getting?  That maybe if they don’t care about their own appearance they probably have a lousy case.  I know, it’s not fair to judge, but I know it happens.  One’s judgment of the case instantly leans to the other side if the other side is organized and neatly dressed.  They are prepared.

Home staging is no different.  Want to sell your home for the best price and terms in the shortest amount of time?  Hire a professional and then stage it.  

Where Do I Start?

So here’s what to do:  First,  clean, clean, clean, clean, and clean some more.  Clean the exterior, the cobwebs, the dust, the fallen leaves.  Powerwash the exterior.  Inside, clean from top to bottom, ceilings, walls, floors, flat surfaces, behind items (you never know where buyers are looking).  Remember the mirrors.  Then there’s the bathroom (hire a professional!).  A professional gets the job done quickly and efficiently so you don’t have to.  Home sales are yes, about the agent you use, but also you must listen to your agent when they tell you to clean.  I tell my clients, the way we live and the way we sell are very different.  But if we want to sell, we must do what it takes. 

Now that the house is clean and smells nice, now comes the staging.  A rule of thumb is to take out as much as possible:  books, collectables, knick knacks, toys, pet paraphernalia, leave only one third of your closets full.  Yes, this is part of staging - remember it’s not about how we live, it’s about how we show.  Your comfort will come later in your new home. Keep that as a visual.

Are you okay with doing a few things to gain thousands and thousands of dollars?  You CAN make good money with a little sweat equity over a period of a few days or weeks.  If I told you, I can possibly make you and extra $50,000 to $65,000 in 3 weeks, would you agree to do what I tell you to do?  It’s legal - don’t worry.  If so, well - that is the situation you’re in when you sell your home.  The better it presents, the more money you will get.

What about lighting? If that 1970s light does not fit the decor, do not worry.  It is okay to replace it. And you can still keep it. Remember,  a couple of hundred dollars on a new light with some other tricks can net you thousands and thousands of extra dollars.  Our connection to an item can be very real and very emotional.  But if you want to sell your home, then remember the buyer might not want that light either.  If you like it that much, then take it down, pack it away and/or put it in your new home before you place your home on the market.

Simple advice, hard to do. I know.  When I bought my home, the sellers told me not to change it very much.  I understand,  It hurts to see our beloved homes changed.  But we have to keep the end in mind.  What is your ultimate goal?  To get to your new destination by selling your home and getting the best price and terms.

How Do I Stage?

Now that the house is cleared of the excess, now comes the staging.  Ideally, the house should be vacant to provide the best staging, but if you are still living in the home, then that can also be accommodated.  The stager will work around your items and bring in furniture, art, decor, rugs, and more.

What if you don’t choose to hire a stager and want to do it yourself. Isn’t it fun going into a furniture store that looks like it’s ready to move in? Your house was also ready to move in but just for you :-). To make it appeal to a lot of buyers, the decor needs to be freshened and updated. Remember, most buyers will not want the gnome collection or 1970s light. If you’d like to do it yourself, be prepared to make numerous trips to the furniture store, maybe something like Hobby Lobby or Home Goods, Thomasville Furniture, Macy’s, or Arhaus. Look at a lot of magazines or go online like to Houzz. Download lots of photos and see which ones are the most attractive. Get second and third opinions from your friends. Now give the home a new coat of paint, purchase those items of decor, and copy the magazine layouts and decorations, websites, or department store decor.

Finally, remember that if you hired a professional, then trust that the professional is doing what’s necessary to get the home sold.  Of what good is keeping your decor “as is” if nobody is going to buy the home at the listed price?  Either we have to bring down the pricing substantially or just spend a little sweat equity and pay for staging to get the home sold and at the best price. A staged home has been proven to sell for more money.

Ready?  Okay, you got this.

Leave your comment below on what you wish you would have done the last time you sold your home.