Did you know staging can help you sell faster and for more money? 

When it comes to listing your home, you need an edge to help you sell fast. Some TV shows feature larger renovations like remodeling kitchens or revamping outdoor spaces before listing a home for sale. But you don’t need a big reno project to stand out from the competition. We commonly have our clients stage their homes.  

Scroll down to see how staging can help you sell your house faster and for more money – without making a massive investment. 

Setting the Stage: What Does Staging Involve? 

Staging your home is an art. Staging makes a home appealing to a larger buyer pool and is a great way to generate interest. When you list your home, you need to make the best first impression to as many potential buyers as possible.  

Home staging generally involves three steps: 

1. Remove Your Personal Items 

One of the main parts of home staging is making it easy for buyers to imagine themselves living in your home. When we list your home, we have to lose some of your personal style and belongings to suit the vision.  

The first step of staging is removing family photos, personal knick-knacks, kids’ toys, and anything that reminds a buyer that someone else lives there. Don’t stop at what you can see. Successful staging also includes items you have ‘hidden away’ in cabinets, drawers and closets. Your real estate agent may suggest packing a few non-essential boxes and putting items in short-term storage.   

2. Creating Open Spaces

Light, bright, and airy…Most buyers prefer brighter interiors.  

If you notice dark corners or areas, add a lamp or two to give more light. When staging, it’s often necessary to remove and/or replace furniture to create at least the illusion of more space. Fortunately, you can rent newer accent pieces to use.  

Remember: furniture placement is important to maximize your space. Create conversation spaces by grouping couches, chairs and tables away from walls and anchor the room using a neutral area rug. 

3. Attention to the Accents

After rooms are depersonalized, decluttered, and bright, add a few stylish pops of color with accent pillows or art. Even a bowl of fresh fruit or floral arrangement on the kitchen counter is a nice finishing touch. When staging, keep the color consistent from room to room for more flow throughout the home.   

Did you know: Frank Albert Realty has our own professional staging company? If you’d like, our stager can come in to make the living space the best it can be! We’ll even use your furniture when possible. All courtesy of Team Heffernan ($200 value). If your home needs more staging, Frank Albert Realty offers a 33% discount to the seller to stage your home. Contact us for a comparative market analysis (CMA) today! 

 Benefits of Home Staging 

Staging your home can make it seem bigger, highlight the best features, and make it easier for buyers to imagine themselves living there. This means, you’ll put yourself in the best possible position to get more offers and more money in the least amount of time! 

More Offers
 

Most people look at online home listings, and photos are typically the first (and possibly only) things that potential buyers will look at.  

Staging your home can make your photos look like they came out of a magazine or dream Pinterest board. When you make your home stand out, you can get more people to visit. This added interest can get more offers by impressing more people.  

Less Time on Market
 

Want to sell your home fast? Staging is a must. According to the National Association of Realtors, over 60% of sellers’ agents reported a decrease in a staged home’s time on the market. Staged homes sell on average 73% faster! 

Why? Homebuyers often feel professionally staged homes are “well-maintained” and “move-in” ready, both reasons to make a competitive offer. 

More Money
 

Staging a home can increase the value of offers by up to 10 percent! Considering that major renovations (like a kitchen or bath remodel) may not result in that positive return on investment, home staging can help sellers net a much larger profit from the sale. 

How to Stage Your Home to Sell 

Wondering, ‘how do I stage my home to sell?’ Once you decide to stage your home, you can choose to do it yourself or hire a professional. While we highly suggest a professional touch, we understand many factors can affect your decision, including the condition of your home to how much time/money you’re willing to invest in the property.  

Keep this in mind to decide which option makes more sense for your home, budget, and goals. 

Hire a Professional Home Stager  

Don’t have the time, know-how or desire to stage your home? Hiring a professional stager could be your best option. 

A pro stager offers convenience and certainty to homeowners. Plus, they can maximize your home’s value. Of course, staging is an investment and fees can vary depending on the size of your home. There may also be furniture rental fees. 

How to Find a Pro Stager 

As real estate agents, we have access to many local home stagers who we can recommend. If you’d prefer to find one on your own, review sites like Houzz, Angi, or Yelp. Then, check out the company’s website to get an idea of the types of homes they typically stage and their quality of work. Accreditation is also nice to know that you’re working with a credible stager. 

Just as you interview a real estate agent to list your home, ask the stager if they have personal experience staging your type of home and the results.  

Do It Yourself: Staging a Home like a Pro 

If you’re passionate about interior design and you have the time, self-staging might turn out to be a fun project that pays off big. But you must detach yourself from what you like to items that have a broader appeal. If you aren’t an expert stager, you can get a consultation from a professional on their recommendations. Then you can create a plan for each room before listing the property. 

You might save money home staging on your own, but it can cost you when it comes to your final sale price. Staging on your own also takes time. The process can take up days or weeks.  

Stage the rooms that have the biggest impact on potential buyers first: the kitchen, living room, master bedroom, and bathrooms.  

Make Your Home Feel Move-In Ready 

This isn’t an episode on a renovation show; many of today’s homebuyers aren’t looking for brand new kitchens or baths because they want to put their own stamp on the property. They have their own color and material preferences to fit the design aesthetic.  

What buyers do want is a place that feels ready to move in, and staging can have that effect. Plus, by decluttering and packing up many of your belongings before you sell, your move will be easier once you do you accept an offer! 

The Heffernan Team is the key to your real estate needs. Get a comparative market analysis (CMA) from our top local real estate agents. Call (813) 857-8592 to learn more about staging and sell your Tampa Bay home to sell — fast.