Can You Handle the Task of Staging a Home Yourself?

Home Staging is a method of decorating that is designed to showcase a home’s best features by making the space appealing to a broad range of potential buyers’ tastes. First impressions are a key factor in selling a home–  most buyers make up their minds within just ten seconds of entering the property. Contrary to common belief,  home staging is more than just preparing your house for a sale; staging is what you do after you’ve cleaned, painted and decluttered. When preparing to sell your home, it’s important to convince potential buyers that your house is perfect for them, and that it will fit all of their needs.

Is home staging necessary?

According to a 2015 study done by the National Association of Realtors, 81% of prospective buyers said staging their home helps them visualize the property as their future home, while 46% said it makes them more willing to walk through a home after seeing its pictures online. While it’s easy to assume home staging costs a fortune, the average cost to stage a home is actually just $675. Some home stagers will even drop the price if your own furniture is used as opposed to pieces they’d provide.

What to expect. 

Once you’ve put your home on the market, it’s time to decide if you want to invest in a professional home stager or just do it yourself. Before making the decision, you need to ask yourself if you’re prepared to take on the task of home staging. Although you may have an eye for decorating, when confronted with the grueling tasks of painting, hiring workers, and searching for the perfect accessories to make your home feel complete; the time you spend on these tasks can be exhausting. When you hire a home stager, you relieve that extra stress and can use your time focusing on the many other important aspects of home selling. Investing in a professional home stager could even increase your home’s value from one to five percent.

If you don’t decide to hire a professional home stager, be prepared to take on the following tasks:

• Remove clutter
• Add clean, attractive furniture (minimal furniture is always best)
• Paint walls with neutral colors
• Depersonalize (take down any family photos and loud artwork)
• Tend to front and back yards
• Clean floors and carpet

When selling your home, there are many factors that contribute to your home’s worth. Whether or not you decide to stage your home yourself or hire a professional, these improvements can make a big difference in your home’s selling price. Showcasing your home’s best attributes is an excellent way to attract and secure buyers, and it’s sure to increase your home’s market value.

Would you stage your home yourself or hire a professional? Let us know in the comments below. If you’re looking to selling your home you may want to check out Secret to Selling Your House.