Does an investment in professionally staging a home really impact the sales price and closing time? Emphatically YES! In fact, home staging is the only proven method to sell a property faster and at a higher closing price. National data gathered by RESA (Real Estate Staging Association), proves that homes staged prior to listing sell 9 times faster.
The Miami real estate market has softened over the past few years. What does this mean to you? It means that your property MUST STAND OUT in order to avoid months of sitting on the market. Gone are the days when a thorough cleaning and hiding the dog beds was enough to ready a property to sell. Extra effort and attention to detail must be made with professional staging in order for your home to standout, sell faster and at the highest price.
Around the world, staging is considered a necessary part of the home selling process. The National Association of Realtors reported that 58% of selling agents insist that professional home staging adds real money to the bottom line and in some cases as much as 20%. Compass Real Estate has even started a program, Compass Concierge, that offers financial assistance to sellers by fronting the expense of professional home staging to be repaid at closing. There is no better endorsement of the power of professional home staging!
Sellers must consider the design skill, time and energy that properly staging a home requires. Can you undertake the task yourself? A credible real estate blogger stated: “Most homes I see that are not ‘professionally’ staged look like Pottery Barn meets grandma’s hand-me-downs.” Professional stagers are interior designers with an acute understanding of space planning. Stagers understand the difference between decorating a space vs. staging to sell. Staging a property is not the same process as designing a home to occupy. Professional home staging creates a flow and mood that will entice buyers and allows them to envision themselves in the space. The process of staging a home to sell entails removing personal effects, photographs and collectibles and adding stylish updated decor that will draw attention in an aspirational manner. Creating an emotional attachment to the property is the most important factor in professional home staging.
Getting a house ready to sell can require more than a fresh coat of paint, decluttering and proper furniture placement. As a seller, always consult your realtor before investing in renovations such as updating kitchens and bathrooms, both of which are extremely laborious and costly undertakings. Your realtor can educate you about your local housing market conditions and comparable listed properties thus can also advise you as to whether or not such an investment will add value. Professional home staging costs considerably less than construction and has solid, proven results. Stage to sell!
Elizabeth Stiff and Jacqueline Krueger are President and President Elect of the Miami Chapter of RESA, Real Estate Staging Association. They are also the founding partners of PeacefulNest Inc., a boutique home staging and design company servicing our local community. (www.peacefulnestinc.com) 305-800-NEST
