What is Home Staging – Staging a House for Sale

When it’s time to move and sell your home, staging can make a difference of thousands of dollars in the sales price.

What is it that a buyer sees when they arrive at your home for sale? Are you selling a home? No, you are selling a lifestyle. You need to do your best to convey the positive aspects of that lifestyle in as little time as possible.  But why all the fuss? Is it going to pay off?

Making Changes to the Property

REALTORS often advise sellers on tips on how to sell a home. Declutter. Spruce up. Paint the kitchens and bathrooms. Use neutral colors as much as possible. Wash the windows, mirrors and sidewalks. This is all good advice, but we’re just getting warmed up. You need to continue to think of ideas on how to give your Hawaii home that certain aura. With “House Staging” you want to give the home an overall feel, beyond the bricks, paint and plaster. Once you have completed the basics , then you need to decide whether you want to go it alone, or hire a professional. Do you want to (or can you) move furniture around? Do you have storage for the numerous items you may need? On the first pass, your basic low-cost options are to move it, plant it, paint it, organize it, hide it, replace it, light it and clean it. When it comes to painting, white or off-white is not always best. You should do a little research on how to select the best colors for your home. If you decide to make big changes, think about how much remodeling you want to do and whether it is worth the time and money. See NAR’s Cost vs. Value Report.

Staging, Training and Marketing

I believe that real estate agents have many roles and wear many hats, marketing, sales, advertising, office organization, taxi driver, concierge, confidante and many more. For most agents, home staging is not one of them. Just as you wouldn’t leave a home sale to anyone, leave the specialization of staging a house to the professionals. Do you want to try to learn interior design in one week? There are many resources out there to get you started, but to give homes that inside appeal, you want to inquire and interview candidates about professional designations and memberships. Some of them include the American Society of Home Stagers and Redesigners, and the Real Estate Staging Association.

House Staging – Your Home

Does staging work? If we revisit the NAR cost vs. value report, what do you see most? Kitchens and bathrooms. Although you may not make back 100% on remodeling, you will almost always make 100% back on basic home improvements such as fixing up the bathrooms. Here’s a checklist:

1.    Replace outdated lighting fixtures

2.    Strip off wallpaper. Although you may like Gummi Bears, it’s a personal choice.

3.    Replace electrical outlets with GFCI receptacles

4.    Wash all windows (I mean really scrub them, so they are spotless)

5.    Replace hardware – faucets, cabinet handles, mirrors, racks, hooks, and toilets (at a minimum replace toilet seat and internal fill valves)

6.    Scrape or sand all surfaces, primer and paint with two coats (or primer with two coats). White is well…too white, choose

7.    Get everything off the floor and everything off the counters

8.    Time to add some finishing touches

·         Potted plants, flowers if you can

·         Plush cotton towels, preferably in a set. Tied with a ribbon works nicely

·         Fresh candles, scented soaps (not too strong though), lotions in a small basket

·         Polished stones or seashells

·         Wicker basket (to keep clutter out of sight)

·         Spend at least $30 and get a nice shower curtain

The Power of Staging

Clean is good, but empty houses are not always better. Staging is good, but can also be used to hide defects in the home, such as carpet stains, broken fixtures, and other deferred maintenance. If you need a professional Home Stager call me to get recommendations for local staging professionals. Most will do a consultation for less than $500 and get you pointed in the right direction. It is money well spent.

There is no question that staging will allow the home to sell for more money. Keep this in mind, when buying a home as well. Compare the home to other similar homes in the neighborhood. When there a lot of homes on the market, you can often find two similar homes in similar condition for comparison. As your local REALTOR, I will keep an eye out to spot that tall potted plant blocking the 10-year-old air conditioner that is about to fail. I always insist on a home inspection and most sellers will pitch in half or buy you a one year home warranty.