Why Home Staging Inspires the Best Prices in a Hot Housing Market

Right now, there’s no denying that the housing market is hot. In every state/Province and every city, there is a national housing shortage. What this means is that there are more people looking to buy a home than there are homes available for sale.

Buyers are jumping on homes as soon as they are listed on the market in hopes of a quick purchase, but they’re also hoping for a low price. As a seller, your goal is to get the best price, not just to sell quickly. This housing market is a golden opportunity to get an unprecedented value on your home – if you know how to stage it.

“The primary objective of staging is not to decorate, but rather to bring the property up to the level that it will appeal to the greatest number of potential buyers that will pay the highest price possible” – Consumers’ Guide to Real Estate Staging

Staging is the art of preparing a home to appeal to the greatest number of potential buyers in your market. The right arrangements can move you into a higher price-point and help buyers fall in love the moment they walk through the door. Staging can transform blank walls and floors into a warm and welcoming home that buyers can relate to. The right staging can inspire buyers to realize just how valuable your home really is, and see the potential of their life in that home unfolding with every room they explore.

Buyers who have toured a staged home are more likely to bid and accept negotiations well above the assayed and market value. In a 2021 survey by the Real Estate Staging Association of 4,600 properties, homes that were staged sold on average $40k over list price and an average of 9 days faster than un-staged homes. We found that investing 1.3% in staging results in an average of 7.1% over-list returns.

For homeowners looking just to offload a property fast, the housing shortage means you will definitely find a buyer at your market asking price. But for those looking to use this high-demand to get the best possible price (and home values are skyrocketing), staging is the key to transform your middling sale price to a high-value bid in the highest ranges your neighborhood has ever seen.

“Buyer’s agents recognize that professionally staged listings are “move-in” ready and are more inclined to show staged properties.” – Consumers’ Guide to Real Estate Staging

So why is staging so powerful? Staging combines architecture, aesthetics, and furnishing to manifest what really makes a home attractive to buyers. It can use the lines of furniture to enhance your sweeping architecture or turn a small space into a cozy retreat buyers feel immediately at home in.

Home Staging is not “just decorating”, it’s applied market research on what makes your house feel like a buyer’s dream home. Because of this, the effect it can have is truly profound both on your buyers and your bottom line.

Staging Shows Your Home’s Best Features

Consider the difference Before and After a home is staged by a professional stager. Staging transforms plain painted box-rooms into realistic and inspiring home environments. Every room is part of the lifestyle your home has to offer, every piece of furniture an inspiration for how the home could be used by a real buyer family. Most importantly, a few details used by your stager will show your home isn’t just a set of rooms, it’s a warm and welcoming lifestyle waiting to happen.

Professional staging often upgrades a home from “one of many” to “one of a kind”. Buyers will be able to see the unique features and imagine how they might optimize those architectural lines and floor plan flow.

Staging Reduces Seller Stress

When you’re planning to sell a home, the stress of preparing it for sale can be intense. You know that the right furniture arrangements, window treatments, and wall art can increase the sale price – but how do you choose? One of the crazy and stressful truths of the real estate industry is that furniture arrangements and color pallets do make a difference. But you shouldn’t have to guess at what that difference will be.

Working with a home stager takes that stress from your shoulders. You can rest assured that your stager has seen hundreds of homes sell and what will bring out your unique home’s best features. If you like the DIY style, you can consult with a home stager for tips on how to draw eyes toward your cozy fireplace and enhance the natural light from your picture windows.

For home sellers who just want to see a successful home sale, a stager can take all the stress off your shoulders by taking over and ensuring that the result buyers see will be your home’s best possible presentation for maximum final profits.

Most importantly, staging inspires buyers to see their own lives unfold in each room. The simple placement of an elegant dining table, beautifully made beds, and welcoming seating arrangements transforms empty boxes into a future life.

Buyers can more easily imagine what they’d do with the space, and how much they will love it, when they walk through staged rather than empty rooms. The more beautiful the staging, the more buyers want to see their own lives painted on the blank canvas that is your beautiful home.

“A professional stager will be able to work within your budget and help you invest your dollars for the best ROI” – Consumers’ Guide to Real Estate Staging

Many homeowners consider tackling staging DIY but don’t have the right furniture, accent pieces, or a designer’s eye.  Working with a RESA® home stager connects you with a communal trade association who believes strongly in helping every home seller achieve their best price with professional and ethical staging. You can trust a RESA® home stager to focus on enhancing your home’s best features to maximize your potential for profit.

Not sure where to start? We’ve got all the information you need in our Consumer’s Guide to Real Estate. Or contact us to consult directly with a real estate staging professional in your area who can help transform your home to sell at the best possible price in this hot housing market.