House Beautiful X Showhomes Feature
As home stagers, we are constantly asked what makes a home sell quickly and for over-asking. Because if there’s anything we can all agree on, time is money!
We could write a list of the top features that makes a home sell for over asking RIGHT NOW, but the experts at House Beautiful did that for us. Their list is comprehensive, and we couldn’t agree more. The list holds especially true in a region like Raleigh and its suburbs. Outdoor dining, entertaining, and curb appeal are applicable almost year-round because of our moderate climate.
What was number 5 on the list? Home Staging! That’s right – even House Beautiful’s authority agrees that staging a home is a recipe for getting that over-asking-price offer. Showhomes was quoted in the article and we couldn’t be more excited!
As quoted in the article…
“Staging” your home to get it ready for visitors might not count as a permanent feature of your house, but it can definitely affect your sale. “Staging a home well helps potential buyers visualize themselves living there, boosting their emotional connection to the property,” says Garcia. “According to a 2021 study by the National Association of Realtors, staging a home can increase the offered price by 1% to 5% compared to similar unstaged homes on the market. Additionally, staged homes spend 70% less time on the market. In essence, staging not only increases the value of a home, but also helps it sell faster.”
You can hire a company such as Showhomes to have your house professionally staged. If you prefer to DIY, Stone suggests, “Start off with decluttering and organizing. Remove absolutely everything besides the furniture, your rugs, and decor. All the toys, stacks of mail, pet items, and food bowls, all of that goes in the closets/ basements/ or attic. Depersonalize! Take down all your family photos and high school diplomas, and yes, even your mvp trophy from your high school tennis team. Then, make sure your home is sparkling clean. Evaluate the walls, ceiling, and moldings, where are touch-ups needed?”
Stone goes on to add, “A lot of sellers I work with say, ‘How much can this possibly matter?’ The answer? A lot! Buyers, particularly millennial buyers who have grown up with HGTV lack the visualization to see a room that is cluttered with dated bulky furniture and be able to imagine the ‘after.’ You have to serve it up to them on a silver platter.”
She argues that the time and energy put into staging is definitely worth the effort, saying, “The amount of money you spent on these fixes will net you up to 25% more to your sale price, which is to say a huge return on your investment.”