Is it time for sellers, real estate investors, and agents to take home staging to a whole new level in 2015?
Home staging has become more popular than ever. The data certainly justifies the means, but there are several advantages to staging that many may not even know about. Even some of the best home staging efforts may need a push in the right direction. That said; what are some of the current trends in staging? Perhaps even more importantly, what can you do to stage your home and sell quicker than ever before?
Beyond Home Improvement
Coverage by the Union Tribune in San Diego suggests that even modest home staging can trump six figure remodeling jobs. Perhaps it can in some cases, especially when novice rehabbers make grand, but poorly directed ‘improvements.’ In other cases, simply sticking to ‘prehabbing’ or staging could be all that is needed to sell a home.
This doesn’t mean that renovating isn’t critical for recycling, maintaining, and reselling many properties across America. However, it is important to know when each strategy should be deployed for the maximum ROI. Don’t overlook timing down to the season and month.
Home Staging Smarts
Most individuals are familiar with the general concept of home staging. For some, it means hiring any one of a variety of professional home stagers. For others, it is putting the finishing touches on a rehab project. In some cases, all that is really needed is to prepare the property for some expert photography, or even investing in virtual staging.
Based on media headlines, some may question the need for staging in what is reportedly such a hot market. Regardless, professionals are reporting that more inventory is coming on the market, and that there are certain neighborhoods and price points which just move more slowly. While there are dozens of variables that could be responsible for this, UT San Diego reminds of popular statistics that show “staged homes sell 73 percent more quickly, within 32 days of being re-listed.”
So when you absolutely need to sell a home swiftly and need top dollar, it only appears wise to invest in staging.
Home Staging Trends, and what’s Next…
The home staging buzz, which sparked the recent media coverage, stemmed from a staging mission in Poway, a suburb of San Diego. The firm, which charges as much as $8,000 for its services, and which sometimes reportedly has people sleep onsite to show properties, was described as crafting the ideal interior, as to appeal to every homebuyer.
This company may be good at what they do, and there are certainly moves to generically remove clutter, improve aesthetics, and neutralize the pallet. However, is it really possible to stage a home that looks okay to everyone? If there was, would it make sense in every market?
Think, for a moment, about how far we’ve come in virtually every other area of business and life. What experience, product, and service isn’t customized and personalized? Everything from content to art is curated. So why is home staging still stuck in the dark ages?
After all, you certainly have to have some idea of your target market and their tastes. There is so much data out there, and it is easy to access.
If selling an expensive property, isn’t it worth tailoring the experience? Isn’t the small effort and investment required for the rewards worth it? Remember, there are services and assistants which can help.
