Ready to Sell: How to Get and Keep Your Home Clean
Selling your home is no easy feat. But before you can juggle offers, nail negotiations, and work on closing, you have to get your home ready for the market. Staging your house is one of the most important parts of the sales process. By making sure your property is at its best for a photoshoot, you increase your chances of finding a buyer willing to pay a great price.
Here are some tips for getting your home clean and tidy for listing:
Buyers want to be able to see all the best parts of a property. By making your space as clean and tidy as possible, you allow them to imagine their lives in your house. This means it’s more likely to catch their attention, get an offer, and sell for the price you’re dreaming of.
You know that home staging is a must if you want to sell fast and for more. What are you waiting for? A price reduction? No, we don’t like those! Let’s stage it:)
Home Staging Consultation- In Person or Online- Learn MoreRunning a home based business, like a Bed and Breakfast or vacation rental? Increase your income and bookings and attract your ideal guests .2 hours. Add a website review.Learn MoreGreat if your space needs a lot of remodeling or updates that you choose to leave o the buyer. Help them see the possibilities. Learn More.Help buyers visualize the possibilities in a vacant space so they can visualize it as their future home. Learn More.
Helpful Tips for Buying an Investment Property That Attracts Renters
Purchasing a home with the goal of renting it for extra income requires taking a hard look at the property. Appealing to renters is essential for your success — an investment property provides no return if it sits empty. Chances are, you face stiff competition for renters. If the supply outpaces the demand, you must devote time, energy, and money in order to secure a consistent return on the investment. A little paint and new bathroom fixtures can go a long way to show a renter that you care about the property.
Location, Location, Location
Purchasing an investment property and the odds of renting it greatly depend on the location. For example, a rental property near a college may attract students during fall and spring semesters, but it could remain empty during the summer. A vacation rental home located at a popular beach can sit unused during the winter.
There are several factors for consideration when it comes to the location of a rental property, including:
The neighborhood
Schools
Nearby stores, parks, and attractions
Crime statistics
Property taxes
Whether you will ever use the space, like that of a vacation home, can help determine where you buy. If the investment is simply to obtain a financial return, then the location must offer the amenities renters demand.
Green Initiatives and Smart Home Technology
According to the National Multifamily Housing Council, a recent study shows that 78 percent of renters have an interest in recycling options. An additional 65 percent have an interest in sustainability and green initiatives.
Start-up costs for some smart home technologies may limit you to only those features you can afford. It is also important to keep in mind that not all renters will understand how smart home technologies work. Balancing the demands of renters against your budget is most definitely a challenge. It requires researching the best technologies and green initiatives for your specific property. Incorporating a few technologies and initiatives is better than none when it comes to competition for renters. You just might find that you like them enough to incorporate them into your own home!
Spruce, Stage, and Secure
It is important to get your property in great shape by painting, sprucing up curb appeal, and staging it for potential renters. Consider replacing carpet with laminate flooring for a more durable and stain-resistant floor. Replace faucets tarnished with mineral deposits with new, more modern looking ones. In the kitchen, upgrade cabinet knobs and toss any that show wear from years of use.
It might also help to have a home security system installed to help tenants feel more at ease in a new neighborhood. This shows them that you care about your tenants’ safety and that you’ve taken an extra step to ensure they feel safe at home. Some vacation rental management companies will even install digital locks if you partner with them. A property manager may also add an extra layer of security by screening your tenants to prevent fraud and damage to your property.
Investing in the Future
Purchasing a home to convert into a rental property can provide you with a financial nest egg for your future. At the same time, a renovated or upgraded home can do wonders for a neighborhood and create a safe place for a family to call home.
From a complete remodel to simply upgrading fixtures, turning a vacant home into a place for creating memories is a great way to attract renters. By showing the house some love, renters will take note that you value their needs and care about the property. Both are important factors that can result in you soaring above any competition.
Home staging is key to creating an investment property that attracts renters, whether is is a vacation rental or other rental property. Stage the property to get great photos or try virtual staging to show the possibilities for properties that will be rented without furniture. Learn more about how home staging works and what it costs in this video.
Planning to make your new property a vacation rental or Bed and Breakfast? Try a Vacation Rental Staging Consultation. As a successful Bed and Breakfast owner over the last 18 years, I doubled my income and bookings and attract my ideal customer with home staging, Interior Design and website branding. Learn More.
Did you know the right paint colors can help you sell your home for more? Or less if you pick the wrong colors?
Prices subject to change without notice. This post may contain affiliate links.
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Virtual Staging- Is it Home Staging or Interior Design?
Great question. I’m glad you asked Usually, they are very different things. The key difference is who you are decorating or designing for.
Home staging is decorating for the buyer. The goal is to make an emotional connection with them, so they can envision themselves living there and want to make an offer. You are appealing to their vision of their ideal lifestyle. To learn more about home staging, see my article, Home Staging- How it Works and What it Costs.
Interior design is decorating for the homeowner. The goal is to also to make an emotional connection and create their vision of a home that works for their ideal lifestyle.
There are some definite differences in how you make this emotional connection. In home staging, you are decorating for the target market, or most likely buyer of the home, whether It’s a young family, retired professionals or whoever. Colors are generally more neutral to appeal to a greater number of people. The decorating should highlight the features of the home, rather than tell the story of the owners. Personal items are usually removed. About half of the items your normally live with are removed to make it feel more spacious and show off the features of the home itself. Home staging is often done with the seller’s belongings, or with rental furniture and décor which are often typical retail items that are lower to mid-range in price.
With Interior design, it is important to let the personal story of the homeowner shine. Colors can be as rich or colorful as you like. Personal items are highlighted and given a place of honor. How much is on display all depends on the style the owner prefers. Interior design may use a wide range of retail or unique or custom furniture and decor in a wide range of price points.
Virtual staging is digital home staging done to a photo of a vacant room. The virtual staging may be done with a software program that has specific items available for use in the program, or it may be done by a designer with access to any product available on the market, both retail and custom. Virtual staging by a designer may offer more options for design and home décor than staging software programs. To learn more about virtual staging, see my article, Virtual Home Staging and Design- the Pros and Cons.
Recently, I completed this virtual staging project, which was selected as an example of Edesign for an Interior Design magazine, “Vision”, for the article “5 Things You Need to Know About Edesign” by JoAnne Lenart- Weary. The article starts on page 50, and my design is on page 55. To learn more about Edesign, see my article, Edesign-How it Works.
In this case, the virtual staging was both home staging and Interior Design! I used Photoshop, rather than a virtual staging program to complete the design.
Vision Magazine, Volume 41, Issue 1, January-February 2020 5 Things You Need to Know About Edesign” by JoAnne Lenart for Vision Magazine.After- Interior Design and Virtual Staging by Mary Ann Benoit- Northern Lights Home Staging and DesignBefore
The target market for this staging project was a young family in a high-end neighborhood. I created a modern global style design I thought would appeal to young, professional buyers in their 30’s that were starting a new family. I used greens for the colors, as green appeals to most people, and would not seem either too feminine or masculine. The wall color of the home was already neutral. The design is casual, comfortable, modern and uncluttered to highlight the features of the home. The living room design was chosen for the magazine article.
Here is the living room from another angle.
BeforeAfter- Interior Design and Virtual Staging by Mary Ann Benoit- Northern Lights Home Staging and Design
Here are a few of the products I used in the living room design. Click on the pictures to learn more. Some are affiliate links, meaning they give me a small commission for sharing at no additional cost to you.
I love all this beautiful black and white art from Arhaus.
Get 5% off this pillow and all products at Bryar Wolf with code northernlightsstaging5 at check out.
Here is close up of the dining area in this open concept space.
After- Interior Design and Virtual Staging by Mary Ann Benoit- Northern Lights Home Staging and Design
To show the possibilities for the large unfinished basement, I created a playroom area next to a comfortable family area where mom or dad could work while doing laundry and keeping an eye on the kids. There is also a crafting area and table. The rugs and kids’ furniture are all washable and pet friendly.
BeforeAfter- Interior Design and Virtual Staging by Mary Ann Benoit- Northern Lights Home Staging and Design
Here are a few of the products I used for this unfinished basement. These beautiful rugs from Ruggable can be removed from the pad and washed in a washing machine, and are kid and pet friendly, as are the washable covers on the bean bag furniture for kids from Pottery Barn Kids.
This self adhesive wall decal is easy to put on and remove.
Love these cat art dolls on Etsy!
You may be wondering, is virtual staging helping this house sell? The house is still for sale. It has been on the market 4 months, and was virtually staged after being on the market a month vacant. In looking at the market data for similar homes today, it appears this home is initially overpriced by $30k-$40K (10%) and the current price is still over market value even with 4 price reductions. Staging can help you sell quicker and for more, but it is not a silver bullet, and requires a competitive price when first listing and good marketing for it to work. Virtual staging has generated more interest in the home, and is probably the best option in this case so the sellers do not incur monthly rental costs for furniture and accessories associated with traditional home staging, as they wait to get their asking price.
Need Help with your Home Staging Project?
Need help staging your home for a speedy and profitable home sale? Check out my home staging services. I offer local in person home staging consultations, vacant and occupied staging. I also offer online home staging consultations, virtual staging and social media marketing for your home sale nationwide.
I hear you laughing through your computer. Yes, I know. You are thinking yeah, right! I can hardly wait to have my life interrupted with endless showings, lay awake at night wondering if I will be able to sell for a good price or will lose money, find a new house that I actually like and can afford, pack a million boxes, move a million boxes, unpack and not know where the heck anything is for months! Yes!! I can hardly wait!
OK, well, let’s think about this in a new way. How about this? I can hardly wait to sell my house fast and for more than I expect, move into the cool new house I found and make it my perfect dream home! It will be so much better than my last house and I will have some extra cash from the sale to fix it up just right! When I am done, there will be no place in the world I would rather be! Yes!! Bring it on!
Now, I can’t help you find your new home, but I can help you with all the rest! OK, HOW?
Sell Your House Fast and for More
The absolute best way to sell your house fast and for more is to hire a professional home stager to prepare you house for market. Get yourself a top realtor with great marketing skills and get professional photos of your beautifully staged home.
The price of staging should be fully paid for by the final asking price, and more. Bypass looking for the cheapest options, letting your realtor or friend do it, doing a partial staging job and all the rest. The best staging job will bring you the highest profit and fastest sale.
Give me a call to discuss local in person home staging. Live outside my service area or want to do the staging yourself? Try my online home staging consultation. Traditional home staging not in the cards for you? Consider my Virtual Staging package but check out my article on the Pro’s and Cons of Virtual Staging first. Does your home need a lot of remodeling that you want to leave to the buyer, but you are worried they won’t be able to see the possibilities and it will take forever to sell? Try my Virtual Remodeling package.
Download a copy of my brochure with all my home staging services and give me a call to see what works best for you.
Make Your New Home Everything You Imagine
Well OK, if you are imagining a mansion and that is not in your budget, maybe not. But there are so many things you can do with your new home to get it set up to be perfect for you with the budget you have, even if you bought a “fixer upper”.
One of the first things most people need is a new paint job, and possibly some new flooring if you are ripping out carpeting from the previous owners. A color consultationcan help pick great colors you love and that also work with the fixed finishes you will not be changing. Do you have some colors in mind already but just want to ask an expert if they will really work together before spending money on paint? Try my Will these colors Work Together package.
You may need to remodel a kitchen or bath, which also requires picking out the right colors, countertops and more. An Interior Design/Color consultationcan also help you with this. Need to visualize everything before you start spending money? Try my Virtual Remodeling package.
Since you are moving all your belongings into a new space that has a different floor plan, you may be struggling with how to lay it all out. Try my Floor Planning package.
Maybe you need to update the look of your new rooms and feel like most of your existing stuff will no longer work in the new house or you are ready for a change. Try my Full Service Edesign package. Learn more about Edesign- How it works in my blog article and in this video.
You want to redecorate using mainly what you already have and could also use a little help with room layout? Try my Refresh Edesign package. Want to redecorate with what you already have and feel like you already have a good handle on the floorplan? Try my Interior Redesignpackage.
You want to tackle all the redecorating yourself, but could use a little advice from a pro to get you off on the right track and help you develop a plan that you may need to take your time with? Try my Interior Design consultation. Or try my Designer on Call package and pick my brain for a couple hours.
Planning to start a home-based business or Bed and Breakfast in your new home? I can help you get it set up for success to increase your income, bookings and attract your ideal customer with my Vacation Rental Staging package.
All of the options above can be done online.
Bottom line, you don’t have to tackle this all alone. And in all honesty, yes there will be a little pain involved because it all takes time and disrupts your life. But why not look at it as an opportunity to make some magic happen?
Home staging is the art of decorating a home to sell fast and for top dollar. It works by highlighting the home’s best features and creating an atmosphere that buyers make an emotional connection with, so they can visualize themselves living there. Each year statistics come out that talk about things like staged homes sell 78% faster and for up to 20% more. Of course, this all depends on how well you or the realtor markets the home and if it is priced competitively to start with.
Just about every call I get starts with how much does it cost, and how does it work? This video is for you!
Note: Prices have increased since the time this video was created. See more current costs below and note things are always changing.
What are my options and how much does it cost?
Every house is different and there are options for every budget and situation. Most folks are looking for the most affordable way to stage. Low cost is not always better though. Remember, staging always costs less than your first price reduction if it does not sell.
Check out the following options to see what best fits your situation. The prices listed are just general estimates for planning. Every house is different and the investment in staging may vary.
Home Staging Consultation- Most Affordable
The smartest way to stage your home while still living in it is to start with a professional staging consultation and then do the work yourself. A stager will give you expert, unbiased advice on everything — inside and out — that will help you get top dollar, focusing only on changes that deliver a real return on your investment of time and money. This approach works especially well for sellers with limited budgets who understand the value of staging and are comfortable being hands-on. While the result may not be quite the same as having a pro do everything, it will absolutely make a difference. Many stagers will also offer a follow-up walk-through after you’ve completed the work to fine-tune the final result.
Every home — no matter how well-maintained — benefits from a consultation. The real value lies in the stager’s knowledge of your local market, their ability to present your home through a buyer’s eyes, and their objective perspective. When you live somewhere every day, that kind of distance is nearly impossible to achieve on your own. Don’t be nervous about what they’ll suggest — their entire goal is to help you sell quickly and for the most money possible.
The longer your home sits on the market, the more disruptive last-minute showings become, all while you continue paying monthly carrying costs. Extended time on market also typically leads your agent to recommend a price reduction — often $10,000–$15,000 at a time in Alaska’s market. Buyers also grow suspicious of homes that linger, making them less likely to offer full price. Stage before you list — you rarely get a second chance to make a strong first impression at your original asking price.
Investment: In Alaska, expect to pay $500–$800 for a 2-hour consultation, with larger homes or those needing a color consultation running $800–$1,200 or more. Full-service staging (where the stager does the work) typically runs $1,500–$4,000+ depending on home size and scope. Given Alaska’s higher cost of living and limited pool of staging professionals, budgeting on the higher end is wise.
Occupied Home Staging- The Best Option
If you’ll be living in the house while it’s on the market, this is the approach I recommend most. We start with a consultation to assess your space and build a clear plan, then get to work staging it that same day — working mainly with what you already own.
In some cases, I may suggest picking up a few inexpensive items like fresh bedding for the master bedroom, new shower curtains, or updated towels for the bathrooms. Small touches like these go a long way in making a home feel clean, modern, and truly move-in ready to buyers.
The good news? Most people already have everything needed to create a beautiful result. Often it’s simply about rearranging what you have so that each room has a clear purpose, feels open and inviting, highlights the home’s best features, and connects with your target buyer. Because I work with your existing furnishings, you typically won’t need to rent a thing — saving you real money.
Investment: $650–$2200. Depending on the size and condition of your home, staging can take anywhere from 4 to 10 hours, and you may want to budget a little extra for items like new bedding or towels. Every home is different, but the great news is — you’ll be done in a day!
BeforeAfterBeforeAfter
Hybrid Home Staging- A Great Option
This service is similar to standard Occupied Home Staging, but is the right choice when some of your existing furniture has seen better days. In those cases, I’ll recommend bringing in a few rental pieces to elevate the overall look and ensure your home shows its best.
Furniture rental fees are billed by the month, and my pricing assumes approximately two months of rental costs. For soft goods like bedding, towels, and accessories — anything that will actually be used in the home — those will need to be purchased rather than rented, as they simply aren’t available for lease.
Because rentals add a few extra steps to the process, I’ll spend additional time sourcing the right pieces, coordinating delivery, and being on-site when items arrive. At the end of your listing period, I’ll also handle the de-staging carefully to make sure your home comes through without any damage.
The staging itself is still completed in a single day.
Investment: $2,500–$5,000. Depending on the size and condition of your home, the process typically takes 6 to 13 hours and may include costs for new soft goods as well as rental furniture. Every home is different, and I’ll give you a clear, honest estimate before we begin.
BeforeAfter
Vacant Home Staging- Largest Investment- Just Do it.
Vacant homes don’t sell quickly. They look sad and lonely, fail to make an emotional connection with buyers, and offer no sense of scale — making it impossible to know how big a room really is, whether your furniture will fit, or even what the room is meant to be used for. With nothing to draw the eye, buyers focus on every flaw instead. Meanwhile, the house sits on the market for months while utility bills, mortgage payments, and price reductions pile up. Just stage it!
Yes, it’s an investment. But consider what’s involved — sourcing and planning an entire home’s worth of furniture and décor, making sure everything fits the space and works beautifully together, then delivering, unpacking, and styling the whole home to look gorgeous in a single day. And when the home sells, I’m back to de-stage everything carefully and ensure your property is left in perfect condition.
Investment: $3500–$6,000. The final cost depends on how much furniture needs to be rented and how long the home is on the market. This estimate covers up to 2–3 months.
BeforeAfter
How Long Does It Need to Be Staged?
Keep it staged until after the inspection is complete and the sale is pretty much a done deal. You don’t want the buyer to come to the house and think, wow, this looks nothing like what I bought, or to have to start over if the deal falls through. Many staged homes sell within the first month and rentals go into the second month while waiting for the inspection to be complete. I have had some homes sell the first day on the market, but it still takes time for the inspection, etc. My cost estimates were based on two months. There are no guarantees though. No one can predict how long it will take
The Bottom Line
OK, so you know staging will help you sell faster and for more. Even if you spend $5000, that is half the cost of your first price reduction most likely and you should be able to make the investment back easily in a higher selling price and reduced time (and expenses) on the market. See my article, “Spend a Little- Make a Lot with Home Staging” to learn more.
Food for Thought
I know, you are thinking YIKES! I want to sell and not spend one more cent on this house. You may be tempted to go with the lowest cost stager or try partial staging or vignette staging or some other half measure. Your realtor may offer to do it for you. Are they a professional stager? Wouldn’t you rather have them spending their time using their expertise to “market” your house instead? Halfway measures are a waste of your money, don’t work and are distracting to buyers. When I get calls asking me to do those things I always say no. See my article, “Bad Home Staging is like going on a first date to the drive-in for dinner” to learn more.
I hope you found this helpful! For more info, check out my guides, FAQ’s for Home Sellers or FAQs for Realtors and best of luck on your home sale!! If you need help, I offer staging consultations as well as virtual staging and remodeling services nationwide and in person staging in my service area.
Prepping for Sale: Home Projects That Won’t Cost You a Pretty Penny
Now that your home is ready to sell, you’ll soon be receiving money as opposed to spending it, right? Well, to get your home in tip-top shape and really grab those buyers’ attention, you’ll need to spend a little to impress a lot. Before you start to panic, rest assured that there are many budget-friendly ways to get your home ready to sell that won’t cost you a pretty penny.
Consider Small Renovations
There are definitely several simple ways to get your home ready to sell, but there are a few more extensive renovation projects you can take on first to really add the wow factor, all without spending a ton. For example, you can remodel your kitchen on a small, budget-friendly scale by painting cabinets, adding new hardware, or updating appliances. Another area of your home to look into is something you use every single day – the floor. Many buyers have hardwood floors on their list of things they are looking for in a home, but if your budget isn’t flexible, replace the floors in public areas such as the kitchen and living room. Many major retailers like Home Depot have seasonal sales and promotions that can make flooring installation a definite possibility without your wallet taking a hit. Alternatively, you can seek out niche flooring distributors that offer daily specials and a more customized shopping experience.
Make It Clean and Clutter-Free
When a buyer views your home, they’ll be looking at everything, so it might be hard for them to imagine the space for what it truly is if the coffee table is covered in trinkets and closets are packed full. De-clutter the home to create the illusion of space and give buyers a chance to picture their life there, not yours. It won’t cost a thing, and it can speed up the sale. You’ll also get a head start on packing.
Once you’ve de-cluttered, you’ll need to complete a thorough house cleaning. That even means getting down to the nitty gritty like wiping down baseboards and giving your blinds a solid dusting. You’ll also want to make vacuuming a daily chore, preferably with a HEPA-filtered vacuum so you’re picking up pet dander and allergens. If you’re in the market for a new vacuum, look for deals on easily stored cordless models to help make this chore a breeze.
Stage on a Smaller Level
Hiring a professional to stage your home can be pricey, but there’s no need to dish out the dough when you can stage on a smaller level. Simple changes, such as adding a ceiling fan, updating window treatments, placing cheap throw pillows on furniture, or replacing your decorative bath towels with ones that are crisp white, can make a huge difference. The best part is that many of the changes can be made for under $100 if you shop around for deals at retailers like Bed Bath & Beyond. Just use Bed Bath & Beyond coupons and promo codes to find discounts online.
If you choose to do the staging yourself, every home can benefit from a home staging consultation with a pro to give you a great checklist of everything you can do yourself to get your home ready for the market.
Welcome Them In
The front door doesn’t seem too important at first glance, but it’s the first thing the buyer will see. Plus, painting the front door is a cheap way to give your home a polished look, and you can do it without the help of a professional painter by following along with a tutorial. Before you go out and buy a gallon of candy apple red paint, take note that the current trends are leaning more toward darker hues of gray and blue, or even black. According to MarketWatch, black doors are becoming popular and can add up to $6,000 in home value. And to save money on paint, make note of sales and coupons from companies like Sherwin Williams.
Channel Your Green Thumb
You’ve seen plenty of homes with beautiful landscaping, and perhaps your thumb even turned green with envy. However, if you live in a climate where the temperature is scorching hot, you might feel as if your landscaping options are limited. The key is to adapt to your climate, and this means using flowers and plants that are drought-tolerant, such as purple coneflower, autumn joy, manzanita, or coyote brush. Rather than revamp your entire yard, add color and greenery in areas that are sparse to save both time and money. Look for sales at nearby nurseries or home improvement stores to help stretch your dollar.
Selling your home doesn’t have to be expensive. There are small ways to get your home ready to sell, such as de-cluttering, upgrading the entryway, adding greenery, staging, and making small renovations. Making these changes will make a huge difference in the eyes of a buyer, not to mention a small one on your wallet.
Plan to do your home staging yourself but not sure where to start? Send me pictures of your house and I will give you a detailed checklist of everything you can do inside and out to prepare your house to sell fast, sell high and appeal to your target market. as well as tips for living in your for sale home and preparing for your photo shoot. Perfect if you will be living in the home while it is listed. If your home will be vacant, I can give recommendations for paint, upgrades and preparation for market. Learn more.
Prices subject to change without notice. This post may contain affiliate links.
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Bad Home Staging is like going on a first date to the drive in for dinner
In a recent article, Staging a Vacant Home- Why It’s Worth the Money by Anna Martens in Alaska Home Magazine, some of my work and tips were featured on the importance of staging a vacant home.
Some of the key take-aways from the article were:
In today’s market, where home sellers need to make their homes stand out from the rest, those empty spaces can be a seller’s worst enemy.
“Vacant homes do not make an emotional connection with buyers and often look a little sad and lonely! A good way to fix this is to have your home staged.
Staging dramatically improves the marketability of a home.
Staged homes photograph much better and buyers can more easily remember the home after viewing it.
Tricky layouts and specialized rooms cause trouble when showing a vacant home
Staging a moderate-sized home in Alaska can run from $3,000-$4,500 depending on size, layout, accessibility and location.
Staging always costs much less than your first price reduction, which can be $10,000 or more.
An increased final sales price, faster closing, and reduced holding costs, will more than cover the staging investment and with a whole lot less stress!”.
This article provides additional insights into why it is so important to not only stage your vacant home, but make sure it is staged right. Staging it the wrong way can be just as ineffective as not staging it at all!
A professionally staged home done right, looks like a real home that people live in, and that buyers dream of and can envision themselves living in. The staging highlights the home’s best features, shows the purpose and possibilities of various rooms, how areas with poor layouts can be used, and feels warm and inviting.
Debra Gould, the Staging Diva, in her article Great Home Staging is Invisible says “I believe that great home staging is invisible. That sounds like a paradox. What I mean is that when you’ve really mastered the art of home staging, few people will realize the house is staged. Potential buyers just know that they love the house. “
Often, I get calls from Realtors that are just price shopping, looking for the cheapest stager. I am often asked if I will just stage a few rooms or lightly stage rooms. This is sometimes called “Vignette staging”, where a few items are put in a room to show scale as shown in the photo below.
Example of VIgnette Staging
Does this room look warm and inviting? Can envision yourself living here, or do you want to? Is it highlighting the best features? Does it show the purpose or possibilities of the room? If this is a bedroom, do you still wonder what size bed can fit here? Does it look like real people live here or like a staged space? If you were a buyer, would you be distracted by a room like this? It would be obvious that the owners do not still live in the home. Would you wonder if they might be desperate to sell and make a lower offer if you made an offer at all?
While this type of staging might appeal to some Realtors or sellers looking for the cheapest way to stage, how effective will this really be in selling the home quickly or for top dollar? Remember, you get what you pay for.
According to Debra Gould, “The point of home staging is that you are romancing the buyer so they fall in love with the house. Silly staging tricks like putting tape on the floor to show the outline of where a bed could go for scale, or putting a few pillows and a piece of art in a room to show scale are like “going on a first date with someone and they take you to the drive in for dinner”.
As a professional stager, I have been asked to stage many homes that had been on the market, sometimes for years without selling because they were poorly staged, partially staged or used vignette staging. After being properly staged, they sold quickly. The house below was on the market vacant for a year and did not sell, partially because it’s poor layout made it hard for buyers to visualize how they could arrange furniture in the room. Then it was poorly staged with limited furniture and vignette staging, and remained on the market for another year. Finally, I did a full staging job throughout the house and it sold within 6 weeks.
BeforeHome Staging by Northern Lights Home Staging and Design
Remember, after a home has been on the market for a while, it can be harder to sell as quickly if you wait to invest in professional staging later. All those buyers that have already seen the house previously are not likely to be interested. The longer a house remains on the market, the more people wonder “what is wrong with it”. Better to stage it right the first time.
Susan Atwell, of Atwell Staged Homes mentioned to me recently that selling a home is all about the 4 P’s, Price, Product, Promotion and Place.” To sell a home quickly and for top dollar, it is important to have a reasonable price (your realtor can help with this), a great product (which is where home staging comes in), great marketing (which is where your realtor is important) and a great location. Bad home photos on the MLS reflect more poorly on the Realtor who posted them than on the home that is for sale. They are, after all, the ones who are responsible for marketing your home.
You as the home seller have control over who you select for a Realtor to market your home as well as who you select for a home stager to prepare your home for marketing. Take charge of this and hire a professional who will do the job right for you. Make the calls yourself and learn the value of what you are getting for your money. It’s worth the money in your pocket after the sale is done!
Need help with your home staging project? Get a professional home staging consultation today. We can do it online, so I can help you wherever you live!
Virtual Home Staging and Design- The Pros and Cons
When it is time to sell our home, we all want to sell fast and for the highest price. One of the best ways to make that happen is to stage your home. Home staging uses decorating to highlight the home’s best features and helps buyers visualize how they can use the space while making an emotional connection with them so they can see themselves living there happily.
When it comes to home staging, there are several ways to go about it. You can:
Get a consultation with a professional home stager and get advice on everything you need to know to successfully stage it yourself.
Hire a pro to do the staging for you or with you, either working with what you already have if you will be living there while on the market, or bringing in everything and staging a vacant house.
You can virtually stage the space to show buyers the “potential of the home” and “what it could look like” if it was furnished in a particular style.
You can also use ” virtual design” to show how it could look if it were remodeled to have different paint colors, lighting, flooring and more.
What is Virtual Home Staging?
Virtual home staging is a computer rendering of what a vacant space might look like if it was staged with furniture and accessories.
Here are two examples of virtual staging where good quality photos of a vacant home were virtually staged to show the potential of a vacant property for sale. These examples could be used on the MLS for your listing if allowed in your state and should be clearly disclosed that they are virtual photos. A good way to do this is to show both the vacant photo and staged photo together so buyers know what to expect when they see the property in person. Notice in both cases, the condition of the walls and carpeting looked in very nice shape, so the staging was not covering up any obvious “problem areas”.
Before Virtual Home Staging
After Virtual Home Staging by Northern Lights Home Staging and Design
Before Virtual Home Staging
After Virtual Home Staging by Northern Lights Home Staging and Design
Virtual staging could even be used to advertise rental properties that the renter is expected to bring their own furniture to show them the potential of the space and give them a sense of scale and how furniture could fit in the space.
What is Virtual Design?
Sometimes a seller or realtor wants to show the potential of a space. Below is an example of one of the rooms above where the paint color was changed, the lighting updated and flooring was changed. The area rug was changed to work with the new paint color.
Example of Virtual Design by Northern Lights Home Staging and Design
This type of rendering entails more work because in addition to adding things, you are also changing items such as color, lighting and flooring so would be more expensive. This type of rendering that shows cosmetic changes is more an example of “virtual design” than “virtual staging”.
Virtual design can help if the property for sale will need work such as repainting, new flooring and lighting and the seller is willing to sell for a lower price and allow the buyer to do the work and make their own selections for those items. This would be a nice addition to materials you are showing buyers at an open house. It is not recommended for use on the MLS (Multiple Listing Service) because the cosmetic conditions of the home have been changed and you do not want to mislead buyers about the actual condition.
In addition, virtual staging or design should never show changes of things that cannot be changed (such as removing powerlines or highways from the view). Check to see what is allowed on the MLS in your state. Even if allowed, you may be opening the door to having buyers feeling ‘misled” by the listing when they see it in person, especially if they do not read all the “fine print” on the listing.
Sometimes, you may not have good photographs to work with due to the lighting or angles they were taken at, or the photos are filled with furniture or other items that need to be removed. In those cases, a 3D render can be created from scratch from room measurements. This type of render takes longer so is more expensive. Because these do not use actual photos, I would consider this “virtual design”, and it is critical to make it clear to buyers that this is a virtual rendering so they are not surprised.
Virtual Design- Before
After- Virtual Design from measurements by Northern Lights Home Staging and Design
The Pros of Virtual Staging and Design
Virtual home staging usually costs less (often half the cost or less) than physical home staging because it takes less time and there are no rental fees for furniture and accessories.
If the seller cannot afford in person staging, virtual staging can still help buyers or renters visualize the possibilities of a vacant space.
Virtual home staging is better than no home staging, because it helps the buyer to visualize how big the space is, how furniture can fit in the rooms and the purpose of each room.
Some homes may need a lot of remodeling, updates or exterior or interior painting and the seller may not be able to afford to do it, or may choose to leave that to the buyer so they can do it their way and sell at a lower price point. Helping the buyers see the possibilities at an open house with “virtual design” is a great advantage as the majority of people can not visualize how the space could look with major or even minor changes.
Virtual staging can show higher quality furniture and accessories, or specific styles to attract the target buyer that might not be available for in person staging. This might be beneficial for high end properties.
Virtual staging could be used to advertise rental properties where the renter is expected to bring their own furniture.
Virtual design can be used in combination with regular home staging. For example, if you have a home that needs exterior painting due to the color or condition but cannot afford to do that before selling, you could show a render of the house with a new paint color and still physically stage the interior.
The Cons of Virtual Staging and Design
I always recommend in person staging over virtual staging so buyers can make an emotional connection and envision themselves living there. The emotional connection is what causes buyers to make an offer. Buyers will never make the same emotional connection with a computer or paper image of a space as they will when seeing a beautifully staged home in person.
When using virtually staged images on an MLS listing, it is critical to make sure it is allowed in your state, and make it clear to buyers that this is a representation of the space. Buyers may get angry or be very disappointed when they visit the home in person and it looks nothing like the advertised image. Some buyers buy online and do not get to see the home in person. Be sure you are not mis-representing the space to buyers that cannot visit it in person. Showing a photo of the real space next to the virtual space with a detailed description can help make that clear.
If the rendering is not done accurately and to scale, it may give a false impression of how big the space is and how furniture could really fit in the rooms. Be sure to have your renders done by professionals that will make it to scale.
Be Sure to Disclose
Home staging, virtual staging and design are great tools to help you sell your property faster and for more, or help you rent a property and attract your ideal renter.
Be truthful with buyers on the condition of the house. Check with the MLS for your state to know what is allowed before listing. And remember that all buyers do not read all the details or fine print. Things to consider:
For realtors and home sellers, be clear and disclose that the photos you are showing are virtually staged and the property is actually vacant.
For those creating the virtual renders, be sure not to cover problem areas with staging items.
Be clear if the photos have made cosmetic changes and show the “design possibilities” rather than what the house actually looks like now.
One of the best ways to disclose are to show the actual photos side by side with the virtual photos. You do not want buyers to be surprised or angry when they see the actual property.
Photos should be realistic and not cropping out or changing things that cannot be changed, like power lines or other actual physical features surrounding the property.
Photos should represent the actual scale or size of the space in relation to the furniture and accessories added.
Need Help?
If you would like help selling your home faster and for more, I can help you with an in person home staging consultation or staging of a vacant or occupied home, an online home staging consultation for your home or vacation rental property and virtual home staging and virtual design.
Click on the pictures to learn more about my online services and give me a call for a quote for in person staging in my service area (south-central Alaska).
Virtual Staging and Remodeling Services
I always recommend in person staging over virtual staging so buyers can make an emotional connection and envision themselves living there. Sometimes though, a space may need a lot of remodeling or updates and the seller chooses to leave that to the buyer so they can do it their way. Or the seller can not afford in person staging. Virtual staging can help buyers see the possibilities of the remodeled space or visualize the possibilities in a vacant space. Learn more about the Pros and Cons of Virtual Staging in my blog article. Drop in renders use your well lit great photo of the vacant space. 3D renders use measurements of your vacant space with a suitable photograph for guidance. I also offer your buyers 10% off an Interior Design consultation for their new home that you can give them as a gift. See examples and Learn More.
Drop In Render- $100 per room photo. 2 Photo Minimum
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3D Render- $210 per room
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Floor Plan Added to either Package above. $30.00 per room
Interested in learning more home staging and design tips? Get my monthly award winning blog articles and get a free report on Top Paint Colors for a Speedy and Profitable Home Sale or My Top Ten Interior Design Tips in appreciation. Never miss a great idea!
Have you dreamed how to flip a house and make a profit? The first step is buying a great property with good potential to make a return on your investment. Then it is important to invest wisely in your repairs and upgrades. Finally, prepare the home for sale by having it professionally staged, create great curb appeal, get professional photos and sell it fast and at the high end of the price range for similar homes before you have any price reductions.
How to flip a house and make a profit.
Invest Wisely
We have all heard the real estate rule of thumb about buying the worst house in the best neighborhood. That strategy gives you the greatest opportunity to make the most profit, as long as the investment needed to fix it up is less than the value of similar homes in that neighborhood in great shape. Do your research on market values for similar homes to know what you can reasonably list it for. Prices can fluctuate so consider that in your calculations.
Before making upgrades, consider what is typical for similar homes in the area so you get a good return on your investment. You don’t want to invest a lot of money installing granite counter tops, for example, if similar homes nearby have laminate counter tops. Consider what the typical finishes are for counter tops, flooring etc. Look at local listings on Zillow and the details for homes for sale to find out.
Of course, you want your house to stand out and look better than similar homes to get the highest price. Great design and color choices can make all the difference without having to spend more for higher cost materials. Do a consultation with an Interior Designer or color consultant to come up with a great plan before you purchase anything.
List High and Avoid Mistakes
There is a range of prices for similar homes in your market. You want the home to look in great condition so you can get an appraised value at the high end of that range and sell fast so you don’t have any price reductions. Time is the enemy of the house flipper due to holding costs. Price it competitively. Give yourself the best chance for success by using professional home staging and avoiding mistakes many home sellers make that cause a house not to sell quickly.
Make an emotional connection with home buyers. Home staging by Northern Lights Home Staging and Design.
Hire a Professional Home Stager
The best way to connect with buyers is to get a consultation with a professional home stager and have them stage it for you. They are experts at decorating a home to highlight its best features, downplay the flaws and connecting with buyers so they can envision living there. They can give you paint color recommendations, stage it to appeal to your target market and give you tips for living in the home if needed while it is for sale. They can often use your existing furnishings and belongings to stage it and save you money on furniture and other rental fees if you plan to live in the home while it is listed. See my article on what to look for to find a great home stager to help you.
Don’t sell it Vacant
If you are not living in the home, you may be tempted to skip the cost of staging and sell it vacant. It is hard for any buyer to make an emotional connection with an empty house. They look a little sad and lonely! Buyers have a hard time visualizing how big the rooms are (they often look smaller with nothing in them to give a sense of scale), if their belongings will fit, how to arrange furniture and the purpose of different rooms. Without furniture and other things in the rooms, there is nothing to focus on except potential flaws. Vacant homes often stay on the market much longer, leading to price reductions.
Stage for your Target Market
Who is your target market? Is it a young family with children that are interested in your location near schools? A single professional? A retired couple? Look at who lives in your current neighborhood or is moving in. Check on Zillow to see how close the house is to different schools and what ratings they have. Stage your house to appeal to that target market. For example, to appeal to a young family with children, at least one bedroom should be decorated as a child’s room. A professional home stager will do this research and stage it to appeal to that market.
Increase Your Selling Price with Color
Before selling, consider your paint colors, inside and out. Did you know that the right paint colors in the right rooms attract buyers and can increase the sales price? The wrong colors can also reduce the price buyers are willing to pay. To find out more, check out my free report, Top Paint Colors for a Speedy and Profitable Home Sale.
Click on the picture to get your free report.
Great exterior colors and a memorable front door color can also make a big difference in helping your house stand out and be memorable with buyers….in a good way!
Great exterior colors and a memorable front door color can help your house sell fast and for more. Design and color selections by Northern Lights Home Staging and Design.
Get Professional Photos
The first step to getting buyers to look at your property is to outshine the competition online with great photos. Your home stager or realtor can recommend a professional real estate photographer to take photos of your beautifully staged home to attract buyers online. Check out my tips on how to prepare for your photoshoot.
Get Buyers in the Door with Curb Appeal
Make sure you have great curb appeal with a neat and clean yard, and a welcoming front door. Your online photos may get buyers to the property, but without great curb appeal they may just drive by and never make it inside. Here is a handy guide on how to increase your curb appeal. A great front door color, beautiful door mat and pots of flowers or outdoor art can make a big difference. Consider highlighting “outdoor living space”, which is a great selling feature to attract younger buyers.
Making smart choices on your home purchase and upgrades, spending a little money on home staging and great photos will help you sell fast and for more and cost less than your first price reduction if the house sits on the market.
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Dear Real Estate Agent, Don’t be Scared
When it comes to home staging, you may be scared it will cost too much, you will offend your client by recommending it and possibly lose the listing. You may be worried it will take too long and you want to get the home listed as soon as possible. You also may be scared to recommend it and that it may not work. OK, all kidding aside, you may not be “scared”, but maybe apprehensive or you are just not convinced it is the way to go. Please consider the following.
Home staging will make it easier for you to market and sell your listings because your MLS photos will outshine the competition online and a staged home will show much better, enticing buyers to make an offer.
Most buyers shop online first and professional photos of a beautifully staged listing will attract more leads for you.
Home stagers can address problems and can tell your clients the things you don’t want to say for fear of offending your client and losing the listing. Let them be the “bad cop”, especially in situations where the clients are selling due to divorce and sellers may have differing opinions.
Home staging can help your clients sell faster and for more, and is a service the client should be paying for, not you. You can always offer a great benefit by paying for the initial consultation.
Home staging always costs less than the first price reduction. Wouldn’t you rather have a talk with the client about home staging than a price reduction?
You are probably concerned about the cost, and rightly so since you don’t get paid until the house sells. As mentioned above, the cost of staging should be paid by the seller. They after all, have the most to gain by a higher sales price and faster sale. Both of you will benefit from selling fast. Less stress and costs for the seller and you get paid faster! And of course the seller will love a higher sales price and that increases your commission.
Home Staging by Northern Lights Home Staging and Design
Worried about how long it will take? It always takes time to prepare a home and get it listed, so why not have the staging conversation right away. A good stager can get the job done quickly for you given a little lead time.
Still apprehensive of how to approach the initial conversation about staging with your client?
Susan Atwell, of Atwell Staged Homes recommends one way to handle it is to not to use the word “staging” initially but repeat the message that they need to “properly prepare their home” and that you have an outside consultant who can help. Let them know that for an occupied home they will be living in while listed, the stager could help them for as little as $500 using what they already have. A vacant home will cost more, but they are also harder to sell as vacant homes don’t make an emotional connection with buyers. Learn more about the costs of home staging.
Home Staging by Northern Lights Home Staging and Design.
Still worried, what if it doesn’t work and you have recommended the client make the investment in staging? For years, the National Association of Realtors has published a yearly “Profile on Home Staging” showing the value of home staging. You can see the 2019 report here. Remember that the final results depend on hiring a professional home stager with a proven track record of results, rather than the “cheapest” stager or having an unqualified, untrained person stage it. It is worth helping your client find the best stager to do the job for them, even if it costs more.
Still “scared”? What do you have to lose? Well, a better-looking listing that shows better, sells faster, where you get paid faster with a higher commission and have happy clients that will give you great reviews!
Plan to do your staging yourself but not sure where to start? Send me pictures of your house and I will give you a detailed checklist of everything you can do inside and out to prepare your house to sell fast, sell high and appeal to your target market. as well as tips for living in your for sale home and preparing for your photo shoot. Perfect if you will be living in the home while it is listed. If your home will be vacant, I can give recommendations for paint, upgrades and preparation for market. . Learn more.
Usually, they are very different things. The key difference is who you are decorating or designing for.
