Is Home Staging Worth the Cost to Sellers?

Should putting your home’s best foot forward involve staging your home? In other words, is home staging worth the cost to sellers? Let’s take a look at some of the advantages of home staging to help you make that decision for yourself.

For most people looking to sell a home in North Carolina, the goal is to sell the home fast and at the best price. Your listing agent may recommend home staging as a tool to help you achieve that goal. While we always suggest homeowners should listen to their listing agent, it is still your call as a seller whether or not to heed your broker’s advice. In this Seller’s Guide article, we’ll share information to help you, as a seller, decide if home staging is worth it.

Home Staging – What is It?

If this is your first time selling a home, then you may not be familiar with the process of staging a home. Professional home stagers are hired to present your home in a way which highlights its potential to buyers in the best possible light. Home staging often occurs on both the inside and outside of your home.

If your home is vacant, a professional home stager will bring in furniture and decorative items. When you home is not vacant, the stager may give you a plan to remove clutter and personal items while positioning your furniture and decorative items in a way to best show off the space in your rooms. Outside of the home, a stager will usually recommend some landscaping maintenance and plantings to help improve curb appeal.

Advantages of Home Staging

Real estate professionals who recommend staging a home do so because they believe it will offer sellers a competitive advantage. What type of advantage can a staged home provide a seller? First of all, a professional home stager will offer advice and provide services that will help your home appeal to a larger audience of buyers.

Also, staging a home can help homeowners turn some of the negatives of their home (oddly shaped rooms, smaller bedrooms, etc.) into positives. Finally, a buyer’s first impression is also a lasting impression and staging creates a good first impression while helping buyers visualize themselves living in your home.

Is Home Staging Worth the Cost?

According to The International Association of Home Staging Professionals, who obviously are a little biased, 95% of staged homes sell in an average of 11 days or less and sell for 17% above the asking price compared to those that are not staged, which end up sitting on the market for an average of 90 days. The National Association of Realtors shared that the average staging investment is between 1% and 5 % of the home’s asking price, which generates a return of at least 8% to 10%, which is typically less than the first price reduction.

If you believe the above two sources, then staging your home is worth it. Being able to sell your home faster and at a higher price with an investment that is less than the amount you will need to reduce your home’s listing price if it doesn’t sell in a given period of time is certainly a distinct advantage. Depending on your local real estate market, staging is worth considering. When you are interviewing listing agents before selling your home in North Carolina, ask their opinions about home staging. If they use a home staging company, ask those agents to provide you with successful examples of how staging homes have benefited sellers.

If you still aren’t sure whether home staging is worth the cost, please do not hesitate to ask one of our brokers at Red Door Company. Contact us today, and we’ll be glad to answer any of your questions or schedule a time to meet in person to share the advantages of listing your home with Red Door Company.