How to Stage a Home Like an Expert

For most homebuyers, purchasing a home is an emotional decision. A home is more than just a roof over our heads; it’s a place to bond with loved ones and make memories. Staging a house can help prospective buyers envision themselves living in and loving the home they’re touring. According to the National Association of Realtors (NAR), staging a house not only results in selling a home faster, it also translates to sales prices that are 20% higher on average. So, how much does home staging cost and how can you stage a home like an expert?

How much does home staging cost?

The cost of staging a house varies significantly based on factors like how many rooms you choose to stage and how long you need home staging. Home services website Angi states the typical homeowner spends around $1,774 on home staging, while NAR estimates the cost of staging at 1% of the home’s purchase price.

Sometimes, a seller’s real estate agent will cover the cost to stage a home. While staging a home often pays for itself by increasing the home’s appeal, the upfront cost can be significant. If you’re a real estate agent, a potential funding source could be a commission advance. This way, you can use a pending commission to cover the cost.

8 home staging tips:

1. Clean and declutter

One of the most important parts of staging a home is making sure the space is clean and free of any clutter. Few things can turn off potential buyers faster than a hoarder house or kitchen whose surfaces are caked with grime. A clean and tidy house will leave buyers feeling good about their potential purchase, reinforcing the fact that the home is well maintained. 

2. Boost curb appeal

Curb appeal offers prospective buyers a first impression of a property. A home’s curb appeal is incredibly important because it can set the tone for the rest of the tour. Buyers are willing to pay more money for a home with excellent curb appeal — 7% more, says a study by the University of Texas at Arlington. Home staging tips for improving curb appeal include:

• Mowing the lawn
• Fresh landscaping (trimming hedges and trees, putting down fresh mulch, etc.)
• Potted plants, flowers in flowerbeds and window boxes
• Keeping the driveway clear of cars and clutter
• Cleaning the gutters
• Pressure washing the exterior
• Washing the windows
• Painting the front door and updating the hardware

3. Remove personal effects

The best home stagers know how to depersonalize a home. The little details that make a house someone’s home are comforting and unique, but they won’t do you any favors when it’s time to sell. To depersonalize a home, take down family pictures and stow away trinkets, toys, and personal hygiene items like toothbrushes.

4. Match the style of the home

The furniture and decor in a staged home should match the style of the home itself. For example, a collection of rococo-style furnishings in a modern beach house would be a poor choice. Light colors and textured materials, on the other hand, would be more compatible with a coastal property. An expert home stager will understand home styles and decorate with furnishings that match and complement the space.

5. Go neutral (paint, curtains, accessories, etc.)

One of the goals of staging a home is to appeal to the widest possible audience. Since buyers have different tastes and preferences, choosing neutral colors and styles is the best way to attract the greatest number of potential buyers. 

6. Give each room a distinct purpose

Your guest bedroom might double as a home office or yoga studio, but staging a house like a pro means you have to assign each room a distinct purpose. A room with an exercise bike, a desk, and a lounge chair lacks purpose. If you want to stage a room as a home office, a simple desk, chair, and floor lamp will suffice. If you want to stage a guest bedroom, use the bed as a focal point, get rid of the exercise equipment and ditch the desk.

7. If you’re on a budget, prioritize key spaces

If you’re working with a limited budget, you don’t have to stage every room in the house. Instead, you should prioritize the most important areas of the house like the living room, primary bedroom, dining room and kitchen.

8. Let there be light

A home’s lighting can affect a person’s mood, making it a crucial component of professionally staging a home. When staging a home, let natural light stream in through the windows, add modern light fixtures, and layer with different types of lighting. Another home staging tip is using mirrors to reflect light, which helps make a room seem larger and brighter.

Conclusion

Staging a home can seem like a pricey proposition, but it’s usually a worthwhile investment in helping you sell a home faster and fetch top dollar. To stage a home like an expert, think like a prospective buyer. Make the home feel like it could be yours by removing anything that might evoke feelings of being in someone else’s house. Start by ensuring the home is clean and free of clutter or personal items. Aim for a minimalist design with neutral colors and styles, and give each room a single, distinct purpose. If staging every room in the house is out of your budget, you can opt for partial staging, highlighting some of the home’s main living spaces. For agents concerned with paying up front, remember you can always leverage a commission advance to pay for home staging and other marketing and advertising expenses.

Please note: this post discusses traditional commission advances for educational purposes. Advancing your commission with Tongo is generally faster, less expensive, and more flexible than a traditional commission advance. Plus, Tongo does not require brokers to sign off. For more information on Tongo click here.