The little-known secret to getting your house to sell

When you’re in the market to sell your home, home staging can drastically increase the home equity value.

Don’t believe me?

The Real Estate Staging Association has said that homes across North America spent 90 per cent less time on the market in 2016, selling within an average of 23 days in comparison to unstaged homes which took an average 184 days to sell.

There’s no doubt that preparing a home for sale can be an overwhelming task and then difference between having your home sit on the market for months, with little or no interest, or having an immediate stream of prospective buyers — makes home staging worth looking into.

When you think about it, almost all home buyers begin their search online — meaning sellers need to make a good first impression. The internet has changed the game when it comes to real estate and that means curb appeal and presentation matters more than ever.

FACT: Most potential buyers form an opinion about a home within the first 7-10 seconds of arriving.

Staging can help your place look its best during the sales period without the cost or expense of a renovation. In fact, the cost of staging is usually a lot less than the typical price reduction when a home doesn’t sell — making it well worth the investment.

While home staging is in part about showing a property in its best possible light, it can also help potential buyers imagine themselves in the space. When working with a professional, they’ll suggest good furnishings and neutral wall colors to refresh the space and give it an improved sense of livability.

FACT: In controlled tests selling identical homes, professionally staged vs. non-staged, the non-staged houses sold in 102 days, while the staged houses sold in 45 days. (Real Estate Staging Association)

If you’re on a budget, you can still do a lot of staging work for under $1,000 — especially if you’re willing to do some of the improvement yourself. [link to home improvement article] It’s also not necessary to stage every room — just the main living areas, such as the living, dining rooms along with the master bedroom and bathroom.

Before you invest in home staging, make sure you do as much improvement work as you can, such as fixing drywall holes and removing carpet stains, as home staging can’t address major cosmetic issues.

As with anything, presentation and first-impressions really can make all the difference. Home staging puts your real estate efforts in one of the best positions possible (that and working with an agent — contact me here).

If you want success in real estate, I’m all about creating maximum salability and curb appeal to the largest number of potential buyers in the market. Effective home staging will increase your overall profits and expedite the sale as quickly and efficiently as possible.