Home Staging: What Is It Really?

Home staging is a term that’s been in the real estate vernacular for decades. However, many people, both real estate agents and consumers included, have a misperception of what home staging really is. It was once thought of simply as placing expensive rented furniture in an empty home or new construction property to show prospective buyers how fabulous the space could look. However, this is only one potential element of staging and not the most common.

The living room of an AtWell Staged Home project.
Photo Credit: *AtWell Staged Home*

The bedroom of an AtWell Staged Home project.
Photo Credit: *AtWell Staged Home*

by ERA Insite Realty

Content Partner: ERA Insite Realty

Staging is ultimately the process of preparing a property to look its show-worthy best! These days, every home makes its first impression online. Property photos need to present the home in the best possible light to create the initial interest that gets the potential buyer in the door. So staging for photos is now a very important part of the process.

Staging may include any or all of the following: de-cluttering, de-personalizing, painting, organizing, repairing, re-arranging, minor or major updates, decorating and intense cleaning. Even sellers whose homes are immaculate and professionally decorated can benefit from home staging. Styles and tastes change over time and one of the keys to staging is creating a home with the greatest appeal to the most likely audience. Even sellers with keen interior design sense may have difficulty seeing their own home through the eyes of a potential buyer.

Many buyers in the market today have difficulty imagining what a home “could” look like. They have been influenced by all the home buying/selling/renovating programs on television where homes are transformed seemingly overnight into showplaces, and that has become their expectation. It is an undeniable fact that STAGED HOMES SELL QUICKER AND FOR MORE MONEY than non-staged homes.

Home staging can cost very little in time or money, depending on the home’s current condition. An experienced home stager knows how to create the most impact for the least expense, often using what an owner currently has available.

Thinking of selling and want to understand more about the process of preparing or staging your home for the market? ERA Insite Realty is offering a FREE Home Staging Workshop followed by a question and answer session on Wednesday, Nov. 6, 2019, 7–9 p.m., at its Pleasantville office at 370 Manville Road, right next door to the Jacob Burns Film Center. The workshop will be presented by Susan Atwell, founder and owner of AtWell Staged Home. Susan has been successfully helping sellers get top dollar quickly for over a decade. To attend, please contact ERA Insite Realty at 914-769-2222, or by email at ERAInsiteRealty@msn.com.