I do a lot of “occupied home staging” and many people ask me what that phrase means. Many people incorrectly think a house needs to be empty in order to stage it. Others might not even be familiar with the concept of staging at all. Occupied home staging is simply preparing your home for the market and making it stand out — while you and your family still comfortably live in it.
“Will I have to tip toe around new furnishings?” ask some homeowners. Not at all. Selling your home while living in it is much easier than you may think, thanks to occupied home staging experts like myself.
A stager will get your home to look it’s best for potential buyers, whether in person or for online viewing. Here’s why it’s as fabulous as it sounds.
1. Convenience for the Seller
Placing a home on the market is one more stressor on top of a life that’s already full of activities and responsibilities. Happily, occupied staging is all about the convenience for the seller. Homeowners and their families don’t need to move out, put furniture into storage or tear apart the living room. When an expert stages an occupied home, they use the homeowner’s furnishings for the most part.
A good stager knows how to reposition furniture creating a floor plan that flows well. They might declutter or rearrange decorative items to showcase the space. Sometimes they’ll bring in fresh accessories to give a home an updated look.
As part of their creative process, the stager will take care of everything for you. Whatever the stager does, they’ll keep you updated, but most importantly — you don’t have to lift a finger.
2. It’s an Investment — Not an Expense
A homeowner shouldn’t look at home staging as an expense but an investment.
You’ll recoup your money when you sell the house. One Coldwell Banker study shows that staged homes typically sell for more than six percent above asking price.
A stager will look to bring out the best features in each room. And buyers will see the value of each room and connect better to the home. This translates into better offers.
3. Style Stands Out for Marketing Purposes
Buyers form an opinion on a home within the first 15 to 90 seconds. A stager will create an atmosphere that makes a great first impression with potential buyers. And online listing photos are more important than ever. Stagers know how to create picture-perfect scenes so your home stands out from the competition.
According to a NAR survey, an impressive 90 percent of potential buyers search online as their first house-hunting step, so your pictures are definitely worth a thousand words!
4. Your Home Will Sell Faster
When a home is properly staged, buyers will see how easy it is to live there. And maybe it’s for that reason staged homes sell 88 percent faster than non staged homes.
Even though your home is designed to fit your personal taste and style, a professional stager will alter just enough to charm potential buyers. You’ll still be comfortable in your home while it’s on the market. I’ve had sellers tell me they wish I had re-styled their home years ago, when it was not on the market so they could have enjoyed the new look for longer!
Looking to stand out from the competition? At Ready, Set, Move Group we’ll help turn your listing into a SALE!