Home Staging in Seattle

Home ideas to stage your home and have it sell faster

Ideas to spruce up your Seattle home to sell it faster and for more money in today’s real estate market

 

Beautiful Seattle Homes for Sale

Why Stage your Home? 

When you put your home on the market, you want it to sell quickly and for the best possible price. Staging your property can help you do both. Below, you will find tips and home staging ideas that can help you showcase your home’s strong points, minimize its problem areas, and increase its appeal for prospective buyers.  Ideas to spruce up your Seattle home to sell it faster and for more money in today’s real estate market. Home staging ideas sell Seattle home fast!

For more than 20 years, the benefits of staging a home have been well documented. Numerous studies show that staging helps sell a home faster and for a higher price. According to the National Association of REALTORS®, 88 percent of home buyers start their search online, forming impressions within three seconds of viewing a listing. When a home is well staged, it photographs well and makes the kind of first impression that encourages buyers to take the next step.

Studies also indicate that buyers decide if they’re interested within the first 30 seconds of entering a home. Not only does home staging help to remove potential red flags that can turn buyers off, it helps them begin to imagine living there. Homes that are professionally staged look more “move-in ready” and that makes them far more appealing to potential buyers.

According to the Village Voice, staged homes sell in one-third less time than non-staged homes. Staged homes can also command higher prices than non-staged homes. Data compiled by the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development indicate that staged homes sell for approximately 17 percent more than non-staged homes.

A measurable difference in time and money

In a study conducted by the Real Estate Staging Association in 2007, a group of vacant homes that had remained unsold for an average of 131 days were taken off the market, staged, and relisted. The newly staged properties sold, on average, in just 42 days, – which is approximately 68 percent less time on the market.

The study was repeated in 2011, in a more challenging market, and the numbers were even more dramatic. Vacant homes that were previously on the market for an average of 156 days as un-staged properties, when listed again as staged properties, sold after an average of 42 days—an average of 73 percent less time on the market.

Small investments, big potential returns

Staging is a powerful advantage when selling your home, but that’s not the only reason to do it. Staging uncovers problems that need to be addressed, repairs that need to be made, and upgrades that should be undertaken. For a relatively small investment of time and money, you can reap big returns. Staged properties are more inviting, and that inspires the kind of peace-of-mind that gets buyers to sign on the dotted line.

What’s more, the investment in staging can bring a higher price. According to the National Association of REALTORS, the average staging investment is between one percent and three percent of the home’s asking price, and typically generates a return of eight to ten percent.

In short, less time on the market and higher selling prices make the small cost of staging your home a wise investment.

Interested in learning more? Contact me (206-329-3795) for information about the value of staging and referrals for professional home stagers.

Seattle Modern Homes for Sale. Bellevue.12632 4th (5)

 

 

Beautiful Seattle Homes for Sale

 

Home Staging

Home Staging

As the saying goes, first impressions are everything. And the same holds true when selling your home. Beyond making sure that your home is squeaky clean, staging can be the difference between boring and breathtaking. Staging highlights your home’s best features and helps minimize any drawbacks. It allows buyers to feel comfortable and visualize themselves in your home without distraction. This is especially important if it is not occupied because an empty home has a difficult time communicating its potential to prospective buyers. When staging your home, you can either hire a professional stager or simply make adjustments to your own décor using the following guidelines.

Enhance Your Home’s Appeal
When preparing your home for sale, think about why you fell in love with your home in the first place, and what you still love about it. Did the entryway feel particularly welcoming? Do you love the flow of the living spaces? Perhaps it’s how the sunlight pours into the kitchen? Enhancing and highlighting these details can help evoke the same feeling for prospective buyers. Another useful tactic is to look at your home through the eyes of a buyer; it’s this process that is sometimes hard for sellers and why hiring a professional home stager can be the way to go. If hiring someone is out of the question, you can also look to your real estate agent for help with this process; they don’t have a sentimental attachment to your home, so it’s easier for them to provide an objective opinion.

Keep It Neutral
You may love your bright red accent wall or colorful art collection, but potential home buyers may not. Before showing your home, you will want to make an effort to tone down loud colors and create something of a blank canvas so buyers can better envision themselves—and their things—in your home. Kids’ rooms are no exception; you may want to avoid overly gendered or bold colors in bedrooms and bathrooms. A future homeowner may not have children or may see the space as an office or guest room, so showcasing rooms in a versatile light is best. Keeping it neutral applies to smell too. Don’t overpower your home with heavy scents using air fresheners or potpourri, but at the same time, you don’t want your closet smelling like sweat socks, so use your best judgment.

Less Is More
It’s time to clear out the clutter. You may not think of family photographs or books and trinkets as clutter, but to the prospective buyer, they’re exactly that. As such, all personal and superfluous items should be stored away—offsite if your home’s storage is at a premium. Excess furniture can make a room feel cluttered too, so it’s a good idea to store, sell, or give away surplus or bulky furniture. Bookcases should be thinned out and closets cleared to the point of almost being empty. Any religious memorabilia or political ideologies should also be absent from your home so as to not offend a prospective buyer who may not share your same beliefs. Once your home is staged, it may not feel as functional or personal, but it will do a better job of showcasing the space for buyers.

Let There Be Light
Another important element is the lighting. Bright, well-lit houses seem more spacious and cheerful. During the day, all the curtains and drapes should be open. If the view is unappealing, you can simply purchase sheer window coverings that let light through, but mask the view. Another way to brighten up your home is to turn on all the lamps, even during the day. And don’t forget about hallways, closets and stairways—they too need their share of light.

Feels Like Home
You don’t want to remove all the personality from your home; rather you want to showcase the space in the best possible light while making it feel welcome and comfortable. You may want to rearrange furniture to fit the rooms better, de-centralize the television, pull furniture away from the walls, or create cozy spaces to invoke a certain feeling or environment. Staging is especially important if the home is not occupied because an empty home has a difficult time communicating its potential to prospective buyers. In fact, studies show staged homes typically sell faster (and for more money) than empty homes, so consider rental furniture to fill the space and give it a sense of hominess.

Helpful Home Staging Tips:

  • Go through your home room-by-room and make changes holistically for each space.
  • Store any unnecessary objects and personal items (off-site if possible).
  • Group furniture in a way to make rooms feel more spacious.
  • Clean up closets, cabinets, and other built-ins to make spaces look larger and more organized.
  • Paint over bold wall paint with more neutral colors to appeal to a larger audience of buyers.
  • Well-lit homes are more inviting; the right lighting also makes rooms appear more spacious.
  • Enhance your home’s greatest assets and minimize the drawbacks.
  • Look for opportunities to repurpose or reorganize spaces into usable rooms (i.e., convert storage space into an exercise studio).
  • Make a special effort in bedrooms and bathrooms with nice linens; this makes rooms feel more intimate, polished, and appealing to potential buyers.
  • Stage your dining room for a dinner party with table linens, dishes, silverware, and other table décor (i.e., candle sticks, flowers, etc.).
  • Replace old curtains, cushions, and area rugs (you can find inexpensive replacements at discount stores and thrift shops).
  • Keep counters clear of clutter; remove drying racks, fridge magnets, drinking glasses, toothbrush holders, and anything else that can be distracting to the eye.
  • Remember, when staging a home, less is usually more!

Seattle Modern Homes for Sale. Bellevue.12632 4th (21)

DIY Home Staging Tips:

With a little time, effort and imagination, you can stage your home to showcase its best features, sell it faster and get top dollar.

Clean up, pare down, and toss out: By simply getting rid of excess furniture and clutter, you can make any room look larger and more inviting.

Make it professional, not personal: Remove family photos, mementos and other personal items from the space. This not only eliminates clutter, it helps potential homebuyers envision their lives in the space.

Repurpose rooms: Do you have a “junk” room? You can transform a liability into an asset by turning an underused space into a reading nook, a craft room, a yoga studio or a home gym. Just clean it up, add a coat of paint, some furniture and the right accessories.

Lighten up: Light, airy rooms look bigger and more welcoming. You can create a pleasing effect by using the right wattage bulbs and multiple light sources. The right window treatments can also have a big impact. Choose fabrics that are light and gauzy, rather than dark and heavy.

Try a little color: Paint is the cheapest, easiest way to update your home. Stick with warm, natural hues, but try darker colors for accent walls and to highlight special features. You can give old furniture new life with a coat of shiny black paint—and freshen up the front door with a bold, cheerful color.

Add some decorative touches: Art, accessories, plants and flowers breathe life into a home. Make rooms more inviting with accessories that are carefully grouped, especially in threes. Pay attention to scale, texture and color. Bring the outdoors in with plants and flowers.

Beautiful Seattle Homes for Sale

Picture-Perfect Staging:

When it comes to looking for a home most people start on the internet. The photos in your property listing can make a powerful first impression. According to a recent Wall Street Journal article, professional photos can increase home views up to 61%. Make sure your home is “ready for its close-up” by following these simple guidelines before the photographer shows up.

For exterior photography:

·         Make sure no cars are parked in front of your house or in your driveway.

·         Sidewalks and streets should be cropped out

·         There should be up-close and angled shots, as well as long shorts that emphasize space.

·         Clear away or trim vegetation blocking the front door or path to the door.

·         Make sure lawns are mowed, hedges clipped, etc.

·         Remove evidence of pets.

·         Put away children’s toys.

·         If you are selling a condo or townhome, such amenities as tennis courts, a gym, a garden patio or clubhouse should be photographed.

For interior photography:

·         Make sure your house is spotless, windows are clean and rooms are decluttered.

·         Repair all visible damage, e.g., bad water stains, gouges, chipped paint.

·         Drapes and blinds should be open and lights on.

·         Remove trash cans, close toilet seats.

·         Use floral arrangements in kitchens and dining rooms.

·         Make sure that interesting details and attractive features—e.g., wood floors, a carved mantel, marble counter tops and ornamental tile backsplashes, etc. – are photographed.

 

Pick up phone today

 

Interested in having your Seattle home staged and sold? Give us a call today!

Marlow Harris Seattle Real Estate Broker

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