out. You may also want to paint some rooms a fresh, neutral coat of paint. None of the above is terribly expensive and can be accomplished easily with a little help from your friends. What could involve some financial investment is in making repairs, which, if left undone, could impact a buyer’s impression of the home. This could include replacing, or at the very least, shampooing stained carpets. If the vinyl in the bathroomor kitchen is peeling and or shredded by animal nails, spending a weekend replacing the vinyl will give you a good return on investment in terms of sale price. Once the house is clean, the next step is to assess what additional accessories and/or furniture might help accessorize your newfound space to create a welcoming environment. Done well, home staging will make prospective buyers envision themselves living in the home. That’s the end goal. There are those who discount the value of staging your home, but money spent on staging should be considered an investment or cost of doing business in boosting the home’s perceived value, and will be recovered when the property is sold. THE EFFECT OF HOME STAGING ON THE SALE According to the Real Estate Staging Association, properties that are well-staged appear more appealing to prospective buyers and spend about 75% less time on the market than houses that are not staged. The appearance of the home in “model” condition is viewed by most buyers as positive sign that the house has been well-maintained and will subsequently sell at a higher price. The majority of prospective buyers think that they can overlook empty rooms or poor décor and see the potential of a home, but they really can’t. This is the reason successful builders use model suites and model homes to sell their projects. HOW STAGING SELLS YOUR HOUSE In beginning a search for a new home, most home buyers start with a reasonable list of prospective properties and narrow the list down based
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