When selling a home, it is important to ensure that you are doing everything possible to give yourself the best chance of success. Augusta mansions may seem to sell themselves, thanks to their location and features. However, even the most luxurious homes need a little help when selling. That's where professional staging comes in.
Staging a home means creating an inviting and appealing environment for potential buyers. It is important to remember that buyers are not only looking at the property itself but also the surrounding area. If your home is not properly staged, it could give buyers the impression that you are not serious about selling or that you do not care about their experience.
Staging is the smart way to sell a house
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In the January 2021 survey sent out by the National Association of Realtors, 58,000 were invited to respond, of which 2347 responses were successfully returned. Of the buyers' agents who responded, 47% agreed home staging impacted buyers' view of a home, 82% said it helped buyers envision themselves living in the home, and 23% noted that a staged property prompted a buyer to submit an offer 1-5% higher than otherwise offered. The International Association of Home Staging Professionals (IAHSP) also surveyed industry members, which reference 10,000 property sales. The data they found showed that luxury homes that have been staged sell faster than unstaged competitors at a rate of 2-8 times! Their data also showed that three-quarters of the staged properties covered by the survey sold for 4-20% over the requested listing price. Based on these results, it is clear that professional staging can significantly impact the sale of a home in both the speed of sale and the dollar value offered by buyers.
Why work with a professional?
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It makes financial sense
The 2022 Profile of Home Staging by the IAHSP noted that the average amount spent on staging a luxury property is $6,800. Assuming your property lists at $1,000,000 and a staged home sells for at least 4% over asking price, you can expect an increase in offers to at least $1,040,000. After the $6,800 investment, you are seeing a $33,200 return, which is a not insignificant amount to leave on the table by not staging your Augusta real estate for sale.
It saves you time
Selling a home is an arduous process on its own, from having to pack up all your belongings to dealing with showings and open houses. The last thing you want to do is add the extra burden of having to stage your home on top of everything else. Do you really want to spend multiple hours rearranging your furniture, painting the walls, and finding new neutral decor? Unless interior design is your passion, you can probably spend those hours doing something you enjoy to destress from prepping your property for sale, like checking out the latest exhibition at the Morris Museum of Art or playing a round at the historic Palmetto Golf Club. A professional stager will take care of everything for you so that you can focus on other things.
They have resources you may not have
When you hire a professional home stager, they will bring in furniture, art, and decor to enhance your existing pieces and make your home look its best. They also have access to storage facilities so that you do not have to move all your belongings out of the house while it is on the market. This is especially helpful if you have already moved into your new home and do not have the space to store everything.
What to expect from the process
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When you work with a professional stager, they will come to your home and assess what needs to be done to make it more appealing to buyers. They will then create a plan of action and provide you with a quote for their services.
If you decide to move forward with the staging process, the stager will then begin working on transforming your home. This may involve bringing in new furniture, painting walls, and making other changes to the layout and appearance of your home.
The goal of staging is to make your home look its best so that you can sell it quickly and for the most money possible. If you are considering selling your home, professional staging is a great way to ensure that you are doing everything possible to ensure a successful sale! If you need a recommendation for staging services, be sure to reach out to The Moss Group.
How to prep your space before hiring a staging company
If you want to give your home the best chance of selling quickly and for top dollar, there are a few things you can do to prepare your space before hiring a professional stager.
Clean
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Cleaning is one of the most important things sellers can do to prepare Augusta luxury homes for staging. This means not just tidying up but also doing a deep cleaning of the house beyond what you (or your maid service!) typically does. This includes cleaning baseboards, windows, light fixtures, and ceiling fans; shampooing carpets; and scrubbing the kitchen and bathrooms until they gleam. As with hiring a professional staging service, you may find it more efficient to hire a cleaning crew unless you find cleaning to be a soothing activity.
Declutter
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The next step is to declutter your home. This means getting rid of any unnecessary items that are taking up space. This includes everything from extra furniture and art to personal documentation and stacks of magazines. Not only will decluttering make your home look better, but it will also make it easier for potential buyers to imagine their own belongings in the space.
Remove personal touches
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You should also consider packing personal items such as family photos and fragile heirlooms. These items can make it difficult for potential buyers to see the home as their own. If you have any furniture or decor that is sentimental to you, you may also want to consider storing these items until after the sale. Doing the first pass and removing these items from your home will make it much easier for the stager to do their job.
Prep the walls for repainting
While your staging service may or may not recommend repainting the rooms you have staged, it is better to prep the walls as though you will be painting. This means repairing holes from removing decor and touching up any areas where the paint is chipped by moving furniture around or kids banging into walls with toys.
These are just a few of the things you can do to prepare your home for staging. By taking these steps, you will be giving yourself the best chance of success when it comes to selling your home. If you have questions about the home selling process, be sure to contact trusted local agent Lisa Moss for more information!
*Header photo courtesy of Shutterstock
