To Stage or Not to Stage your Luxury Listing
07/22/2019
We’ve all had some listings that were overcrowded, outdated, and otherwise unattractive. For a small starter home or condo in that condition, you might choose to neutralize the interior by clearing out the space and showing it with the bear minimum of furniture and fixtures. However, if you are listing a property in the upper-tier, it’s important to put the property’s best face forward—usually through interior staging.
Why is staging so important when listing a luxury home?
- Larger interior spaces are less obviously defined than the simpler floorplan of a small home. This may require you to help potential buyers visualize ways to use the space effectively.
- Many upper-tier homes have been customized to suit the current owner's tastes. This may not best suited to either the property or more importantly the majority of potential buyers. Buyers typically find it hard to see through the clutter and noise of another individual's design preferences.
- Higher home prices translate into larger expectations—both from the buyer and seller. You’ll need to do more to impress potential buyers and justify the asking price. Sellers will expect to see extra effort on your part to help them market their home effectively.
- Professionally staged homes sell faster. According to the National Association of Realtors’ 2019 report, 83% of buyers’ agents said staging a home made it easier for a buyer to visualize the property as a future home. Some figures suggest that home staging can speed a home sale by as much as 73% over unstaged or vacant properties.