Staging....It depends.

Staging a home for sale entails placing temporary furniture in the house to frame how rooms can be used and soften what might otherwise be a blank canvas. Make no mistake, though, staging can be expensive and time consuming, and in certain circumstances can even backfire. Is staging for everyone? No. Is staging the right choice for you? It depends. Regardless, if you are going to do it, do it right.

Staging is most important for non-traditional floor-plans.

If the house listed for sale has a non-traditional floor-plan, staging it can help potential buyers see how the space can be used. Not everyone can visualize how a particular room might be used. Where should the couch go? Can a table fit here? What is the purpose of this room? Properly staging a space gives it a purpose, and the extra effort may be the difference between a potential buyer passing on the house or making an offer.

Keep the staging neutral.

Don't allow loud furniture to overwhelm the space. Staging can actually harm a listing if a potential buyer can't see the space because the furniture is too expressive or suited to a particular taste. For better or worse, staging in the greater Washington area tends to lean towards contemporary. I've walked into too many listings with zebra prints, flamboyant colors, and modern décor. In a contemporary condo, this type of décor might work well, but in a historic row-house, not so much. In any case, trying to guess a potential buyer's personal tastes is impossible. The best staging sells the space, not the furniture.

Do it right!

I often see staging advertised by listing brokerages as a value-added service they offer so that sellers believe they're getting a little something "extra". Too often, however, these brokerages stage houses just for the sake of staging. Poor staging can actually hurt a listing, and I've seen plenty of poor staging. For instance, if a house is staged, but there is still noticeable space without a purpose, what good is the staging? Don't throw some fake furniture around just for the sake of saying it's staged -- do it right.

Conclusion.

Do I think staging can help? Certainly. Will you recoup the cost and effort of staging? It's possible, but to be honest, I really have no idea. Many will claim there are statistics "proving" staged homes sells for X% more than non-staged homes. I have no idea how they could formulate this data with any accuracy. There are too many variables other than the staging that can influence a final sales price. Usually price, location, size, and condition are paramount to any softening that staging might provide. But if you are into letting fake furniture decide whether or not you're buying a house, then you probably aren't working with me. But if you are working with me, rest assured that I'll help you.......Buy Smart. Live Well.