The value of home staging pretty much comes down to the idea that there is a difference between selling a house and selling your home – and that it’s always better to do the first. A home reflects the lives of the people who have lived there. A house is a place that enables other people to envision their own futures in it. It is a well-understood truth of real estate that emphasizing the character of the house, rather than the character of its owners, helps it sell quicker, and for more money.

FIVE NOTES ON HOME STAGING

1. NOTHING PERSONAL

There is no reason for you to expect total strangers to share your tastes. In fact, you can pretty much count on the idea that the other people will be very different from you. So when the recommendation is made to paint a room a different colour, to put a lamp in storage or to reconsider the art you’ve hung so carefully, just remember – it’s not you. It’s them.

2. PROFESSIONAL HELP

The people who do this for a living know a thing or two that you probably don’t. Mostly, they are invested in helping you sell your house for the best price the market will bear. You, on the other hand, have a vested interest in the choices you have made throughout the time you have lived there. In this case, good advice is worth listening to.

3. BUYERS’ EYES

Buying a home is a forward-looking process. Buyers have to use their imaginations and picture themselves and their stuff in your house. Presenting your home as a blank palate for their future adds to your home’s appeal and increases its desirability. And desire is exactly the feeling you want them to experience at the outset of negotiations.

4. PICTURE PERFECT

Even before the foot traffic begins, the quality of the photos you use to market your home online will benefit noticeably from staging. The first goal in the staging process is to highlight the features of your house. The same for the photos. It’s only natural that the actions taken for one aspect of your marketing will improve the quality of the other.

5. FREE MONEY

Home staging has proven itself as a win-win proposition. Because it reliably increases selling prices, staging can be counted on to provide a good return on investment. The value of staging is widely accepted across the real estate industry.