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Home Staging – What Difference Does It Make?


If you’re a fan of the hit HGTV series “Flip or Flop,” you’re already familiar with the concept of home staging. The night before the big reveal Open House, a home staging crew comes in to “stage” the home. Beautiful furniture is strategically placed, a pillow with the words “Home Is Where The Dog Is” is fluffed just-so, and tables are set for imaginary dinner parties. The goal is to create an atmosphere that attracts the greatest number of potential buyers, leading them to believe that they could create their life in this home. If you’ve been to a model home in one of the many new developments in Prescott Valley, Prescott, or Chino Valley, then you’ve had the same experience. Rather than relying on your own vision to imagine how a house could become a home, the stagers have done the work for you.

25% of Sellers’ agents stated that staging a home greatly decreased the time it was on the market

Staging makes for great TV drama and helps sell inventory in burgeoning developments, but what about when it comes to selling your existing home – does staging make a difference? To help answer that question, in February of 2019, the National Association of Realtors (NAR) invited a random sample of 48,728 active REALTORS® to fill out an online survey. A total of 2,076 usable responses were received. The results were fairly definitive in some areas, and supported an underlying conclusion about home staging that we’ve come to with our own clients and listings. While staging a home for sale may increase the dollar value of the offer by 1 – 5%, the real value in staging a home lies in another benefit – 25% of Sellers’ agents stated that staging a home greatly decreased the time it was on the market. 

NAR’S Home Staging Report

Most people who have sold a home agree – the quicker the better! Less days on market mean less taxes, insurance, utilities, maintenance, and stress. Bottom line? Ask your real estate professional if their listing services include staging your home. Most successful agents that we’ve talked to agree that it’s well worth the investment of their time and resources. The NAR’s full 2019 Profile of Home Staging Report is available here.

Value of Staging A Vacant Home – Video

To demonstrate the value of staging a vacant home, take a look at the video below. Although this home in the historic district in Prescott, AZ was a showstopper all on its own, we added just enough staging to hint at the suggestion of a lifestyle, but not so much that it locked down a single function for each space. For instance, a pair of stools and place settings in the kitchen suggest a casual start to the day, a fun place for after school snacks, or a cozy nook for wine and conversation. Or all of the above! Add a few plants, some big fluffy towels, and a pair of dog walkers, and this home was under contract, with multiple offers, in 22 days.

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One response to “Home Staging – What Difference Does It Make?”

  1. Jenna Hunter says:

    Thanks for explaining the difference that home staging makes. My cousin is thinking about selling her home. It would be really cool if she could get it staged by a professional.

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