Is it Worth the Money to Stage Your Home to Sell?

Originally posted on ContraCostaRealEstateResource.com

It can be difficult for sellers to imagine the end result of Staging a Home to Sell so it's not a surprise when balk at the expense, even if it's minimal compared to the returns.

In order to encourage you to read the entire article, I'm going to start with the happy ending. The Walnut Creek, California home for sale referenced in these pictures had multiple offers and sold in 10 days at $12,000 over List price.

Over 94% of home buyers start the house-hunting process viewing the home's photos online and only view the homes whose photos pass the muster but cameras are still not able to process the same amount of information as our eyes.

The living room in the Before photo had a maroon accent wall. While a very rich color to the eye, it appeared extremely dark when photographed. Notice how much brighter the room appears after the wall was painted (by the way, the interior lights were on for both photos).

The furniture was rearranged to demonstrate the expansive size of the room and display the fireplace. The addition of some colorful accessories added the warmth back to the room. The cost of staging this room consisted of a can of paint and accessories.

The adage "Kitchens and bathrooms sell homes" is very true. The bathroom reflected in the Before picture on the left was very functional but dated in appearance. The bathtub tile surround was replaced, adding a 4 inch strip of glass tile for a little custom "bling", bringing the tile up to the same level as the top of the window. The light fixture and faucet were replaced with brushed nickel finishes and the "builder standard" mirror was replaced with a more sophisticated framed mirror. The walls were then repainted with a slightly darker white to offset the cabinetry.

Should you update your home to sell? These sellers initially felt very strongly that the house should be sold As-Is: "There's nothing wrong with the house. Let the buyers paint and update it any way they want to." Given the huge return on their Staging investment, they're extremely happy they changed their minds!