Yes, Staging Is an Investment - Almost Guaranteed To Bring Big Dividends

I did a staging consult today, and although it was the owner's family who suggested the staging, I could see the incredible resistance by the seller as dollar signs danced in her brain and she heard the cash register - cha-ching, cha-ching. With all the media attention to designing a home to sell, it still has not trickled down to much of the population on Long Island.

It is understandable that sellers see the cost as throwing money into a home they no longer expect to live in. What they do not see is the immediate and positive impact it will have on their ultimate consumers. Buyers need to see a house in a way they can picture themselves in. It should be a serene space and devoid of too much personalization. What sellers do not see is the impact it has on their selling price and length of time on the market.

If you've ever watched any of the HGTV shows in which staging has a major role in getting homes ready for the market, you know the difference can be astounding. Staged rooms show purpose, they play to the focal points, and they maximize space.

If you're selling your home on Long Island or considering putting your property on the market, put yourself in the buyer's shoes for just a moment. Pretend it's you out there searching for your next house. You walk into two homes of similar size and style. One is warm and inviting, free of clutter and feels fresh and updated. The other has dated carpeting, long ago painted walls in aging white or worse, a strong color that you find jarring. The furnishings in their placement, make the rooms look smaller. which one would you consider buying?

You have about eight seconds to appeal to someone walking in the door of your home. The impression you create, good or bad, is one you can't change. You don't get a second chance to make a good first impression. Though your home, on paper, may have everything on the buyers' list of must haves, it immediately goes into their forgotten pile or on their short list.

Putting your home on the market is a little like a job interview or a first date with someone you hope to impress. You put on your best suit, look squeaky clean, perhaps dab on a little scent and hope you'll be noticed and ultimately chosen. That's exactly what professional stagers do for your property. And as for the investment, there are few things that can almost guarantee an impressive return on investment. Typically, staged homes bring back at least three to five times the cost of your staging.