Why Should You Stage Your Home? A Look at the Advantages of Traditional & Virtual Staging

Is staging your home worth the investment? As a top Lake George, NY realtor who is also a Certified Staging Professional, I say yes! Find out exactly what home staging is, some recent statistics, and the difference between traditional and virtual staging.

a staged living room with lots of plants and a painting of a plant

Home staging is the act of cleaning, upgrading, and modifying the home to best entice buyers to imagine themselves living in the house. Staging is a process that goes beyond decluttering and depersonalizing, and it requires much more than having a keen eye for interior design. When done correctly, home staging can significantly increase the real estate value of the home – and help it sell quicker, too.

Take a Look at the Stats on ROI & More With Home Staging

These stats collected over the past few years speak volumes:

In today’s market, average houses that are staged sell 5 to 11 times faster than those that are not (2022, International Association of Home Staging).

Sellers who invest about 1% of the sale price into professional staging can expect to see a 7% return on investment (2021, Real Estate Staging Association).

The majority (85%) of staged homes sell for 5 to 23% over their listing price (2020, National Association of Realtors).

If that last statistic sounds vague, consider a study conducted and published in 2022 by the International Association of Home Staging, that they carried out in partnership with Duke University. These numbers reveal exactly what percentages of staged homes sold for over the listing price, and by how much:

  • 22.5% sold for 1 to 3% over
  • 29% sold for 4 to 6% over
  • 38.7% sold for 6 to 12% over
  • 9.7% sold for 15 to 20%+ over

The living room is the most important to stage, followed by the master bedroom, and then the kitchen, according to NAR.

If you put money into it, you can expect a solid ROI. But how much do sellers need to spend on staging?

According to Home Advisor, home staging costs between $766 and $2,863, with the average cost landing at $1,767. The price tag will vary depending on your specific circumstances, the size of the home, and if you’re opting for a professional staging service or not. It also depends on if you’re going with traditional or virtual staging.

a staged bedroom in shades of blue and gray with a connecting bathroom

Traditional VS Virtual Staging: What’s the Difference?

Traditional staging is the literal, physical staging of the house. Sometimes furniture is brought in, kitchen appliances may be upgraded, personal photographs and diplomas are put away, and closets are cleaned out and organized for maximum storage.

Virtual staging is essentially what it sounds like: staging, but through photographs instead of in the actual space. Pictures of the home are manipulated to bring in furniture and other objects like plants or clocks to scale.

Both traditional and virtual staging are utilized to increase real estate value, and to showcase how the buyers might make this home theirs.

The advantage of traditional staging is of course, the in-person aspect. Many buyers need to walk through a home before they will buy it, and traditional staging allows them to see with their own eyes how the space can be brought to life.

The benefit of virtual staging is that it’s easier, quicker, and less expensive for the seller. There’s no need to worry about the logistics of moving furniture in and out of the home. A potential downside is that the buyers could feel slightly let down when they do see the house in person after viewing the staged photos.

Lean On Your Lake George Realtor for Staging & Real Estate Advice

As a Certified Staging Professional and Licensed Real Estate Associate Broker I’m equipped to help sellers in the Lake George, Adirondacks, and Saratoga regions with their home staging needs. My certification in staging is one of the aspects of my real estate services that puts me ahead of the game.

I can advise you on what type of staging you should consider, and what changes could be made to get your house sold at the best possible price in the shortest amount of time.

Contact me today to get a conversation started on staging, selling, or buying a home!

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