Stage & Prepare Your Home to Sell

Is it really worth it to stage a home? How about depersonalization? What do we hear as the experts??

If you are looking to sell your home, home staging can help you reduce your home’s time on the market while also getting the highest possible price. Whether you are selling a small 2 bedroom townhouse, 3-bed home or a 5,000 sq foot penthouse, staging greatly changes the perception of how your home is viewed by buyers.

The statistics below from the National Association of Realtors show the impact staging your home can have on potential buyers (from the perspective of realtors who primarily represent buyers).

• 96% of realtors said home staging has an impact on the buyer.
• 81% said buyers find it easier to visualize the property as a future home.
• 46% said buyers are more willing to walk through a staged home viewed online.
• 45% said staging to buyers’ tastes positively impacts home value (compared to only 10% who said it has a negative impact).
• 28% said staging could lead to buyers overlooking property faults.
• Of the realtors surveyed, 52% said home staging has a positive impact on the dollar value of the home.

What Is Depersonalization?

What does depersonalization actually mean? In setting the stage to get your home ready for sale, depersonalization is best explained as eliminating your personal tastes or neutralizing the space while still trying to make it feel warm and inviting.

Most people fall in love with their homes, making them an extension of their style and personality. While living in a home, the homeowner often chooses colors, accents, and finishes that they enjoy. This can be seen in everything from the red accent wall in the family room to the little statuettes adorning the front lawn. While these choices make the home unique, they make it unique and specific to the owner, which can be distracting to potential buyers. This is the purpose of depersonalization: allowing buyers to picture themselves making their new home out of your home for sale.

First Steps to Depersonalization

The process of depersonalization should begin as soon as the homeowner decides to sell.

Wall Coverings

If your home has wall treatments such as upholstery, wallpaper, or stencils that have not been updated within the last five to seven years, it is advisable that you remove or replace them.

Buyers may have a particularly difficult time seeing beyond wallpaper designs and patterns that are decades old and unfashionable.

Wall Décor

Putting personal effects like sports memorabilia, autographed musical equipment, and family photos into storage is recommended as these items serve as distractions for potential buyers. Clocks, mirrors, and pieces of art should be evaluated to determine if they present the proper neutrality for the home.

Color Palates

Using a neutral color palette can help you present a “blank canvas” to the buyer. Being aware of the underlying tones for the colors that you choose can help you bring out the character of the room without insinuating your own personality.

For example, if you choose a shade of beige with gold or tan undertones, utilize those colors for accents where appropriate.

Collections

Neutrality shouldn’t just apply to the color palette; it should also be applicable to the subject matter of the collections around your home.

Neutral books or magazines about architecture or food may be appropriate for display, but other reading materials should be hidden or even turned inward to hide the spine.

Collections of religious artifacts and niche collections should be removed.