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We are renovating right now, painting, new bathroom vanity and moving in a couple months with our furniture. When we finish reno and boxing we'll move to next home several states away (purchase is done).
There are a couple ways to stage for MLS photos: with real furniture from a local stager or it can be done online with photos that artists put "furniture" combining stock photos using photos of our home interiors. Quite realistic but will buyers think "what??" when they arrive to view and the rooms are empty?
The real furniture stager is the most expensive, $2000 for first month and less afterwards. The electronic staging would cost probably $1000 the first month, maybe more depending on how many rooms we want to show and much less each month after.
That's a lot of money, either way. Which is why we're leaning toward "no furniture", super clean and bright and leaving curtains and rods up.
Someone I know in our position has delayed their move, staying in their listed-for-sale-home with their furniture even though they have bought their next home a couple miles away. It's been 4 months and no sale so far for them. BTW their home and furniture is designer stunning, way above our furniture level. I actually don't think our furniture style would add anything to sales appeal in our case (I like our furniture but it's not "showhouse" level.)
When you bought your recent home was it:
a) owners furniture in place
b) empty of furniture
c) staged
(a) is not a choice for us.
Gotta be (b) or (c)
What say you?
I've said this before.... Staged or not staged doesn't make a lot of difference, but my recommendation is to at least leave a dining room table and chairs.
And if you want them to remove shoes or put on booties, then leave a bench by the door so they're not trying to hop and put on shoes or booties. It's dangerous for some people to try!
If there is no place to sit down, people will walk through and leave - they won't linger. And sometimes they have grandma, or even dad with them who needs to take a break while everyone else looks around.
If there is someplace to sit and talk awhile, people will spend more time in the home, which is a good thing. I have sat around many a dining room table with buyers while they thought and talked through their decision to make an offer. It helps.
And don't bother with electronic staging. IMHO, it is one step up from just photoshopping the house and shouldn't be allowed. The scale is never right, and it doesn't help.
If you own really nice furniture, you can leave some of your furniture and stage yourself.
But clean, bright, and empty sells really well. There is no reason to pay someone to stage the property for you.
If you really can't stand the empty space, you can inexpensively place a couple of bright towels, tied with raffia, a pretty vase with silk flowers in each bathroom to dress it up a little bit. Really, honestly, there is no reason to stage if the house is clean and fresh.
Agree with the bench, and dining room furniture stated above. But the less "decor" you have on the walls and shelves, the better!
Don't bother baking cookies. Go to the store and buy a loaf of cinnamon bread. Toast a pair of slices before showings.
My last home purchase was new construction; no sample home just plans. i would elect no furniture since most furnished homes were not my taste and did nothing to add value (some times detract). Think it too risky to pay for staging with no guarantee of return on investment. I think it's important that fixtures look new (bath and kitchen) but that's it.
FWIT I don't even like curtains but I'm a minimalist.
If staging cost >0.5% of your asking price, don't bother.
If staging cost <0.5% of your asking price, just stage these:
1. Living room
2. Kitchen (simple table + 4 chairs)
3. 1 masterbed (bed, dresser)
You can buy pictures for $10 used or from TJMaxx to hang on the wall. Up to you to keep or return after 30-day.
Thanks for your replies (repped you all). I remember Diana Holbrook suggesting leaving chairs and table to allow buyers to rest and look. I will spend a little to buy those to leave, it seems like a very good idea. Our floors are 80% tile, no shoe removal needed.
I thought "new paint" smell was superior to cookies haha (have painted 3 rooms so far, 2 to go).
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