Is home staging really worth it? While the initial cost may seem unnecessary, compelling results from a survey confirm the merit of investing in a home staging professional, such as Jeanne of Décor Colorado Home Staging.
According to the news release, a survey conducted by the National Association of Realtors showed that 83 percent of buyers’ agents said it made it easier for buyers to visualize a property as their future home.
“Buying a house is more than a financial decision; it is an emotional decision as well. Buyers aren’t just making an investment in a property, they are purchasing a place to call home; to raise their children; to begin a new chapter; or to retire to a new season of life,” said NAR President John Smaby, a second-generation Realtor® from Edina, Minnesota and broker at Edina Realty. “Realtors® understand the importance of making a residential property as welcoming and appealing as possible to potential buyers. While every Realtor® doesn’t use staging in every situation, the potential value it brings is clear to both homebuyers and sellers.”
The report showed that more than half of sellers’ agents said the staging process of a home decreases the amount of time a home spends on the market. 25% said it greatly decreases the time and 28% said it slightly decreases the time.
Furthermore, the impact home buying tv programs have on buyers is evident. The report showed that a median of 20 percent of buyers were disappointed by home they looked at, compared to the beautifully staged homes shown on television shows. Another 39% of respondents said they found the home buying process more difficult than they expected. 10% said they wanted the homes to look the way they do when staged on TV shows.
Among all survey participants, 40% of buyer agents said staging has an effect on most buyers. 52% stated that staging has an effect on some buyers’ opinion of a home, as well. Only a measly 6% said home staging had little to no effect.
The living room is the most important room in a home to stage, according to 47% of survey participants. Reportedly, the next most important rooms are the master bedroom (42%) and then the kitchen (35%).
When surveyed, realtors said 44% of buyers’ agents report that staging a home increased the financial offer on a home. 25% said staging a home increases its dollar value by 1 to 5%, and 12% said that staging increases the dollar value 6 to 10 percent.
In addition to hiring a home staging professional, agents suggest sellers declutter their home (95%), have the home deep cleaned (89%), and remove pets and accessories during showing (83%).
The survey was conducted in February 2019 and a total of 48,728 active Realtor members were invited to participate. 2,076 useable responses were received for an overall response rate of 4.2%. The National Association of Realtors is America’s largest trade association, representing more than 1.3 million members involved in all aspects of the residential and commercial real estate industries.