Selling real estate in Denver is no easy task. It requires a lot of planning and preparation. After all, houses are expensive, which means that homebuyers are going to be very picky decision-makers. You’ll want to do everything you can to sell your house successfully. Staging your home, which involves cleaning, furnishing, and decorating your house, plays a big part in your ability to sell your house and to do so quickly at a price you deem fair. More importantly, staging a home can attract more buyers and improve your odds of receiving a bid —  perhaps even multiple bids! Staging a House

Is The Selling Process Negatively Affected By Not Staging Your Home?

As you can probably imagine, staging a house can be both time-consuming and expensive, especially if your home is currently devoid of furniture and decor. If your house is in excellent condition, you live in a desirable neighborhood, and you’re now in a seller’s market, you might wonder whether staging is necessary. The answer? It is. If your house isn’t staged to sell, it can hurt the impression that homebuyers have of your home. An empty house isn’t very inviting, which will affect how buyers feel as they tour each room. Once it comes time to decide, the staged homes that they looked at will stand out in their minds much more. Essentially, not staging your home will put you at a competitive disadvantage with other home sellers in Denver.

What If Your House Is Already Furnished?

If the current tenant (whether you or someone else) is still living in your home, it may already be furnished and decorated, so you don’t need to worry about home staging, right? Wrong. Staging can improve the visual appeal of your home despite the presence of existing furnishing and decoration. Staging may involve removing some of that furniture or decor and renting additional pieces to complement what is already there. There’s always room for improvement — and you’ll want to put your home in the best possible position to be sold, which is why staging is so critical to the sales process.

How Can Home Staging Help Attract More Homebuyers?

It’s not difficult to understand why a staged home is more appealing to a buyer than a non-staged home. While a staged home can provide a competitive advantage as buyers ponder their decision, it can also attract more buyers. The following are a few ways in which staging your house can attract more homebuyers:

1. Boost Curb Appeal

A common misconception is that home staging involves the interior of your house and nothing else. However, there’s plenty outside that can be improved through staging—for instance, your home’s entryway. If you do nothing to it, then it’s just another door. If you stage it, it can become a strong visual focal point. You can do this by adding a welcome mat, introducing a few potted plants or flowers, or even a fresh paint job for your front door. Not only will you attract the attention of potential buyers, but you’ll instantly create a more inviting vibe that will help pique their curiosity.  The same can be done with other outdoor areas, such as your porch or deck. Painting your exterior walls or the fence around your property can increase curb appeal as well. By boosting your curb appeal in this manner, you help generate a positive first impression before buyers even enter your home.

2. Improve Home Listing 

The majority of homebuyers begin their search online. There are countless online resources available where they can view various listings in the neighborhoods they’re interested in. As they read through each listing, they want to look at the pictures. Nobody is interested in a listing with no pictures. If your images are of empty rooms, searchers will have trouble gleaning any information from them. A photo of a staged room provides a sense of scale. Without furniture, they’ll have no idea how ample any given space is. If your home isn’t staged, your pictures may not be enough for buyers to schedule a showing.

3. Create A Better Virtual Tour Experience

Virtual tours are all the rage these days, no surprise considering the current state of things. Even before the pandemic, people were getting accustomed to taking virtual tours before deciding whether to visit a house in-person. You might think that if you have a virtual tour available online, staged photographs won’t be necessary. After all, buyers can get a better sense of the home’s space via a virtual tour than any picture, staged or not. However, a staged home will leave a much better impression than a non-staged home, even during a virtual tour. It allows buyers to see exactly what each room’s function is and helps them imagine how their own furniture might fit.

4. Generate More Interest During An Open House

Buyers tend to be more willing to come to an open house than to schedule a private showing. The reason for this is because there’s less pressure on them to make a decision during an open house. They can keep all of their thoughts and feelings to themselves. If they’re adequately impressed during the open house, they will contact the agent for a private showing. To get them to take that step, you will need to impress them during the open house. An open house for an empty house will do little to impress anyone. If anything, people will feel awkward gathering in a small group of strangers inside a vacant home.

How Much Does It Cost To Stage A Home?

The cost of staging will vary from house to house. The more empty rooms you have, the more it will cost to furnish and decorate the entire home. If your house is already furnished, then it will depend on what furniture and decor you rent to complement what you have. On top of that, the longer your house remains on the market, the more it will cost to keep it staged. But if we’re talking numbers, then the average cost of staging a house in the U.S. is around $1,300. Keep in mind that this is if you hire a professional stager, which is always a good idea. Most professional stagers charge a one-time consultation fee, followed by a monthly per/room fee. Few people have the time or resources it takes to stage a house on their own.

How Can Home Staging Help Sell Your House?

Now that you know how a staged home can help attract buyers, you might be wondering whether your staging can help convince anyone to submit an actual bid. It is worth noting that staged homes spend significantly less time on the market than non-staged homes — and real estate agents overwhelmingly believe that buyers tend to submit higher bids for staged homes than non-staged homes. Here are specific examples of why this is so:

Create A Positive First Impression Of The House

First impressions matter,  and while every buyer knows that the house will look completely different if they move all of their furniture and decor in, they will still be emotionally affected by what they see. No matter what people would like you to believe, everyone judges a book by its cover — especially homebuyers. The last thing you want to do is leave a negative impression, even if it’s just the initial impression. For instance, if a buyer who first walks into your home thinks to themselves, “it’s dark in here” or “it’s really empty” or “this looks smaller than I thought it was,” then you’re in trouble. Staging your home can help replace initial negative thoughts with positive initial thoughts.

Good Staging Provides Peace Of Mind

Walking through an empty house is often disorienting. People are used to seeing furnished houses, and an empty house feels lifeless, which it is. Then if the house is not only unfurnished but also underlit, the tour is going to be a little spooky. Nobody likes walking into a dark, empty room. Proper staging will solve all of these potential issues. When a house is staged impressively, buyers will also feel more at home and be less worried about potential issues. If it looks well taken care of, they will assume that it is well taken care of.

Showcase How Each Room Can Be Used

Buyers who walk through empty rooms may not know what those rooms are meant for. For example, if a buyer were to walk into a smaller room, they might think that it’s a bedroom — and that it’s too small for their needs. However, it may function better as a home office. By staging it as such, buyers will realize its intended function and won’t mistakenly dismiss your home as a result.

Create An Inviting Atmosphere

The atmosphere is crucial to home staging. Create a relaxed and inviting atmosphere so that potential buyers feel at home. Such an atmosphere lends to a positive overall impression. An empty home is cold and uninviting, which leaves a poor impression — even if the buyer is well aware that the house will feel much different if their furniture is in it.

Provide Buyers With the Ability To Imagine Living There

When you furnish and decorate a home, you show buyers how they can use their own furniture and decor. It makes it easier for them to imagine how they can use and furnish each room. And the more at home they feel while touring your house, the easier it becomes for them to see themselves living there.

Staging A House Will Help You Attract More Potential Homebuyers

Home staging is a must for any home seller in Denver. By staging a house (and doing an excellent job at it), you’ll not only improve the impression buyers have of your house, but you’ll also help to attract more potential buyers in the first place. The more buyers you attract, the better your chances will be of receiving a bid that meets your asking price.