Photo by Eric LaignelHOME STAGING BASICS
According to the National Association of Realtors (NAR):
The average staging investment is between 1 and 3 percent of the home's asking price, which generates a return of 8 to 10 percent.
A National Association of Realtors survey - found that "the longer a home stays on the market, the further below list price it drops. Homes that sold in the first 4 weeks averaged 1% more than the list price; 4 to 12 weeks averaged 5% less; 13 to 24 weeks averaged 6.4% less; than list price; and 24 weeks averaged more than 10% less than list price".
“The average staged home is selling at 7 days versus 87 to 107 days for an unstaged home” – Newsweek, April 2007
At VSP Design, Inc., we realized that some New Yorkers have not yet opened to the home refinement market, simply because they haven’t been exposed to it or have not learned about it until now. The traditional way to increase the potential sale of a house that is having problems selling has been to cut down the price of that property. As an Interior Design and Home Staging firm, we work very hard at educating our fellow New Yorkers to warm up to this intrepid market, especially now, as the Real Estate market remains volatile.
Photo by Sean
November 11, 2008
To Sell or Not to Sell
By: Pamela Mones
By: Pamela Mones
Do staged homes sell faster than non-staged homes?
According to the International Association of Home Staging Professionals (IAHSP), www.iahsp.com, 94.6% of staged homes sell, on average, in 35 days, compared to non-staged homes, which remain on the market on average, 175 days. Home Gain, ww.homegain.com, also supports statistics that reflect the importance of staging a home in today's real estate market.
But just what is, 'staging?'
Simply said, staging is preparing a home so it shines in its best light, revealing the positive features of the home in the most pleasing way to prospective buyers. That doesn't mean you have to spend a lot of money. Staging may mean removing unnecessary items from the space that might otherwise distract would-be buyers from seeing the home's innate characteristics. For example, overstuffed bookshelves suggest a sense of disorder and chaos rather than a soothing, orderly space. Rooms overcrowded with furniture should be thinned out to create a more open and inviting living space. Visitors to your home will 'breathe' better without even being aware of it, and you will, too. Organizations like Goodwill, the Salvation Army, and Purple Heart often will pick-up your unwanted wares for free.
Sometimes, a simple thing like fresh flowers placed throughout the home can add a pleasing influence on buyers, and add color to a space easily and affordably. Displaying new towels, specialty soaps, and unlit candles with very little out-of-pocket expense can do freshening up a bathroom. And check out your lighting. While a dim light may create a certain ambiance in the bedroom, a dark living room can create a gloomy, uninviting feeling.
Often it is difficult for most of us to see the clutter that abounds in our home. Our eyes get used to seeing what's there so we manage to overlook the mess. And, we have developed habits and traffic patterns that make climbing over the sofa to get to whatever-it is a natural thing, while prospective homebuyers might look at the owners' ability to 'adapt' to such a living arrangement as totally unacceptable.
What about the cost of hiring a professional staging consultant?
Fees vary widely, but you can expect to pay as little as $200 for a consultation, which usually provides you with some suggestions as to ways to improve your space, to several hundred dollars, or a few thousands depending on how much the stager will do, from choosing the furniture if the house is vacant, to taking care of all the details of delivery, setting up, and removal of staged items when the house sells.
Sometimes, a simple thing like fresh flowers placed throughout the home can add a pleasing influence on buyers, and add color to a space easily and affordably. Displaying new towels, specialty soaps, and unlit candles with very little out-of-pocket expense can do freshening up a bathroom. And check out your lighting. While a dim light may create a certain ambiance in the bedroom, a dark living room can create a gloomy, uninviting feeling.
Often it is difficult for most of us to see the clutter that abounds in our home. Our eyes get used to seeing what's there so we manage to overlook the mess. And, we have developed habits and traffic patterns that make climbing over the sofa to get to whatever-it is a natural thing, while prospective homebuyers might look at the owners' ability to 'adapt' to such a living arrangement as totally unacceptable.
What about the cost of hiring a professional staging consultant?
Fees vary widely, but you can expect to pay as little as $200 for a consultation, which usually provides you with some suggestions as to ways to improve your space, to several hundred dollars, or a few thousands depending on how much the stager will do, from choosing the furniture if the house is vacant, to taking care of all the details of delivery, setting up, and removal of staged items when the house sells.
