In any housing market, especially a competitive one like we're seeing now, home staging is an important tool in preparing a home for sale. Over the last five years, the amount of homeowners that use staging to more effectively market their homes for sale has grown over 100%!

We still have a long way to go in educating consumers about the reality and benefits of staging, but it seems that we're on our way. In my experience, I've found that there are some questions and misconceptions about staging that may be holding back sellers and even Realtors from taking advantage of the services of a professional home stager to help to market a property.

Here are some things I've come across:

1. What exactly is staging anyway? Home staging is a marketing tool that is designed to show a property in its best possible light, accentuating the positives, exuding a clean, well-maintained, comfortable setting to the widest audience possible. Think model home or hotel room.
2. I've cleaned and de-cluttered, so it's all ready for the market. That's a great start and it is part of the staging process. But it's only the beginning. It is difficult to be objective about our own home. What may be lovely or comfortable to us may not be as buyer-friendly as we think. We stagers work to de-personalize the home while keeping in mind the target buyer in order to subtlely appeal to that group through an emotional connection.
3. Staging is expensive. I understand that sellers do not want to spend lots of money on a house they're going to leave. Staging in and of itself is not expensive. Most home stagers charge a flat fee for their service, which typically includes a service package of a number of hours. If committing to a hands-on staging package seems to be too much, even a staging consultation would provide lots of information and suggestions on updates or repairs that would bring a high return on investment (ROI). 

HomeGain, a leader in the real estate industry, listed the Top 10 D-I-Y Home Improvements for Sellers and the ROI for each (see chart, inset). Home staging is #3 on the list, only to be topped by lightening/brightening and cleaning and de-cluttering the home.

The way I think of it, with the competition in the industry, it becomes a HUGE benefit to dress up your house and ensure that it is clean, well-maintained, aethetically pleasing and offers emotional connections to buyers. If a home doesn't "speak" to a buyer, they will just move on to the next property--and there are plenty of others to see!

You wouldn't go to a job interview unshowered and in old, wrinkled clothing, would you? A house should be dressed to impress as well. It is essentially being interviewed by buyers.

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Welcome to the holiday season! As much as some of us love the holidays, when a house is on the market through this season, it's not always the best idea to present it as the winter wonderland that we may want to do. Do you remember that old acronym, KISS (keep it simple, stupid)? Well, my interpretation for staging a home  is: Keep It Simply Stated. And it applies to the holidays as well.

There is nothing wrong with displaying a seasonal motif throughout a home during the holidays. It's actually a very warm and inviting welcome for potential buyers as they come through the door. But PLEASE don't go overboard. Simply stated decorations, accessories and furnishings are subtle hints of the season and gives a space a homey, friendly feel without being overwhelming.

The rule of thumb is to use no more than three pieces/arrangements per room. For a living room, that would be the mantel, a throw on the sofa, and perhaps a small, seasonal accessory on a table. There is nothing wrong with having a Christmas tree up, but I would suggest that the decorations use the same simple application, rather than the flashing colorful lights and bright red garland. And, of course, the tree would count as one of the three arrangements in the room. If it is a small room, it could possibly be enough on its own.

Convincing homeowners that simply stated is the way to go can be a tricky proposition. Remembering back to my grandmother's house at Christmas, it would easily throw her over the edge to remove the spray snow and blinking lights from the windows, and put away the hundreds of decorations that made her place look like the North Pole itself. But keeping the eye on the prize (selling the home quickly) could be the deal breaker.

The time to stage your home for sale is BEFORE it is listed. Small, affordable repairs and improvements make a huge difference in the mind of the buyer. Spending a little bit of money–and believe me, it's a little bit compared to the amount of money you'll lose by dropping the price if it sits on the market–has been proven to help a home sell (up to 50%) quicker and for more money (between 3% and 10%) than a home that is not staged. Think of it as an investment. It's better than the stock market. You will always make your money back!

Moving is not easy, emotionally or physically, but you need to separate yourself and think of it as a "house" rather than your "home." You live in your home differently than you sell your house. Functional Home Designs determines the target buyer for your house and creates a lifestyle design in which a buyer can see him/herself living. Only 10% of buyers can visualize the potential in a house, so it is imperative to neutralize everything and create a "generic" living space that appeals to your target.

The top five most important things a seller can do when putting a house on the market are:

1. Home staging
2. Cleaning and de-cluttering
3. Lightening and brightening
4. Landscaping
5. Repairing electrical and plumbing issues.

It's no surprise that home staging is the number one most important thing a seller can do. A properly staged home sells 30% - 50% faster and for 3% - 10% more than a home that is not staged!

If a $300,000 home sits on the market and ends up taking a 5% price reduction, that works out to an instant $15,000 loss to the seller. For a small fraction of that cost, the investment of a home stager just makes sense.

Professional home staging is just more than tidying up a house and putting some fruit in a centerpiece on the table. It is a well thought-out plan that includes every one of the five senses. Leave it to the pros.