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Should I Stage My House for Sale?

Are you ready to list your house for sale in Edina? The home selling process may seem a bit daunting, which is why it’s best to take things one step at a time. Now that you’ve made the decision to sell your house and chosen an Edina real estate agent, it’s time to prepare your house for sale.

There are a few different steps to preparing your house for sale, which can all depend on your priorities and marketing strategy. Preparations can include: decluttering, repairs, updates, improvements, cleaning, city inspection, staging, and more. You want to create a space that’s visually appealing to home buyers. If they can imagine themselves living in your home in Edina, they’ll be more likely to consider buying it.

Create a space that's visually appealing to home buyers.
Create a space that’s visually appealing to home buyers.

WHAT IS A STAGED HOME?

Staging a home includes preparing a residence for sale in the real estate housing market. The overall goal of staging is to make your house appealing to the greatest number of potential home buyers. A staged home attracts buyers with a move-in-ready look. As a result, a staged home will sell faster and typically for more than a house for sale that isn’t staged.

Most staging techniques focus on the appearance of the house for sale. They transform the home into a more welcoming environment for potential home buyers. Most staged homes include paintings, art, plants, flowers, lights, and rugs to give the property for sale a more attractive look. Thus, the process of staging a house for sale has become increasingly popular within recent years.

Make your house for sale appealing to home buyers.
The overall goal of staging is to make your house for sale appealing to the greatest number of potential home buyers.

THE DIFFERENCE BETWEEN A STAGED & UNSTAGED HOUSE FOR SALE

You may be asking yourself, is staging my home for sale really worth it? Simply put, the answer is yes. According to the National Association of Realtors, “eighty-three percent of buyers’ agents said staging a home made it easier for a buyer to visualize the property as a future home.”

Although it may seem like an added stress to the home selling process, the benefits of staging are worth it. According to the National Association of Realtors, “71 percent of sellers’ agents believe a well-staged environment increases the dollar value buyers are willing to offer.” Therefore, staging your house can make you money.

Staging a home is much more than the overall appearance and atmosphere. Residences staged for buyers typically present an array of qualities that could potentially be considered “buyable” to them. Meanwhile, homes that aren’t staged typically feature previously owned furniture in its original positioning or are primarily empty.

Staging your house for sale has a tremendous amounts of benefits.
6237 Knoll Drive demonstrates how staging a house can help potential home buyers better visualize the space.

As you can see from the photos above, there is a distinct difference between a house for sale that has been staged and one that hasn’t. Staged homes give a warm, inviting feel. When potential home buyers walk into a staged house, they often feel as though they could move in right then and there. This is something to keep in mind when deciding how you stage your home.

Staged homes also present an advantage over unstaged homes because of the digital age we live in. Many home buyers in today’s market look through Pinterest and Instagram to see current home decorating styles and trends. Social media allows buyers to picture themselves in their dream home. More often than not, the picture they have in mind is something they’ve seen on social media. When staging your house, show buyers what they want.

HOW MUCH MORE DO STAGED HOMES SELL FOR?

Home sellers who invest some money into their house can earn a huge return on investment. According to the Real Estate Staging Association, homes which are staged before going on the market sell 73% faster, on average, than their non-staged counterparts. This is important to note as the National Association of Realtors states that the longer a property sits on the market, the less it finally sells for.

For every $100 invested in staging your home, the potential return is $400. That means, there is a 4x return for making a few changes to your home. With that being said, it’s definitely worth the time and effort to stage your home.

HOW MUCH DOES IT COST TO HAVE YOUR HOUSE FOR SALE STAGED?

Now that you know the benefits of staging your house, you’re probably wondering just how much all of this will cost. Home sellers typically spend an average of $1,800 to stage a home. However, this number can vary depending on various factors. The main one being whether you stage your house yourself, or if you hire a professional to do so. In the end, your investment is definitely worth it.


Specializing in luxury properties and condominiums, John T. Wanninger is a professional in Minneapolis real estate. John Wanninger leads the JTW Partners group at Lakes Sotheby’s International Realty.

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