Whether the housing market is still soaring or beginning to soften, staging for sale can be an important step to get your home or rental property in tip-top shape. Staged homes sell much faster than unstaged properties and often at a higher sales price. The process can be stressful, but the results are well worth it.

Staging helps buyers see the potential in a property by playing up its positives and downplaying any flaws. This could be as simple as removing personal items and rearranging furniture to make rooms appear more spacious, or it might mean a fresh coat of neutral paint and some upgraded lighting.

Selling Success: The Market for Staging Systems

The goal is to create a blank canvas so that buyers can envision how they might use the space for their own lives. For example, if you have a great backyard with a deck overlooking a lake, then staging the space as a relaxing retreat for your family would be ideal.

A professional home stager may be able to provide you with recommendations for what should be done to prepare your home for the market, but you can also do it yourself. You’ll just need to be willing to commit the time and money required. If you’re on a budget, consider getting a consultation from a stager before you decide how to proceed – for a few hundred dollars they will perform a walk-through of your property and work with your real estate agent to understand the local market.