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Home Staging

Should I Stage My Home Or Leave it Empty? How to Make the Right Choice

It's time to sell your home. Congratulations! Before you put that "For Sale" sign in your yard, though, there are some questions you'll have to answer. One of the most important is: Should I stage my house? Or can I just leave it empty for buyers to walk through? If you're on the fence about home staging, here are some thoughts that might help since we've seen both sides of this debate play out.

Virtually Staged Home

Pros

Selling a staged home can be easy because buyers like it when they get everything that goes well with the house, and they don't have to spend time behind getting new furniture and setting up decorations. The photos for staged homes also look better when you post them online, allowing your listing to stand out in the market. 

When you have a staged home, buyers can envision themselves in your property. It also makes your rooms look bigger than empty homes, which comparatively look smaller. Since it's an internet-driven world, many people have their first look at your home online via online listings, and in situations like this, you can also go for virtual staging. 

Virtual staging is available nowadays, which has made the task of staging simpler and hassle-free. People often debate regarding Virtual Staging vs Home Staging; however, we saw that the ROI of virtual staging was exceptionally high. Check out our infographic on Virtual Staging Vs Home Staging to learn more!

Styldod offers Virtual Staging services starting at just $16 with multiple style options that you can choose from. Our virtual staging service can help you to sell your home faster and get a better listing appeal. 

When staging a home, 23 percent of sellers’ agents reported an increase of one percent to five percent of the dollar value offered by buyers compared to similar homes. Eighteen percent of respondents stated that staging a home increased the home's dollar value between six and 10percent. None of the respondents reported that staging a home had a negative impact on the home’s dollar value. (Source)

Therefore, if you plan to stage your home, you should check out our home staging guide, which'll help you plan and do it better.

Cons

The only two disadvantages of a staged home are time and money. Staging a home takes time because the supplies and furniture that are needed to stage a home take time to come together. It also takes time to organize everything properly; therefore, it can be a tiresome process for some people.

A lot of money goes into staging a home because the furniture and accessories required to make the overall room look better aren't cheap and may cost you several thousand dollars.

However, Virtual Staging overcomes both these cons & has made the process of staging the house fairly inexpensive & time-saving. Since everything is done on a computer, you don't have to go through the process of buying furniture, and changes can be done within minutes by your virtual staging provider.

Selling an Empty Home

Empty Home

Pros

While this might sound strange, some buyers find it easier to see themselves living in a home which is completely empty. It gives them the idea of how they can play around with the space and customize it according to their requirements. Some people can get disappointed by staged homes because everyone has different choices, and they might not like it when the house is staged unusually.

An empty home also indicates that someone has moved out, and the home is now ready for someone else to move in, allowing buyers to move in fast and redesign the home in their own way. Lastly, when you have an empty home, you can quickly put it on the market since there are no delays related to home staging.

Cons

People who sell empty homes are aware of the fact that they look smaller and unwelcoming. This sometimes affects the resale value of the house and doesn't allow the homeowners to sell it higher than its market price. Another issue with selling an empty home is that buyers can easily notice every flaw in your home. This includes the wall cracks, ceiling problems and much more. Having a staged home doesn't allow buyers to notice these flaws easily.

Selling an empty home also makes the buyers think that you are in a rush to sell the home. This gives them a chance to negotiate the deal with you, and they often try to get the home at a lower price.

An empty home also makes an easy target for burglars because they can steal the pipes and water meter, which are made using metal and can sell them in the market, making some money.

Conclusion

Staging your home or leaving it completely bare depends on your preferences. You've seen the advantages and disadvantages of both approaches, so it should make it easy for you to make the right choice.

However, if you feel as though you could benefit from having a clean, fresh appearance in your home, you can benefit from trying out virtual staging services that are much cheaper and easier than actual home staging.

Rahul Agrawal

Co-founder and Chief Business Officer at Styldod

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