Staging a home can be a great way to help buyers visualize the potential of every room and help sell your home faster. But if you’ve ever had concerns over staging costs, you may be interested to learn about a new trend in staging: Virtual staging.
When it comes to marketing and selling a home, staging can be a
powerful tool. Some may argue that home staging isn't worth the cost, but there
are many good arguments for making the investment in a professional home
stager. Staging not only helps a home
sell faster in many cases, but it can also boost buyer desire for a home,
resulting in a potentially higher closing price. What’s more, a commitment to
staging can prevent you from procrastinating when it comes to decluttering.
(After all, you need to have a nice clean canvas for a staging expert to work
with.)
Now, though, some agents are turning towards virtual staging.
Virtual staging, broadly defined, is the use of computer imaging technology to
create realistic listing photos which display a staged home, even though the
property itself is not actually staged. Photos of empty rooms are transformed
through 3D modeling and photo editing. The results can be quite impressive.
Proponents of virtual home staging say the benefits are obvious.
Not only is it less expensive than traditional home staging, but it can also be
completed in less time. Stagers, on the other hand, feel the practice is
somewhat deceptive. The main argument seems to be that buyers will be
disappointed when they arrive at the empty home after seeing staged photos
online.
Clearly, stagers don't want to see their business undermined by
virtual competitors, but do they have a point? Are buyers put off by empty
rooms after seeing virtually staged properties online? Is this disparity
between staged online and empty in real life a deal breaker?
It might depend on your philosophy when it comes to staging. If
your primary motivation is generating interest in the home online, you might
want to go with virtual staging to create appealing photographs to drive more
leads. If you want buyers to viscerally experience a home’s potential when they
visit at an open house or walk-through with their agent, you’ll probably want
to go for a traditional home staging.
In either case, it’s a good idea to view staging not as an expense
but an investment, much like minor renovations you hope to recoup when the home
sells for a better price. If you’re thinking of selling soon and would like to
work with a stager, get in touch with me today.
I can connect you to trusted
professionals who will make your home look its best: valerie@valeriemcconville.com
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