Real estate photography can make or break your listing. Bad photos or missing photos are an instant turn off for buyers, while great photos can make a listing pop off the page. Before you can take great real estate photos, you’ve got to clean and stage the house. Here are five reasons to stage the home before you take photos for an online real estate listing.
Staging prepares you for the move.
Homes tend to become cluttered over time, and homeowners may be so used to the clutter they don’t see how much stuff they own. By cleaning and staging a home before taking real estate photos, you can start decluttering well in advance of the move. This prepares you for the eventual move by giving you a long lead time in which to sort items you wish to keep from those you want to donate or sell, pack items for secure storage, and clean out the home.
Staged photos will stand out.
Staged photos give your listing an advantage over others. If the market is very competitive, a lived-in home will get attention and views, but it won’t be a favorite. Cleaning, staging, and showing off the home in staged photos helps it stand out in a crowded real estate market. If the local market is quiet, home staging can make all the difference between selling a home and having it remain on the market for a year or more.
Right now, real estate shoppers start the search process online by browsing virtual open houses and online real estate listings. If your photos don’t make your house look attractive, online house hunters will skip your house. If they do show interest, they’re more likely make a lowball offer. Staging your home demonstrates that you value it and have taken good care of it while living there.
Staging hides home flaws.
Many homes have flaws. Whether you’ve got a dated kitchen or a neighboring house that’s an eyesore, staging can draw attention away from what you don’t want buyers to focus on and toward your home’s best features. A home staging professional (like the ones on our team) can help you address property flaws with creative staging techniques.
Staging attracts more buyers.
Staged homes use neutral colors and popular themes to help homes appeal to the widest pool of home shoppers. A clean home that meets expectations for tastes and trends will pop off the page in comparison with a listing that contains dated or messy photos. As a result, more buyers will be attracted to your home. Higher views increase the odds that multiple parties will submit an offer.
Staging can increase the offer price.
An asset becomes more attractive when other people show interest in it. When that asset is your house, a buyer who might be weighing a lower offer could rethink their strategy.
Knowing how many other people have viewed the property or are putting in offers, a home buyer will increase their offer to stand a chance. In competitive real estate markets, it’s not unusual for a standout property to receive multiple offers. Homebuyers may offer above asking price to beat others offers, and there could be a bidding war. As the home seller, you benefit from all this interest by earning more money from the sale of your home.
Home staging is an essential part of the online real estate process. You aren’t just competing with the house down the street anymore, you’re competing with HGTV homes. Buyers want perfection, and home staging ensures that they see the most beautiful parts of your home.