Home staging mistakes can easily sabotage the process. In fact, these can even impede the route from listing to contract by several weeks. In a worst-case scenario, home staging mistakes will outright deter people from actually stepping foot inside the house. Now, you might think that’s a bit extreme, but it certainly isn’t in the least. Think about it this way, about 90 percent of all home searches begin online. So, if the house doesn’t present well in the online listing, otherwise interested buyers will simply pass it over and never look back.

Why Home Staging is So Important

The fact of the matter is, home staging is a necessity. It’s not an option. This is because homeowners often live in a way that’s generally off putting to buyers. Now, it’s not that the homeowners are slobs — it’s just the way a house presents itself to buyers. Another way of stating it is by taking a quick look at how buyers perceive houses they see in-person. Did you know that buyers form an impression of a property in just 7 to 10 seconds?

“Selling your home – especially if you’ve never done it before – can be surprisingly time-consuming and emotionally challenging. Strangers will come into your home and poke around in your closets and cabinets. They will criticize a place that has probably become more than just four walls and a roof to you, and then, to top it all off, they will offer you less money than you think your home is worth.” —Investopedia.com

What’s more, only 1 out of every 10 people can imagine a room in another way than they first see. It In other words, they cannot imagine it in a different way. These are two powerful reasons why home staging is so important. Buyers need a good presentation to form a positive opinion about any property they see. (This is precisely why home builders stage model houses the way they do.)

Biggest Home Staging Mistakes

When you’re ready to sell your property, the first thing to do is get it in showable condition. That’s a whole lot more than just picking up and cleaning around the house. It must include a more detailed focus because buyers will certainly notice every single flaw. Here are the biggest home staging mistakes to avoid:

• Not rearranging furniture for maximum flow. Typically, homeowners arrange living room furniture to provide every seat with a good view of the television. But, this usually means compromising traffic and visual flow. And, that reduces the room’s appeal. So, take the time to arrange the furniture to make the room look open.
• Failing to highlight key selling features. Your home definitely has key selling features. But, it’s not enough just to let buyers discover these on their own. You’ve got to put attention on these things because they will greatly assist with selling the house. By, the way, avoid bad listing photos and again, highlight what makes it special.
• Leaving your life right out in the open. Okay, this is a huge, colossal, gianorous mistake — leaving personal items in plain sight. We’re not just talking about undergarments, but also, toiletries and more. All those personal items must be carefully hidden away. Additionally, put away the personal pictures and anything like them, like trophies, and more.
• Not providing enough natural light. Yet another big staging mistake is not taking advantage of natural light. It’s there, particularly right here in the Sunshine State. Here in Orlando, the sunlight is abundant and that’s a good thing. So, use it to help you sell the house.

If you’re going to sell your home in the near future and buy a new house, please don’t hesitate to phone me at 407-616-7286, I’ll be happy to speak with you.