In an ever-tightening real estate market, little things can mean the difference between selling your home quickly at its asking price or having it linger on the market for weeks before selling well below its original price.

Because of this, real estate agents are stressing the importance of curb appeal and improving the look of the home’s interior to be more appealing to potential buyers. While many sellers frequently complete this work on their own, others are turning to professional home stagers.

Professional home stagers may offer many advantages over do-it-yourself.

First, home stagers offer a sense of objectivity sellers may lack. When sellers look at their own house, their views may be filtered by their memories and not notice a something that may turn a potential buyer off. For example, sellers may look at closet wall and fondly remember how they tracked their youngest son’s growth by making a crayon mark on the wall every six months. However, a potential buyer could look at the same wall and see a dirty house, and wonder if there are any other problems hidden beneath the surface.

Second, most home buyers stay up-to-date on current design trends and have developed a keen eye for what looks sell—and what doesn’t. They understand that simple things like adding a colorful bouquet, removing a chair in a cramped room or rearranging pictures can quickly brighten a room and make it appealing to homebuyers.

Professional home stagers offer a variety of services, ranging from simply conducting an evaluation, to actually completing the staging process, while others may even bring in contemporary furniture to update the look of a home.

While costs for home staging vary depending on the services used and the sellers’ location, studies seem to indicate results justify the cost. A recent U.S. Housing and Urban Development report revealed that staged homes generally sell for 15-percent more than similar homes that are not staged, according to a fact sheet provided by homestagingresource.com.

By David Plowman

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