Vacant houses sell better. That’s a fact. Vacant, staged houses sell the best. That is also a fact. Putting those two factors together will definitely help sell your house the quickest and for the most money.
In Portland and Seattle we have found that some people are unwilling to leave their home while it’s listed due to a number of reasons, and with the current state of the pandemic it may feel impossible to move out while you sell with so many obstacles. Fact of the matter is buyers don’t gravitate towards homes that are occupied. Now more than ever, buyers are less motivated to visit an occupied property because of safety concerns for themselves and their families.
Snohomish home fully staged by Spade and Archer
Emotionally speaking, walking through someone else’s home while they are living in it is confusing. It makes the buyer feel like a house guest and not a house owner, even if it’s clean (but especially if it’s not!). They see all the current homeowner’s furnishings and subconsciously feel like an intruder, making the experience neither welcoming nor exciting. This is why so many realtors opt for home staging. The goal is to have their clients be able to envision themselves in the home without compartmentalizing current furnishings. With occupied listings, the emotional disconnection between the buyer and the home results in less interest and less momentum for the sale.
With a professional home staging, Spade and Archer give a blueprint of what a space can look like, how it can function and what furniture will actually fit. A buyer is able to “mentally imprint” their furnishings on top of ours and know immediately if this space will work for them. Professional staging installed by designers provides scale and dimension unlike homeowner furnishings, home staging isn’t mired down with a personal agenda. A buyer isn’t interested in collections, memories or travel knickknacks. When shopping for a home, buyers want to see only themselves living there, the longer they fantasize about their future the more likely they are to buy the home.
When a home is staged, every last detail is designed specifically for the demographic we have determined to be the most likely buyer. It is designed top to bottom with one consistent design philosophy and we create a space that is cohesive and relatable to all types of people. If the house remains occupied by the seller, we must make concession after concession to assure that the home meets the seller’s needs while living there. With every concession there is a reduction in appeal to the potential buyer. Moving out of your home before putting it up for sale not only removes the stress of having to live in a staged home, but it allows the entire listing team to focus on their number one goal of selling your home.
Vacant staging in Snohomish by our talented team in Seattle
Vacant, staged homes provide the perfect atmosphere for a potential buyer to see all the possibilities of a space. Without having to think about who lives there now, a buyer is free to imagine and dream about their life and not yours. There’s a reason vacant homes -- and especially vacant, staged homes -- sell faster than occupied ones. It is a space that is cleared from someone else's mental clutter and is a fresh start in which to create. Give yourself and your home permission to move on.
Concerned about staging and want to talk about it? We'd love to offer insight and discuss your needs. Give us a call, and feel free to give our Instant Pricing a test spin online to see what our staging options are for your project.