Jonathan Barach, a real estate agent with Compass, Inc. overseeing the greater Philadelphia area, the Mainline and Southern New Jersey, wholeheartedly believes in the staging of a home during the selling process.
“A professional stage, coinciding with touch ups, will make a home visibly appealing,” he said, translating into not only a faster sale cycle, but a higher sales price offer.
The first showing of a property is online.
“If a house is visually appealing, it will be more likely to be seen,” he said.
Barach said he advises his clients to take the time to stage their home, especially if they do not live in the home.
“If the buyer gets in, most people can’t visualize without furniture, no furniture is not as cohesive as with furniture, even if furniture is not to the sellers’ taste,” he said.
Leaving a home unstaged could be a disservice and lead to a lesser offer or more time a property could sit on the market, Barach said.
Staging
A designer might take five-to-seven days to come up with a quote and then take a week to prep the house.
“Two weeks is worth the wait rather than rush the sale,” Barach said.
He said the most important areas to stage are the living room, kitchen and master bedroom, as well as a room that may have a unique and different size for buyers to visualize what could be done with the space.
Jackie Kemp is founder of Kater Street Studio. In addition to her company’s own rehab projects, they provide interior design services as well as residential interior staging.
“When I bought my first home in Philadelphia, I had a hard time finding a home that I loved, so I bought a row home that was basically a shell and did a complete rehab, including adding a third story addition,” she said. “When I sold the home a few years later, it sold in a matter of days and the feedback that I received was that it was because of the design and the staging.”
That is how Kater Street Studio was born. Kemp is an interior designer who has worked with some of Philly’s top restaurateurs on the construction, interior design and styling of their restaurants.
“When selling your home, staging can be an important and effective tool that will help you sell your home faster and for a higher price,” Kemp said.
Kemp works with both realtors and homeowners for staging.
“Typically, realtors are the ones that call first as they know first-hand the benefits of staging a home that they are going to put on market,” she said. “I recently worked with a realtor who was selling a condo that had been on the market for a few months in a building that had many other similar listings for sale. We staged the property and within a week it was under contract with a new buyer. I also work with builders and homeowners who have seen my staged properties and have reached out to provide the service for their homes as well. “
Typically, homeowners are the ones that pay for staging services. However, some brokerages like Compass, where Kemp is also a licensed agent, offer an initiative such as their concierge program. This program allows them to lend sellers the money for staging and other improvements and have them pay it back when the sale is closed.
“You’ll be amazed at what a coat of paint on some cabinets can do for resale value,” she said.
Compass’ concierge service is a hassle-free way to sell a home faster and for a higher price with services like staging, flooring, painting and more, according to its website.
“Why not take advantage,” Barach said.
When staging a home, Kemp said her first step is to look at the property and visualize what the best way to stage that particular home is – “what are the best parts of the home that we want to highlight? Is it in a great school district? Let’s set up a nursery or a kid’s room.”
“With the pandemic, buyer’s mindsets shifted towards wanting separate work from home areas and outdoor space became a must,” she said. “A lot of staging is understanding the psychology of a buyer and making spaces feel not only functional, but inviting and warm.”
One challenge Kemp encounters is helping a homeowner separate themselves from their home.
“Selling your home is a huge step in your life and it can be hard for some to put away their personal, sentimental items and photographs for staging,” she said. “Don’t think of it as hiding your things away but think of it as making room for your future buyer to envision the home that they will create there.”
The latest National Association of Realtors 2021 Staging Report polled both buyers and sellers’ agents and almost 50% of respondents said staging had both a positive effect on the sale price and decreased the number of days on market.
“Staging not only sets the tone and makes a great first impression, but also helps the buyer visualize the space and makes the property more memorable,” Kemp said. “When buyers are looking for a home, they tend to see a number of homes in addition to yours. Staging helps to stand out in their minds and helps them to remember what they loved about your home.“
