Home prices nationwide were up 6.7% year-over-year in January. At the same time, the number of homes sold rose 8.9% and the number of homes for sale fell 15.4%. As in the rest of the country, Minneapolis and St. Paul are currently experiencing a very hot real estate market. There is a shortage of inventory and houses are selling quickly. So as a Seller or a Seller’s Agent, you are probably wondering why you would need to go to the trouble and expense of home staging prior to listing your house for sale when it practically sells itself. There are two main reasons why home staging is a good idea in any real estate market conditions.
The main reason to stage your home is the photos. Staging a home results in better photos. The better your photos, the more views your home will receive online. A new listing gets 3 times more views in its first week on the market which is why it is important to stage your home immediately rather than waiting to see if it will sell.
Another important reason to stage a home is to help buyers be able to see themselves living there. Not everyone is able to view a space with a designer’s eye and be able to imagine how it can be used. This is especially important with vacant homes. Occupied homes can also benefit from staging. A professional home stager knows how to draw the buyer’s eye to the positive features of the home and distract from the negatives. They will also bring in “emotional connection points” which can help make buyers feel at home.
Even though homes are easier to sell in a Seller’s Market, most houses can still benefit from home staging in order to get a higher price in a shorter time. Here are some statistics:
- Over 94% of Buyer’s Agents say that staging has at least some effect on the buyer’s view of the home.
- Almost half (44%) of Seller’s Agents believe the staging increased the value of the home 6-20%.
- Over 83% of buyers find it “easier to visualize the property as their future home” when it’s staged.
So you can see how staging a home is a good idea in a seller’s market. If you are receiving offers before you even list, you may be in that very small percentage of homes that would not benefit from staging. In general though, you will sell your house quicker and for more money if you choose to stage.
Need help? We have a variety of staging services to meet your needs, whatever your budget. Give us a call at 612.581.4128 to get started.