In the time of limited physical meetings, numerous setbacks have arisen in the real estate industry. Amidst these, however, brand new possibilities have also opened up for companies, agents, and sellers hoping to keep their businesses thriving.
One such tool is virtual staging, which allows anyone marketing a property to digitally insert furniture and decorations into a space. Traditional home staging requires manually finding pieces that will look best in every room and arranging and rearranging them to present every space in its best condition. Virtual staging makes this possible with just a few clicks.
Why Should You Stage Your Property?
In the process of selling a home, it may sometimes feel unnecessary to stage a property at all. However, staging is a tried and tested method in the real estate industry that offers great results. The 2021 Profile of Home Staging done by the National Association of Realtors says that 23% of agents have seen a 1% to 5% increase in home values for houses that have been staged compared to those that have not been.
A staged home allows buyers to visualize what they can do with various spaces. It also allows them to pre-plan what they want to accomplish in certain rooms once they have purchased the property.
NAR also reports that staging is more important for some rooms than others. The area that requires the most attention is the living room, followed by the master bedroom and the kitchen.
Agents and sellers who want to make the best possible sale need to make an investment in home staging. The good news is that virtual staging also helps accomplish what traditional staging does.
Best Practices for Virtual Staging
Virtual home staging lets you beautify a property for a much lower price. Here are some things to keep in mind when setting the place up.
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Begin with a great base
Virtually staging a home gives you less to think about when preparing for a visit, but it still necessitates a lot of preparation for the home itself. To build a strongly staged home, you need good bones to act as its foundation.
Carefully examine every space in the home to see if some parts need touching up or even repairing. Consider thoughtful features that could upgrade the space, too. For instance, if the place has a backyard, find the best awnings from local companies that immediately make the outdoor space look more inviting. Revamping the fireplace is another feature to note.
When your property is in great shape, even in its barest form, it will be more attractive to homebuyers. You can seal a major deal then.
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Honesty is the best policy
You want to frame the property in its best light, but do not do this at the expense of truthfulness. You don’t want to fool your buyers into thinking the home is worth more than it is. Help them see the worth of the property through the addition of various elements.
When you virtually stage the property, any editing should involve only inserting and removing furniture and other decorations in a room. Do not conceal imperfections, such as cracked paint or stains on the walls.
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Decorate, but don’t overdo it
It is much easier to browse through furnishings and accents that you can use to frame a space when there is no legwork involved. However, this also introduces the risk of overdecorating the home. Find a tasteful balance that breathes life into the space without distracting from it.
One way to keep this under control is to match the furnishings with what goes well with the look and feel of a room. If you have a plain white room with minimal light fixtures, maintain that theme by placing sleek and simple additions. Go with elements that are an obvious match.
Indeed, you should not design according to personal preferences but what appeals to your buyers. However, adding a few decorations can improve the space when done right. If some walls feel too empty, add a mirror, a picture frame, or even a flat-screen TV to fill it up. These small touches complement the overall appearance of the home.
Professional Photos Are a Must
It is one thing to choose furnishings well, but it is another thing entirely to have great photos to place these on. Professionals know how to take photos of a room in the best lighting while bringing attention to the important features of the space. Don’t skimp on the photos you’ll use, and you can virtually stage to success.
