In the unique world of today, staging has become even more important than ever. While you might have thought home staging was all about showing off the home during an in-person showing, it’s not.

When you stage a home in 2021, you are staging it for the listing pictures, virtual video tour, and yes, for the in-person showing. If your listing doesn’t show up looking amazing online, it will be hard to convince any buyer to take things further.

Did you know, buyers have stated staging the living room and the master bedroom were most important to them? The next most important rooms for buyers, according to the NAR was the kitchen and the dining room.

Most agents understand the importance of staging. Homelight.com did a survey of 900 top real estate agents and about 70% said they believe staged home sell for a higher price and over half thought the increase could be as much as 10%. 

If you’re trying to land more listings as an agent and get them sold faster, you need home staging tips for 2021.

17 Home Staging Tips to Use in 2021

 

 

 

 

1. Go Virtual

With the pandemic still causing plenty of fear across the country, virtual staging offers a great option. With virtual staging, you won’t need to hire someone to haul in all types of furniture or have someone come in and touch the furniture of your client. Fewer people inside the home can help to keep it safer.

Virtual staging allows you to take a blank canvas and turn it into something special. You will need pictures of the rooms of the home with nothing in them. Then, with virtual staging, furniture and decor items can be added in.

This type of staging offers buyers a unique benefit. They can see the home through listing pictures staged with furniture, yet see it in-person as a blank canvas. Some buyers may really like this idea.

2. Include Unstaged Listing Pictures 

If you use virtual staging, you should include unstaged pictures in the listing, as well. This helps buyers see the difference and how much the right furnishings can make the home look amazing. It can also help with buyer’s expectations by showing them what the home looks like as a blank canvas.

3. Light and Bright

When staging a home, light and bright are the keys to making it attractive. Darker rooms will feel dreary and unattractive. It’s always best to use natural light where you can, but adding in lamps, mirrors, and other light fixtures can help brighten up a dark room.

4. Depersonalize

It’s one of the most important home staging tips for 2021 and one of the most common. When staging a home, get rid of all the personal items. Photos, personal awards, collectibles, and other personal items should be completely removed from the home. 

This might be difficult for home sellers, but buyers should be able to see the home without it looking like someone lives there. Even things, such as toothbrushes, hairbrushes, and shaving items can be seen as personal items.

Remove all personal items and you’ll be able to show the home to buyers in a better light.

5. Show to Purpose of Each Room

Every room in any house has a purpose. When staging a home, you want to show off that purpose. Show how the room should function, whether it’s a bedroom for kids or a home office.

6. Deep Clean Regularly

Before COVID-19, this tip might have been simply to have the home deep cleaned before bringing in furniture and other decor items. However, with the way things are now, it’s necessary to have the home deep cleaned after every showing.

When you tell potential buyers, the home has been professionally cleaned since the last person entered it, they will trust it’s safe. Hire a professional cleaning service to do a deep cleaning after every in-person showing to ensure any buyer wanting to see the home feels comfortable.

7. Change Walk-in Closet Light Bulbs

Putting the brightest allowable light bulbs in the walk-in closets will help to make the room feel lighter and brighter. Find out what the highest wattage allowed is and go get new light bulbs for any walk-in closets in the home. 

8. Plant Flowers/ Add Mulch

The first impression will be the outside of the home during an in-person showing. Even with online pictures and video tours, the outside of the home can make an incredible first impression.

Planting colorful flowers and adding mulch to the landscape will help to make the home look clean and inviting. Of course, you want to mow the lawn and clean up the yard, too.

9. Distract from the Negative

 

The main goal of staging a home in 2021 is simply to show it off in the best way possible. Anything negative, such as a small room, lack of storage space, or lack of a fireplace should be distracted from. Creating other focal points within the rooms will help.

10. Highlight the Positive

On the other side of the coin, you always want to highlight the positive aspects of the home. For example, when staging the kitchen, if the countertops are very nice, clear them off and show them off. 

When you highlight the positive, it can help distract from the negative and ensure buyers see the best the home has to offer.

11. Paint

It might not seem like part of the home staging process, but it is and the paint shows up in pictures, video, and in-person. Painting the interior of the home or at least any rooms in need of fresh paint will make a difference. It’s one of the budget-friendly ways to make a home look more attractive.

Any rooms with bright colors should be repainted in a neutral color.

12. Stage for Your Buyer Profile

It doesn’t make sense to stage an average home with luxury furniture and furnishings. You want to stage for the buyer profile and the lifestyle of the property with physical or virtual staging. 

One of the mistakes real estate agents make is staging the home the way they would like it to look. It’s not about you, but about attracting the most likely buyers for the home. Stage the home for the buyer profile and it will attract more potential offers.

13. Earth Tones for an Inviting Feeling

When adding furnishing and decor, use earth tones. The right color theme is crucial as it will help set the mood for buyers. Earth tones and soft beach colors offer a more inviting feeling.

14. Add a Few Plants

If you want to help make the home look and feel more inviting, add a few plants. They can be fake or real plants. Either way, the space will feel warmer and more inviting with a few nice house plants that fit into the decor.

15. Pay Attention to Details

Some of the simple little things can really stick out for buyers. For example, if you place a duvet on the bed and it’s wrinkled, some buyers will notice. It will also take away from the look and feel of the room.

Every little detail should be considered when you stage a home. Look at all the details down to the angle of something sitting on a shelf.

When staging a home, take the time to look at all the details. Don’t just toss a few things in the home. Arrange the furniture in a specific manner and place things like an open book on a desk to really show off the space.

16. Minimal Art is Best

Unless you’re staging a multi-million-dollar mansion, you will likely want to keep the art pieces in the home to a minimum. You don’t want the art to distract from the home. Keep it tactful and on par with the type of buyer you’re trying to attract.

17. Remove Bad Odors

If your client has already moved out of the home, it’s easier to remove bad odors from pets and smoking before listing the home for sale. However, even if they are still living in the home, there are ways to remove the odors and keep them gone.

Make sure to hire professionals, if necessary, to get rid of the odors. Potential buyers won’t smell the home online, but the minute they step inside for a showing, the scent will make a lasting impression, especially if it’s bad.

These home staging tips will help you with getting your listing ready for sale this year. With people still living in fear of COVID-19, it’s more important than ever to make every listing stand out with great listing pictures and a virtual video tour. If you’re working with a broker that doesn’t provide the necessary tools for today’s real estate market, it might be time for a switch.

At Elite Agents, we provide all the tools you need to create amazing home listings in 2021.

Pin It on Pinterest

Share This