I\u2019m seeing more agents here in northern New Jersey using virtual staging to try to draw in buyers because it\u2019s so much cheaper than \u201creal\u201d staging — typically only a couple of hundred dollars, vs. staging with actual furniture and decor, which starts at about $2500 or more for a 2 month installation for 3 rooms. However, buyers are usually very disappointed when they walk into an empty (and worse out-dated) house that they\u2019ve seen virtually staged on-line, only to see that it looks cold, boring, and even confusing (especially open plan homes) without actual furniture in place. If virtual staging draws buyers in to look at homes because they look so much better and more inviting, the benefit is pretty much lost when they arrive to actually tour the home. I\u2019ve also seen some really poor \u201cfurniture choices\u201d and incomplete looks with virtual staging — out-dated dining room and kitchen tables, a couple of chairs only placed into a huge living room, a sofa or 2 with no coffee or end tables, no lamps, no art or poorly placed art, no decor items, etc. \u00a0That kind of virtual staging isn\u2019t serving any purpose, and does nothing to increase the appeal of the home.<\/p>\n
So even though virtual staging on the surface can save a couple of thousand dollars, the end result will never be as effective as \u201cin real life\u201d staging, where buyers get to ooh and aah over the lifestyle they can experience in person. They can sit on the sofas, beds, and at the dining room table to see how much room there is with furniture in place — something buyers usually under-estimate. They can experience the \u201cdream\u201d lifestyle staging creates for them that makes any house more memorable and desirable than the competition. \u00a0In 9+ years of staging in New Jersey, I\u2019ve found buyer reaction to a staged home is always much more positive than to an un-staged home — and staged homes typically sell within a few days to a few weeks, depending on such factors as the time of year, location, and price. ANY house can benefit from staging to get a higher sales price as well.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"
I\u2019m seeing more agents here in northern New Jersey using virtual staging to try to draw in buyers because it\u2019s so much cheaper than \u201creal\u201d staging — typically only a couple of hundred dollars, vs. staging with actual furniture and … Continue reading