Whether you’re an independent seller or a real estate agency, staging is an important strategy for selling homes in Washington, D.C. In order to understand the nuances of the practice, as well as the current D.C. real estate market, we talked with Jessica Flavell of Flavell Home Staging.
Why It’s Important to Stage Your Home
According to Flavell, the DC/Virginia/Maryland real estate market is hot. She says that, “If your house shows well, is priced competitively, and is staged, it is selling—for the most part—very quickly.” Good staging allows potential buyers to see themselves living in the space. More importantly, it drives buyers to view the home in person. Flavell says, “The number one reason to stage: over 90% of buyers look online before they ever decide to see a house in person. That’s why it’s important to have photos of beautifully staged rooms to entice buyers to see the house in person.” Without an attractive space and photos, buyers are less likely to schedule showings.
What to Expect While Home Staging
For Flavell, the staging process generally involves a visit and the development of a plan: “I view the house and make suggestions on which rooms to stage. The five most important rooms to stage—what I call the ‘selling rooms’—are the living room, dining room, kitchen, master bedroom, and bath. I look at the room color, lighting, the flooring, and size of each room to be staged. I then develop a staging plan for the seller to make each warm, inviting, and give it the wow factor when buyers see it.”
What if you still have furniture on the premises? Flavell said that, although her home staging company usually brings everything to a vacant home, “I also work with clients who may have left some furniture for staging, or they need me to supplement some of their pieces. If the clients belongings—dated items or items that are not in good shape—do not fit in with the staging plan, I will recommend they be removed.”
If this is the case, you may need somewhere to keep excess furniture during the process. Our Washington, DC./K Street storage solution offers a complimentary and hassle-pickup service, which will save your nerves from the waiting and negotiating. When you’re ready to retrieve your items, we’ll drop them off at your new home. We offer an easy storage solution for buyers, sellers, and stagers.
What to Look for with Washington, D.C. Home Staging
In addition to watching for red flags like bad reviews, no reviews, or lack of a web presence, Flavell offered some sage advice about searching for a home stager: “Clients should ask what the minimum rental period is. That is very important.” Understanding the minimum furniture rental period is important, as it often saves money for the client. Flavell Home Staging offers furniture and accessory rentals with a 4-week minimum, as opposed to most rental companies, which require at least three months.
If DC-area residents and real estate agencies are looking for a home staging service, Flavell Home Staging is an excellent choice. This is a small business that prides itself on giving each individual the attention it deserves. Finally, Flavell offers consultations to make repairs and upgrade recommendations. To this point, getting your house in move-in condition almost always results in the best return on investment.
