Thinking about putting your home on the market? It’s never too early to start thinking about home staging. We wanted to dive into some of the tips, strategies, and difference-makers when it comes to staging a home in Cincinnati. That’s why we contacted the team at Design to Market Home Staging and talked to owner, Jo Potvin. Having staged more than 10,000 homes in the tri-state area since 2004, these staging experts have seen and done it all.
Why Every Home in Cincinnati should be Staged
For many years now, home staging has consistently provided a solid return on investment. Yet, Jo Potvin had no trouble explaining why home staging is, for all intents and purposes, no longer optional. “With HGTV and all the design photos you can find on the Internet, people have a different set of expectations. Instead of looking for a home that they can make their own, more people want to move in, unpack their boxes, and have a party.” A lot of Cincinnati Realtors and home sellers have also noticed this change in the typical home buyer—and the need to invest in staging that helps present the home as turn-key ready. In 2016, Design to Market saw the greatest year-over-year increase ever for their home staging services. And remember, this counts nearly a decade and a half of experience.
No matter how hot the Cincinnati housing market gets, you still have to remember you’re not just competing with other sellers and properties, you also have to match the buyer’s expectation of how their new home should look and function. “We stage homes with a 50/50 strategy in mind,” Potvin tells us. “The first part is getting great pictures so that buyers come see the home. Then, when they show up, the staging needs to have an impact in how the home creates a functional space. If 10 people show up, we want, say, at least 8 of them to be able to see themselves living there.”
Making a Difference in the Sales Price and Time on the Market
We asked about different staging strategies for different parts of town. “Not really,” Potvin says. “There’s not a whole lot of difference in staging a home in OTR or West Chester or Mason.” Instead, Design to Market looks mainly at two different factors:
- What’s the age of the buyer likely to be? Do they have two kids? Are they empty-nesters looking to downsize? Are they likely to be enticed by two bedroom closet units, one for him and one for her? “The delivery and presentation of the home needs to match the prospective buyer,” Potvin explains.
- Next, they look at the upkeep: Have you been able to anticipate the decorating trends and maintenance needs of your home? You may only need a few light touches. Or has much of this work gone undone over the years? Deferred maintenance, Potvin calls it. Some amount of repair or light remodeling is common, even if you’re good about keeping the house clean in general. “A lot of times, if they’ve been living in the same home for a while, people will stop seeing that stain in the carpet. Outdated brass is another one. It’s often best to update to nickel or chrome.” To this end, the team at Design to Market knows how important it is to be able to coordinate with contractors when staging a home.
Home Staging in Cincinnati is Worth Doing at any Budget
Helping you identify the kinds of home updates that will make the biggest difference to the selling price is another important part of the home staging process. Most every home could use at least a little staging. This is true whether your home is worth $100,000 or $1,000,000. The team at Design to Market has the experience and expertise to work within your budget.
Storage Spaces Need Staging, Too!
It’s not uncommon at all to put some portion of your belongings into storage. Wall décor, closets, and shelves should all be no more than 75% full. Family photos, religious items, and other obvious personal affects should be stored away. You want the function of the room to follow its design. “You don’t want to have your office suits in the baby room. Don’t fill up the garage, either. You don’t want a buyer to start to worry that they won’t have enough storage space. Unfinished storage areas can’t be ignored. Everything should be up off the floor, boxed, and put on shelves.”
Talk to Design to Market about staging your home, and during the initial consultation period, you’ll also be able to start figuring out what does and doesn’t need to be moved out of the home. Then, you can reach out to our Cincinnati storage center for an easy, cost-effective solution.
