Selling a home is no small task. These days, it can be difficult to make your property stand out from the crowd. To this end, you want to consider certain home-staging strategies that will make your house appeal to a wide audience. We talked with Kate Touhill of Seattle Staged to Sell & Design about the importance of home staging in the current Seattle real estate market.
Home Staging is a Valuable Selling Tool
If you’re planning to sell a home in the Seattle area, you’re in luck! The real estate market is flourishing in Seattle. There are fewer homes for sale than there are buyers, according to Touhill, but you still need to make your home stand out from the crowd. “Staging is about making a connection between the buyer and the home,” she explained. “When you stage, you immediately create a narrative that greets the potential buyer as they walk into the home. It’s important that the buyer can imagine themselves living in the home, and staging creates that connection.” Think back to when you first purchased your home. What drew you in? Though the location and accessible amenities can be selling points for undecided buyers, the perceived lifestyle a space projects can make or break a sale.
“Additionally,” continued Touhill, “MLS photos are so important. Buyers always look at the photos online before coming into see the home. Photos of empty rooms make it difficult for someone to understand the spaces, and makes it less likely for them to see the home, let alone put in an offer.” Whether you’re trying to sell a multimillion dollar home or a studio condo, staging is always a strategic choice.
What to Expect When Staging a Home
Different businesses use a different focus when it comes to staging, and Seattle Staged to Sell & Design has struck a balance between consulting and collaborating. The design is synthesized from numerous variables. “When staging a home, we do an initial consultation to become acquainted with the home, the seller, and the realtor,” Touhill began. “It’s important to ensure that the design connects with the style of the home, the targeted buyer, and the tastes of the area.”
Touhill continued, “We want to ensure that the design speak to the ‘spirit’ of the home and the targeted buyers. We go into an initial consultation ready to begin the design, but want to first get a feel for the home and what its unique needs are.” When choosing a staging company, it is important to acknowledge the role you want to take in the design process. Whether you want to provide input or leave the designing to the professionals, Seattle Staged to Sell & Design will accommodate your individual needs.
Choosing Your Perfect Staging Company
When choosing a staging business, you want to ensure that your home is in good hands. Seattle Staged to Sell and Design is a wonderful place to start your search. Touhill explained, “What sets us apart from many other home stagers is that we are a completely custom staging company. This means that we do not go in with a cookie cutter design for each house. We design each house depending on its unique needs and character. We have no pre-prepared packages for staging. We personally custom design each home to fit its needs.”
How to Prepare for Seattle Home Staging
Preparing to stage a home while still living in the space can be difficult. “We usually stage fully vacant homes using our pieces. However, we will always work with our client’s needs,” Touhill explained. “If they want to do a partial staging using their pieces, we will accommodate this to the best of our design and we advise them ahead of time what items to take out.” If you choose to do a ‘partial stage’—that is, stage the home while you’re still living in it—you might need space to store your unused furniture.
Regardless, putting a house on the market is a lot of work, and you may not have the time necessary to set up a storage unit while preparing to sell. Our valet-style service is perfect for busy Seattle residents. Just schedule your pickup, pack your smaller items into boxes, and let us take it from there. Whether you’re looking to stage a home of 2,000 square feet or 4,000 square feet, both Closetbox and Seattle Staged to Sell and Design can accommodate nearly any size and budget.
