Home Staging: A Guide

When trying to sell your house, you want it to look as attractive as possible.

There is a subtle art behind making your house look good. It is known as ‘home staging’.

In the blog below, we’ve explained everything you need to know about staging your home.

What is home staging?

Home staging refers to preparing your house for viewings on the open market.

It involves several steps, each contributing to making your house as attractive as possible. The exact steps, their order and cost vary.

Some of the most common steps involved with home staging include:

Rearranging furniture
Cleaning
Redecorating, e.g. new ornaments or lampshades
Painting walls
Mowing the lawn
Adding fresh flowers.

Doing it yourself vs outsourcing

Most people do their home staging themselves.

However, an outside expert (/experts) may be needed in some circumstances.

These might include individual services, such as professional cleaners or gardeners.

It could also mean using a professional house staging service. The costs vary from several hundred to several thousand pounds (or more). It depends on the property type, size, and condition.

Are renovations part of home staging?

Renovations do not fall under the ‘home staging’ category. Examples include extensions or loft conversions.

The same applies to issues that have caused property damage, including:

Recent issue with squatters
Broken windows or doors
Holes in your roof
Pest infestation
Subsidence or other foundation issues.

Renovations and structural repairs generally take at least a couple of months. And once completed, they don’t equate to a home being staged.

ROI for house staging

Each home staging step should improve the appearance of your house. This, in turn, could provide a return on investment.

Or it might not…

It’s up to you which of the steps you take and how much (if any) money you spend on them.

How important is home staging?

According to a National Association of Realtors study, 77% of buyers say it’s easier to visualise a staged property as a future home.

Staging your house helps you stand out from other properties. This is essential in a slow housing market (in a buyer’s market, for example).

Home staging makes it easier to market your property. Photos will look more attractive on Rightmove, Zoopla and local magazines.

It is also easier for viewers to appreciate every corner and feature of your house when there isn’t litter blocking their way.

When home staging is not important

In some instances, home staging is not important.

For example, cash buying companies and auction houses usually accept your property in any condition.

Common examples include derelict houses or in an otherwise bad condition. Fixing up these kinds of properties does not always yield an ROI.

And some less severe issues can also be unnecessary to fix.

How long does home staging take?

On average, staging a home takes 1 or 2 days. However, this timeframe varies depending on its size and state.

Basic tidying, cleaning and gardening tasks can be done in this time.

For larger projects, home staging can take several weeks.

For example, repainting walls or installing new carpets are difficult to do a quickly. Hiring professionals to do these takes time.

How important is furniture when staging a house?

Furniture can often – but not always – be necessary for staging a house.

Different potential buyers have different preferences on this issue. For example, some buyers may want to buy a house full of furniture.

Most, however, will have their own furniture and won’t want to remove yours.

If you have furniture in a house, ensure it’s relatively good quality. If not, consider removing it or borrowing or hiring new furniture for viewings.

Do I need to spend money when home staging?

Most of the time, you do not need to spend money on home staging.

Many of the most critical steps involved can be done for free.

However, in some cases, spending money might be unavoidable. For example, if you need to sell your house urgently and don’t have any free time.

Is home staging compulsory?

No, home staging is not compulsory. You can often sell a house without staging it.

This is especially true for alternative house selling methods, such as cash buyers and auction houses.

However, you may need to stage your house on the open market if it doesn’t sell.

Most estate agents will tell you to stage your home in some way.

Viewers who feel at home in your property will likely increase their offer.

Staging the home in small ways can be worth your time, effort, and even money.

Can I hire someone to do home staging for me?

Yes, some companies provide consultation on home staging. They might offer additional services, such as furniture hire or redecorating.

If you want a second opinion for free, you could invite your friends or family over to look around the house.

A fresh set of eyes can be useful in identifying improvements that you might have overlooked.

Ways to do home staging on a budget

There are many ways to stage your house on a budget.

You can ask friends and family to help you make repairs, move furniture, or install large ornaments.

You could even pay them – but at a lower rate than a professional would charge.

Secondly, take advantage of pre-existing features. For example:

Make use of natural lighting (keep curtains and blinds open during viewings)
Repositioning mirrors to make your rooms look larger
Depersonalise the house. For example, put away personal items and make rooms look fit for general purposes.