When you go to an interview, you dress for the occasion—a nice suit, a sharp haircut, an appealing color palate. You do this because you know that first impressions matter. And they matter a lot. They matter so much, in fact, that most people will assess their like or dislike of a new acquaintance in a matter of a few seconds to a few minutes. BAM! Even though we know we shouldn’t judge a book by its cover, many (most of us, really) totally do. This principle is equally as important in real estate when your home’s first impression tends to be its lasting impression on a potential buyer.

Home staging is a growing business type with multiple firms all over the United States. Though many home sellers think they can dress up their own home sufficiently for it to sell, a home stager can potentially decorate your home to sell faster and at a higher price than you could. Though they can’t guarantee success 100% of the time, following are a few very good reasons to consider hiring a home staging company when selling your next home.

Stagers Are Objective

A good home stager can put aside your style and their style in order to cater your home to a wider audience. They can enter your home with a critical eye and look beyond the personality you’ve decorated it with. They’re especially good at helping you de-clutter, simplify, and make appealing spaces that will be attractive to potential buyers. Remember, you’ve lived in your home for years—sometimes decades. A stager hasn’t. Their fresh eyes will help them repackage the space in a way that you simply can’t. And that’ll give your home an edge over the competition.

Stagers Know What Buyers Want

A stager’s business is knowing what looks good to potential buyers in certain areas. They’ll do considerable research about where the home is and what types of people are likely to be interested in it and stage it accordingly. For instance, they might rearrange furniture to make it more “family friendly” or add a crib in the room that you now use as a guest bedroom. You see, staging isn’t just about making a space beautiful—it’s about making it functional. It’s about fulfilling a buyer’s vision of living there. A good stager can help you make a space inviting, practical, and pretty at the same time.

Stagers Can Accentuate the Positives and Eliminate the Negatives

No home is perfect, and there are bound to be things that are less than appealing to any number of people touring your home. Like a magician, a stager can redirect a buyer’s attention to the things that are most appealing about the house while minimizing the things that might be problematic. If there is a room that doesn’t get as much light, for example, the stager might decorate with lighter colors, or remove the curtains so that it’s brighter.

Going back to a stager’s objectivity, they are able to achieve this balance because they approach your home with a fresh pair of eyes. They’ll help you clean, rearrange, and repackage your home so well that you might not even want to move! They can make your home look like a model home, appealing to a wider audience and helping people feel confident in putting in offers fast.

Staging Is a Good Investment

Staging can be pricey, so make sure you do your homework. Ask your stager how much of your own furniture and decorations they can use. Realize that you might need to rent out a storage space and move a considerable number of your belongings into it to create more space in the home. Furthermore, make sure you know how much the investment will be before you sign on—does the stager charge by the room? By the month? Look at their track record and, if possible, contact previous clients.

But even though there’s the initial investment, good stagers can help your house wow potential buyers into quickly bidding and even overpaying for the home. There’s a reason that developers have model homes smartly staged open for tours. Like dressing up for an interview, you can dress up your home and add this same “new home appeal” to your house. So make a good impression and hire a seasoned stager the next time you’re putting a home on the market.

Nice newsletter. Good article. Good information. Thank you. Carol

For conventional financing, borrowers with scores at 740 or anywhere above generally receive the same loan pricing (rate and cost). That being said, the better your credit the higher your chances of receiving loan approval with high debt to income (up to 50%) or high loan to value (up to 95%) which can be a major benefit when applying for a new loan. For Jumbo financing, borrowers with credit scores above 800 are generally rewarded with both better pricing and easier guidelines. There are no situations where better credit is a negative when obtaining new financing so we should all continue to strive to reach and then stay in the 800’s.

What are the advantages of a score over 800

Thank you Mike for this information. As a residential realtor the information that you provide is crucial to a successful transaction for my clients. You are indeed a pleasure to recommend to all of my clients. You are so professional, thorough, conscientious and pleasant to work with. !!

Hi Dane! Wanted to make sure I'm clear on this. Am I right in saying that on whichever remodel is done you still take a loss rather than an increase in value - the ROI will never exceed 100% of cost?