The ABC's of Why You Need to Stage an Empty Home Listed for Sale!

My First home staging assignment was a vacant home staging! Almost a year later, as I look back, I now believe that it is easier to stage a vacant home because you are starting with a fresh slate. Read on to find out....

The ABCs of Why You Need to Stage an Empty Home Listed for Sale!

A) Buyers need to use their imagination to see the potential. When rooms are empty, it is often difficult for them to envision how they would look with furniture, accessories, rugs and artwork.

B) Sometimes, it is impossible to figure out the purpose of a space. If there is a room or area in the home that has an odd space, that is shaped or sized in an unusual manner, or whose purpose is undetermined, then buyers will be confused and uncertain. Its purpose must be adequately defined, and this is best done visually.

C) In vacant properties, buyers tend to focus on every little flaw. If your property is not brand new, this is going to be a problem. The older the house and the more outdated the fixtures, the bigger this problem will be. Filling the property with attractive furnishings will distract buyers and minimize the impact of these imperfections.

D) An empty house feels cold and stark. Remember, first impressions do count. You want it to be warm and inviting, to evoke an emotional response where the potential buyer will create a personal connection with the house, just as they do with model suites. You want to sell the dream.

E) Fascinatingly enough, empty rooms seem smaller than furnished rooms, sometimes leaving the buyer to wonder whether their furnishings will even fit. Gauging scale is tricky, and you can still be wrong. Adding furniture and décor in the right proportion solves this immediately.