Should I stage my owner-occupied home? | Home Staging Company
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Should I stage my owner-occupied home?

Yes, it is recommended that your owner-occupied home shall undergo home staging. Unlike the vacant staging where the challenge is to fill the house with decorations, furniture, and appliances; occupied staging usually requires de-cluttering. As we all know, staging helps buyers shall have a quick glance of their life inside your house so the only way to do this is to de-personalize your house. This includes letting go of your preloved items.

One great tip you must practice during home staging is: You must be very professional about it. Your professional home stagers know exactly what the buyers want in a house and how to work with the best feature of your home. They can play with the colors and spaces to maximize the potentials of your house. In this process, you must let go of all your attachments so your feelings will not get in the way of the pros while working on your house.

Find a place to store your stuff while you are in the process of selling your house. Your stager will probably recommend you hide them because your personal belongings can distract buyers.

If you are not still convinced in staging your owner-occupied home, ask yourself the following questions:

  1. Can my owner-occupied home sell itself without a proper home staging?

Just like vacant staging, you may ask your friends and relatives about their opinion on the look and vibe of your house. After your assessment and you think it’s going to take a lot of effort, hire a home stager. It’s always practical to be sure of everything especially if you are going to spend money. You must always ask the professionals to do this for you. As mentioned earlier, you have a special attachment to your house and everything inside it. A professional advice can give you fresh ideas that you fail to see the first time.

  1. Can I do the staging alone?

There are cases where people with a tight budget only choose to pay for consultations with a pro. You may do this and select the rooms and features of the house that are important to be staged. Sellers provide the pros with pictures of the house and parts of it that they think will need staging.

  1. Can I really increase the value of my house?

Yes. If you opt for consultation only, you must faithfully obey the instructions of your professional home stager. Get rid of the old furniture and dysfunctional appliances. Either throw them away or keep them in a separate storage space away from places that buyers can easily spot them if you really have a deep attachment to them. According to the National Association of Realtors (NAR), there is 1 to 5 percent increase in the value of a staged home. You may read the whole article here [1].

Some may think it is easier to stage an occupied home because you already have existing furniture, appliances, and home decorations. All you need to do is de-clutter, rearrange, reorganize, and make the house clean. But what they overlook is the part where you need to let go of the things that you have been attached to.  Take this as a practice to slowly let go of the attachment so you may easily let go once you already sell your house, soon.