What sells better an empty house or a staged house?
Ninety-five percent of staged homes sell in 11 days or less, which is 87% faster than non-staged homes. They also sell for an average of 17% more, so you could recoup the cost of staging and then some.
Research from the National Association of Realtors (NAR) shows that the longer a property sits on the market, the less it finally sells for. The same research shows that staging a stagnant home currently listed makes it sell up to 73% faster. Let Clever help sell your home!
Staging an empty house is just as important as staging a fully furnished one. It might even be a bit easier to do since there's no need to depersonalize the space or find somewhere to hide any clutter. The goal when you stage a home without furniture is to highlight those features that you do have.
Thousands of sellers have been in the exact position you are in right now and the first question they always have is: “Will this house sell for less because it is empty.” The short answer is yes, empty houses do take longer to sell than furnished, occupied or staged homes.
All prices were accurate at the time of publishing. Anyone who works in real estate has long operated by a certain rule of thumb: Professionally staged homes sell faster. That's because furniture actually makes spaces appear larger and encourages potential buyers to see themselves living there.
Staging can get your home sold faster, too. According to HomeAdvisor, homes that have been staged spend between 33% and 50% less time on the market.
What are the cons of staging your house? The biggest disadvantage would be the cost. Professional services for staging a home can be pricey, especially if your house is large and has a backyard to outfit as well. The average cost of staging a house is around $300 to $600.
- Do not leave the house empty. (Image credit: Future) ...
- Leaving personal photos on walls. (Image credit: Future) ...
- Not making an effort with tidying. (Image credit: Future) ...
- Don't go overboard on holiday decor. (Image credit: Future / Sussie Bell)
A few recommended home-staging tips are to declutter, clean, or replace your appliances so they look new; remove any personal items such as photos and monogrammed towels; and get rid of odors.
Soft staging is similar to traditional home staging but it does not include furniture. When soft staging your home, we bring in artwork and accessories to make it feel warmer and more inviting. There are many benefits to soft staging your home, such as helping your listing stand out from the competition.
What are the slowest months to sell a house?
Sellers can net thousands of dollars more if they sell during the peak months of May, June and July versus the two slowest months of the year, October and December, according to a 2022 report by ATTOM Data Solutions.
After an offer is accepted, home sales typically require an additional 30- to 45- day closing period before they are officially sold. Therefore, the average time it takes to sell a house is 55-70 days in the U.S.

- Give your curb appeal extra love. ...
- Work with a dedicated real estate agent. ...
- Stage your home, prioritizing key spaces. ...
- Pay close attention when staging the bed and couch. ...
- Remove stray items to avoid the 'abandoned' look. ...
- Schedule for regular cleanings through closing. ...
- Know your market. ...
- Manage the thermostat remotely.
Home stagers are constantly changing inventory. No realtor or homebuyer wants to see a slate of homes all furnished with the same four pieces. So what happens to all the furniture items that get cut from a stager's arsenal? They're sold off — and oftentimes at a discount.
The rooms buyers most closely inspect (and judge) in a house are the kitchen and master bath. These are the interior spaces where the most value can be added during a sale, so they need to look their best.
- Don't compromise because of a time crunch. ...
- Avoid online lenders. ...
- Avoid homes that need too many updates. ...
- Pretty investor flips may hide expensive flaws. ...
- Don't pass over a home that has easy fixes. ...
- Know how to spot houses with visible signs of foundation issues. ...
- Avoid flood plains. ...
- Be sure the property is insurable.
If your real estate agent (here's how to find a real estate agent in your area) has suggested staging, it's because evidence shows staging real estate is usually well worth the effort. On average, staged homes sell 88% faster and for 20% more than nonstaged homes, which is nothing to sneeze at.
You can sell a house as soon as you would like after buying it, but most real estate experts recommend waiting at least two years — ideally five.
- Clean & Declutter Your Home. Photo via @sharon_arny_interior_design. ...
- Remove Personal Items. ...
- Furnish Empty Spaces. ...
- Let in Natural Light. ...
- Hire a Professional Photographer. ...
- Choose the Right Paint Color for Your Walls. ...
- Spruce Up Your Curb Appeal. ...
- Upgrade Carpets & Floors.
Personal photographs
“The first thing any home stager will tell you to do is remove personal pictures before you go on the market. Yes, it makes your home cleaner, sharper, less cluttered, and it also does two other important things for you. It allows the buyer to see themselves there, even if they don't look like you.
Why does staging a house cost so much?
Since the stager has to style around all of your stuff, this can amount to hours or days of extra, expensive labor. “Homeowners who are worried about affording staging need to find a stager that can help them achieve the staging goals they have within the parameters of their budget,” explains Gittens.
Invest in Staging
Both the interior and exterior of a home play a very important role in deciding its value. The outside of the house is the first thing a potential buyer and the appraiser will see when they arrive. If curb appeal is low, the home starts off at a lower appraisal score.
The 3-foot-5-foot rule
Keep surfaces in the 3-foot to 5-foot range, such as on coffee tables, credenzas and dining table, clear of clutter. Some stagers love to bring tall vases and place them everywhere, but don't let them.
- First impressions count: Potential buyer's expectations are high when viewing properties. ...
- Sell a lifestyle: ...
- The 'smoke and mirrors' effect:
This varies based on the size of your home, what is needed to best market the property, and the experience of the stager. Overall, I find that an average occupied home can be staged in 8 hours or less, and a vacant home in 2 days or about 16-18 hours.
The best neutral paint colors for staging a home are light grays, beiges, and whites. Not only do these light neutrals stand the test of time, but they reflect light well and can make rooms feel larger.
Items they rent for the staging process and then return after the home sells are deductible as part of the staging, as they do not use them for any personal use, they are used strictly for the staging process.”
- Clean, clean, clean. It's time to deep clean your house. ...
- Declutter. One of the biggest things buyers are looking for is space. ...
- Put your stuff in storage. ...
- Sell unwanted items. ...
- Neutralize. ...
- Let go.
A minimalist design consists of a lot of features that go hand-in-hand with the basic rules of Home Staging. Things like uncluttering, making small spaces appear larger and creating perception of the ideal lifestyle – all of which are congruent with the main principles of styling properties for sale.
Thursday is generally thought to be the best day of the week to list a house for sale. Studies show that homes listed on Thursdays are more likely to sell faster, and for a higher price.
What month has the most home listings?
Most listings hit the market in a short window between the months of April and June. If you're planning to buy in a market with harsh winter weather, May and June typically have twice as many active listings as December or January.
Spring is when most houses go on the market.
Your home is unconventional
Unique properties — such as very large, high-end or expensive houses, or homes located in unusual areas or with quirky features and style — aren't for everybody, so they usually take a little longer to sell.
You can hire an estate sale company to sell your stuff all at once. Estate sale companies will send someone out to review the contents and let you know if it makes sense and is worth hosting a sale. If you want to move forward, the company may hold the sale at your house or at their location.
- Clear off surfaces. ...
- Create a space for everything. ...
- Keep all cabinets, drawers, and closets neat and tidy. ...
- Keep beds as easy to make as possible. ...
- Keep up with the dishes. ...
- Keep up with the laundry. ...
- Wipe down the counters daily. ...
- Sweep and/or vacuum daily.
And in the 2023 National Association of Realtors report, 20 percent of agents surveyed said staging increased a home's value by 1 to 5 percent; 14 percent saw an increase of 6 to 10 percent; and 5 percent saw an increase of 11 to 15 percent.
To recap: Staging costs for primary and secondary homes under this rule are considered to be selling and advertising expenses. This means when you engage a professional stager for staging services and furniture rentals, these costs reduce the profit of the transaction and you can have less tax liability.
In short, the answer is no. The couple (or person) was required to either purchase the pieces from HGTV or return them after filming wrapped. This included everything from the giant clocks and the modern chairs to the small trinkets Joanna used to decorate the kitchen countertop.
Staged Homes Usually Sell Faster and For More Money
Staging makes your home more attractive to potential buyers, which can help it sell faster and for more money. Ninety-five percent of staged homes sell in 11 days or less, which is 87% faster than non-staged homes.
- Open Floor Plans. ...
- Low Maintenance Features. ...
- Energy Efficiency. ...
- Wireless Connectivity. ...
- Laundry Rooms. ...
- Patios. ...
- Garage Storage Space. ...
- Exterior Lighting. Exterior lighting is a great way to add both curb appeal and functional lighting.
What are the 2 most important rooms in a house?
The kitchen and the master bathroom. Buyers tend to show more interest in these rooms than any other in a home.
How many times to look at a house before buying? Ideally, four to six viewings should be sufficient. Attending two to three visits inside, with a realtor and/or appraiser, and another two to three visits scouting the house and neighborhood independently, from the outside, may be a good approach.
- Notify Neighbors and Local Police. Before you move, give others in the community a heads up. ...
- Leave a Light On. ...
- Forward Your Mail. ...
- Keep up With Lawn Care and Snow Removal. ...
- Take Care of Repairs. ...
- Consider Leaving Window Treatments. ...
- Showcase Some Indoor Plants.
- Understand why you want to buy a house. Purchasing a home is a major decision that shouldn't be taken lightly. ...
- Check your credit score. ...
- Save for a down payment. ...
- Create a housing budget. ...
- Shop for a mortgage. ...
- Hire a real estate agent. ...
- See multiple homes. ...
- Make an offer.
Home staging has become a "must-do" for many sellers, as 82% of buyer's agents said home staging makes it easier for prospective buyers to visualize the property as a future home. 1 Staged homes have also historically sold faster and for more money than those that are not staged.
According to recent data, the house size that sells much faster than other homes is 1,500 and 2,000 square feet. Most notably, smaller houses tend to sit on the market for a shorter time than larger homes.
More than a few. According to Zillow's report, 45 percent of renters regret renting instead of buying a home. The report found that just 8 percent of homeowners regret buying instead of renting. This means that renters are more than five times more likely to regret their housing situation than are homeowners.
- Clean & Declutter Your Home. Photo via @sharon_arny_interior_design. ...
- Remove Personal Items. ...
- Furnish Empty Spaces. ...
- Let in Natural Light. ...
- Hire a Professional Photographer. ...
- Choose the Right Paint Color for Your Walls. ...
- Spruce Up Your Curb Appeal. ...
- Upgrade Carpets & Floors.
In the US, first-time homebuyers are, on average, 33 years old. The average age of homebuyers overall is 47.
In 2022, the average age of first-time homebuyers was 36, according to the National Association of Realtors (NAR). This is up from 33 in 2021. A more notable stat, however, is that only 26% of homebuyers in 2022 were first-time homebuyers — the lowest percentage since the NAR started tracking the metric.
Why is home staging so expensive?
Since the stager has to style around all of your stuff, this can amount to hours or days of extra, expensive labor. “Homeowners who are worried about affording staging need to find a stager that can help them achieve the staging goals they have within the parameters of their budget,” explains Gittens.
Eighty-one percent of buyers' agents said staging a home made it easier for a buyer to visualize the property as a future home. Staging the living room was found to be most important for buyers (39 percent), followed by staging the primary bedroom (36 percent), and staging the kitchen (30 percent).
Late spring — specifically, the month of May — is the best time to sell a house. Homes sold in May net a 12.6 percent seller premium (the amount above the home's market value), based on ATTOM's analysis of single-family home and condo sales over the past 10 years.
Thursday is generally thought to be the best day of the week to list a house for sale. Studies show that homes listed on Thursdays are more likely to sell faster, and for a higher price.
This includes the three states where homes are selling the fastest: Washington, Nevada, and Arizona. As homes continue to sell faster than in years past, it's a good time to learn how to start investing in real estate.
Data includes responses from 722 home buyers who have regrets. What's more, about half of recent home buyers said in the Hippo survey that homeownership is more expensive than they anticipated, there's too much maintenance and upkeep, and they compromised too much for their home.
Here's what millennial homeowners report regretting when buying their first home: Paying too high of an interest rate (22%) Not being educated about homebuying (21%) Buying a home in a neighborhood that changed too much (21%)
In real estate, buyer's remorse is when a new homeowner regrets the home they recently purchased and feels as if it was the wrong decision. “It is the feeling of regret and fear over making a life-altering decision without 100% certainty,” Young says.