Your House in Pictures: The Science Behind Staging

What is it? Simply put: home staging is the preparation of a private residence for sale in the real estate marketplace. 

We recommend staging not because we think your house isn't decorated beautifully, but because the first time potential buyers see your home will not be in person, it will be digital. 

Okay, so why does that matter? Well, it's a bit of science.

We live in a three-dimensional world, and the brain perceives things as such. Digital representations of your home, i.e. photos and videos, are two-dimensional. And these are two very different "realities." To explain: A two-dimensional (2D) shape has only two measurements, such as length and height. However, a three-dimensional (3D) shape has three measurements, such as length, width, and height.

The important missing factor in 2D is depth and this is very important when marketing things that people live IN.

Misplaced furniture can "flatten" a room and make it look smaller and cramped. It can also make a room look cavernous and impractical. Excess objects (clutter) can cause their own host of problems: our brains like order, and visual reminders of disorganization drain our cognitive resources, reducing our ability to focus.

Video, although also 2D, can help as the videographer can move through the room, giving the viewer a better sense of depth and creating a more realistic impression of the room. Recent stats show that listings of homes for sale with video recieve over 400% more views than listings without video. Video will not clean up a cluttered home or place your sofa in the optimal visual spot, staging is critical here too. 

Google is working on providing video thumbnails or "previews" instead of photos to accompany search results. But until all websites and search browsers have video previews, and we all produce video for them to use, the first impression of your home will be a photograph, and you know what they say about first impressions.

You don't need to hire someone to bring in rented furniture and arrange your books. Staging can absolutely be done by yourself with a little guidance. We've written a "how-to" guide with loads of tips and tricks which you can READ HERE. We also provide in-house staging assistance for all homes we list. If you don't want the headache of doing any of this yourself and would rather pay someone to bring in that fancy sofa, we can recommend some great companies that do a fantastic job of staging. 

Now, if the science doesn't convince you, the numbers might. Staged homes can increase the sales price anywhere from 5% to 15%, and 88% of agents say that staged homes had a substantial decrease in days on the market when compared to the local average. 

For a little elbow grease, more money in a shorter amount of time sounds like a no-brainer to us. 

Steve & Selena
Grow With Us. Grow Your Wealth.

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Steve: 604-302-3882
Selena: 236-258-6606

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Steve: hello@stevegobeil.com
Selena: hello@selenawallace.com 

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