Why staging your home is an essential investment

If you're selling your home, you're likely wondering if you should invest in staging your home for its sale. The truth is, whether you hire a professional or stage your home yourself, staging your home is an essential investment ― and some of the reasons why may surprise you.

It used to be that sprucing up your home's exterior would go a long way toward a successful home sale. But now that online listings show every nook, crook, and cranny of your home, home staging has become a must.

Staging your home for online listings can help prospective buyers understand your property's unique features more clearly before they've even stepped inside in person.

And since staged homes lead to better photos, you will have a real advantage when it comes to helping your home stand out from non-staged homes that are comparable in location or price.

According to the Real Estate Staging Association, a professional organization serving the United States and Canada, properties that are professionally staged spend 73 percent less time on the market.

This shorter time on the market represents a huge boon to sellers looking to turn a property around quickly. Because of this increased selling speed, staging a home can help decrease the stress and anxiety that often come with selling a home. And, the faster your house sells the faster you can get a return on your investment.

On top of that, a home that seems as if it will sell more quickly often attracts better deals up front, which is great news when you're looking to maximize your profit on your home.

When you stage your home before sale, you broadcast your home's value and worth to a potential buyer. And buyers can feel the difference.

They're more likely to view a home that has been staged as "well-maintained."

This perception can attract a better class of buyers ― buyers who expect and respond to a beautifully staged interior environment and who are willing to pay a premium for your home's attractive and unique features.

Think of staging your home as dressing for a job interview. You could show up in jeans and a hoodie, but your competitors may plan to upstage you in designer suits that broadcast both their eagerness and appropriateness for the job.

So when you invest in home staging before you put your house on the market, you can rest assured that your property will be more likely to attract the best-qualified buyers and really highlight your house's best features.