What is the best approach when selling a house? If you ask a Stager, they’ll tell you to stage it and you’ll get ‘X’ return on your investment. If you ask a virtual Stager, they’ll tell you photos make all the difference, plus there is a tremendous cost savings when virtually staging vs. moving in actual furniture. Virtual staging can be as inexpensive as $25/photo, vs. the thousands of dollars it costs to stage. If you ask me, I’ll tell you it all depends on the home and the situation.
I tried virtual staging once, and the house didn’t sell. The sellers were living in the house and had all their stuff there. When prospective buyers came through, I got the feeling they were let down upon arrival. The virtual staging set an expectation that was not met with buyer’s first impressions. That is, of course, the exact opposite reaction you want. Then I brought in my Stager, she worked her magic and I sold the house after the next open house. We used some of the seller’s furniture and brought in some of the Stager’s. The seller had to put some furniture in storage, but it was well worth the effort.
There is of course a time and place for everything. For instance, if tenants are in the house and the seller wants to get the property on the market while the tenants are still there, hands down virtual staging is going to be the best approach. The initial let-down factor will still be in play, but at least prospective buyers will have an idea of what could be within the living space.
If a house is vacant, I’d advise against virtual staging vs. no staging. The space and presentation will come off as more authentic if it’s vacant. There will be no potential let down. As long as the house is clean and well presented, it should be fine. Fresh paint and either new carpet, flooring, or refinished hard wood will help the property shine. However, my preference with a vacant house will most often be to take the extra step and stage it.
There is one exception to the staging recommendation. If the house is a fixer, staging won’t add anything. If the house is in original but in good condition, staging will make the house appear cuter. But if the house is original and in poor shape, staging will do nothing to enhance the value. It will be good for the Stager’s business, but beyond supporting your local Stager, staging a fixer is not a good use of money.