Virtual Staging: An Innovative Way to Impress Buyers
Are you preparing to list a house in Grand Rapids or the West Michigan area in the upcoming weeks that might be empty or lacking that ‘curb appeal’? Are you comparing the space to the listings already posted throughout the greater Grand Rapids area, wondering what options you have to help the home stand out?
As more home-sellers turn to virtual staging, we have to ask: Is this option really worth it, and how does it compare to traditional staging?
According to the National Association of Realtors®, 77 percent of buyers’ agents say that staging makes it easier for buyers to envision themselves living in a home. As many as 38 percent of sellers’ agents say that they stage all their clients’ homes before every listing. Since the benefits of staging have a direct impact on listing performance, virtual staging was developed to give the same benefits to those who are looking for an alternative to traditional staging.
To determine whether virtual staging is a viable alternative for you, you have to understand what it is and how this technique compares to traditional home staging.
What is Virtual Staging?
Virtual staging, like traditional staging, is decorating a home to showcase its best features and qualities in an effort to make the space more attractive to buyers. The difference is, as the name implies, virtual staging is done with a computer. There is zero real furniture, area rugs, potted plants or other physical décor involved. Professional virtual stagers digitally insert all of these decorative elements in high-resolution photos to show an empty room’s full potential.
What Homes is Virtual Staging Best Suited For?
Virtual staging might not be the best option for every home. In many cases, traditional staging could be the superior choice depending on your goals. Regardless of which route you choose, virtual staging can be a huge benefit if it is done properly in:
– Vacant homes
– Homes with outdated furniture
– Properties with tenants in them, which leave the homeowner little control over the space’s appearance
If you still occupy your home and you can stage and decorate the space to make it as appealing as possible to potential buyers, whole-house virtual staging probably is not the best choice for the listing. (You are alway welcome to virtually stage some rooms if you and your agent think it’s appropriate, though.)
Virtual Staging vs. Traditional Staging
Virtual staging is typically a lot cheaper than traditional staging is. Here’s a quick glimpse at the comparative costs for both:
– Virtual staging costs somewhere between $30 and $199 per room, depending on the contractor you use, your location, and the amount of space and/or images you need staged.
– Traditional staging could cost several hundred dollars per month, depending on the stager you use, how much furniture you you are renting, your location, and the number of rooms you need staged.
Price isn’t the only sticking point, though. Each method comes with its own pros and cons that you will need to consider, particularly if you are trying to sell an empty house.
Pros and Cons of Virtual Staging
Virtual staging can help sell a home quicker and for more money – but only if it’s done right. You still need to hire a professional photographer who knows how to take good photos for virtual staging, and you will want to work with a reputable company that has a great portfolio of completed work.
Check out the lists of the pros and cons below of virtual staging to help you make the right choice for your situation:
Pros of Virtual Staging
– Can help you showcase an empty home’s best features
– Is a cost-effective option compared to traditional staging
– Attract the attention of prospective buyers’ online
– Offers the opportunity to stage any number of rooms
– Allows you to stage rooms in multiple ways
Cons of Virtual Staging
– Becomes more expensive when you need to remove clutter, furniture, or other large items from photos
– Can be difficult to use when the house is occupied, unless you have previous listing photos
– Furniture and décor only exist in the photos, so buyers will never experience it in person
Pros and Cons of Traditional Staging
Traditional staging, which successful real estate agents have been using for many years, doesn’t always require a professional stager. However, it does require someone who has an eye for detail and the ability to create a space that appeals to the widest possible range of buyers.
Here are the side-by-side lists of the pros and cons of traditional staging to help you decide whether this option is a better choice for selling your home:
Pros of Traditional Staging
– Gives prospective buyers a real-life perspective when they tour the house
– Prevents buyers from having to tour a space that is completely empty and vacant
– Helps the buyers’ sense of imagination
– Makes the space appear larger and enable a prospective buyer to gauge the size of rooms
– Helps your home stand out in buyers’ memories after they leave
Cons of Traditional Staging
– Can be very expensive, and you will keep incurring costs until the home sells
– Requires stagers to bring in outside furnishings, décor, and other items
– May be unnecessary, depending on how quickly homes are selling in your market
Common Virtual Staging Mistakes
The biggest mistake a seller can make is hiring a virtual staging company that is not good enough. Virtually staged photos should be exceptionally realistic. They should be so real that buyers would not know they are computer-generated unless someone tells them.
Other mistakes many people make with virtual staging is:
– Failing to include photos of empty rooms as well as staged rooms. As a result, buyers may expect the home to look the same as it does in the listing photos.
– Choosing virtual staging that makes the home look worse, not better. You have to be careful not to overdo furniture and decorative elements in staged photos. The furniture should match the style of the entire space.
– Using virtual staging when it’s not needed. Replacing furnishings and decorative elements in photos when they are perfectly fine to begin with can be a significant waste of time (and money).
Could Virtual Staging Help You Sell Your Home?
Virtual staging can be a tremendous asset when you are selling a vacant home, a space that has wild-card tenants, or when there is outdated furniture and décor. This type of staging allows prospective buyers to view the home in an inviting way instead of looking at an empty, cavernous space. Potential buyers want to see the house as one that’s comfortable and easy to live in.
Have you used virtual staging to sell a home in Grand Rapids or the West Michigan area? If so, what were your thoughts? We would love to hear your story and how it worked out for you, so please share your thoughts in the comments below.