Did you know that 90 percent of potential home buyers start their house search online?
Whether you are a real estate agent or a homeowner, there are a lot of factors that you will need to consider before you put a house on the market. Arguably the most crucial decision you can make during this process is determining the best features to highlight. This is what allows you to create buzz and interest around the home. In order to garner more interest, homeowners and real estate agents have traditionally relied on professional home staging companies. The home staging company prepares the home to make it as appealing as possible. But with more buyers shopping online for real estate...what about using virtual staging instead?
As virtual staging continues to gain traction, both real estate agents and homeowners might find themselves grappling with the question of which staging technique to use.
To answer this question, you have to look at the current state of affairs. Today, people will first look on the internet when searching for a house. This means that it is important to have a virtual version of the house.
Virtual staging gives you a platform to showcase your home online. Physical staging, on the other hand, ensures that the house looks just as good as it did online.
Let us look at both in more detail.
Also known as physical staging, it involves inviting a home staging professional to prepare your home before you list it.
A home staging company will typically come with the relevant furniture and other décor items necessary to highlight the house’s best features. As such, the main focus of home stagers is to work on layout and design elements to make the home appealing and inviting to potential buyers who have come to check out the house.
Physical staging, therefore, helps those buyers imagine how it would be like to live in that house. Using the right techniques, physical staging can help minimize flaws that would have otherwise put off a potential buyer.
Nonetheless, the extent of physical staging usually varies depending on the condition and needs of a home. Houses in good condition might only require a few decorative updates and minor rearrangements. Older houses, however, might require more in-depth efforts such as repairs and repainting, thus costing a lot more.
Additionally, if you have outdated furniture or décor, the professional stager can allow you to rent theirs for the entire period your home will be on the market.
Virtual staging encompasses a variety of digital techniques that allow you to showcase your home without the need for any physical staging. This allows the buyer browsing online to imagine what the home would feel like through a virtual tour.
Sometimes, even simple things such as an off-putting paint color or furniture layout can be enough to put off a potential buyer. Virtual staging, therefore, allows you to highlight your home to people searching online in the best light possible.
The best part about virtual staging is that you do all that for every room in the house without budget constraints.
The amount of time and effort you dedicate to staging a house is often dependent on the home being sold.
Physical staging will obviously take a lot of time, since the house will need to be vacated, updated, and fitted with the right furniture. This means that the period between when you decide to sell the house and when you actually list it will depend on how fast the house can be prepared. Virtual staging, on the other hand, is almost instantaneous. All you have to do is take professional pictures of your house and submit them to a virtual staging solutions provider.
As for cost, your needs will determine how much you are going to pay. Physical staging is a lot more expensive than virtual staging since more labor and materials are involved in preparing the home for sale.
Both types of staging are necessary for different types of properties and seller needs. Virtual staging allows you to attract more people in a shorter period of time, while physical staging ensures that the house looks just as good as it did over the internet.
If you are looking to close your house deal as fast as you can and at the best price possible, then you should consider utilizing virtual staging. Our team has many years of experience producing creative virtual staging for any type of space. Contact us to learn more!