As a home-seller, your biggest concern is how long it will take to sell your home, and what the home will ultimately sell for. If you want to decrease the first number and increase the second, the secret lies in staging.

Many people ask us if they need staging at all to sell their homes.

The answer is a bit complicated.

Is it possible to sell a home without staging? Possibly, but there’s a reason why we’re so passionate about staging homes for sale: staged homes often sell faster and for more money than unstaged homes.

Let’s explore some of the fundamentals when it comes to staging a home for sale in Park City.

A Refresher: What is Staging?

Staging a home for sale involves either using the home’s existing furniture and decor or bringing in new furniture and decor to style the space in a way that will appeal to homebuyers. The goal of staging is to make a wider pool of buyers feel like they are already living in your home, and therefore, are more likely to want to buy it.

Staging should highlight your home’s most desirable features while downplaying some of the more challenging features. A professional stager is adept at creating a space that people want to be in. Staging increases the perceived value of your home and showcases it in the best possible light for potential buyers.

Does timing matter when selling your home? Read some of our posts about selling real estate in Park City throughout the year:

• Is it a Good Idea to Sell My Park City Home in the Winter?
• How to Sell Your Park City Home in the Summer
• When is the Best Time to Sell a Home in Park City?

What’s Different About Home Staging in Park City?

Homebuyers in Park City are buying into a lifestyle just as much as they are buying a physical property. People own homes here to be close to nature, close to wonderful amenities, and close to incredible recreational activities.

When we stage a property in Park City, the first thing we ask ourselves is, “What is the main purpose of this home?” Is it a ski property? Is it a lake property? Once we have determined the purpose of the home, we can curate our staging to highlight the specific traits that make living in the home most appealing for its purpose.

When staging is most activity-forward, that’s when you will have the most traction with buyers.

Staging for activity also applies to more than outdoor recreation. It could also mean adding relevance and excitement with things like games rooms, theater rooms, etc.

Purposeful rooms like this evoke emotions in people. All at once they can picture themselves coming home from a long day on the slopes and playing a round of foosball with the family, making them more likely to feel attached to the property when they leave.

Primary Homes Vs. Vacation Homes in Park City

Another unique feature of Park City is that we have a great blend of both primary residences and secondary, vacation, or rental homes.

On the surface, a primary home and a vacation home might look similar. However, in our experience, primary homes are usually decorated to the homeowner’s personal tastes, while vacation or rental homes are slightly more generic looking.

There’s nothing wrong with decorating your home to your own tastes. In fact, you probably have excellent taste in design and decor. But your decor may not enhance the space the way professional staging would do.

Selling a home in Park City is a bit different than other markets. We have a strong vacation market. Learn more about selling a Park City vacation property here:

• How to Sell Your Vacation Property When You Can’t Be There
• How Long Does it Take to Sell a Park City Vacation Home?
• How to Find the Best Park City Real Estate Team in Park City

Stagers are a Different Breed

When it comes to staging and selling your home, stagers often tap into a vision that most homeowners (and even some real estate agents) can hardly comprehend.

You might look at a space and decide where the furniture should be placed, how high the paintings should hang, and whether the room could use a floor lamp or a table lamp here or there. The end result will probably be quite nice!

A great stager, on the other hand, is on a different level. They can make rooms feel bigger, feel more cozy, and ultimately enhance what makes the home so special in the first place. Simply put, stagers see space differently than us regular folks.

At the end of the day, it’s the stager’s job to make the space appear more functional, attractive, and inviting. The staging should give buyers a sense of how the home lives.

The Usual Suspects

Although nothing can match the quality results from an experienced stager, there are a few things you can do to help the presentation of your home and set the right foundation for good staging.

For example:

• Create curb appeal with a clean and tidy yard. You can add new landscaping, reseal the driveway, paint the front door, power wash windows, or plant flowers. First impressions count.
• Deep cleaning your home is a non-negotiable. Buyers can be picky. It’s important to clean everything from the baseboards to your vent covers, ceiling fans to fireplaces, and beyond.
• Small touches go a long way. Something as easy as putting in a new light fixture in the kitchen or changing bathroom hardware is relatively easy and inexpensive but offers a big impact.
• Although curtains can work to tie a room together, they are often a hindrance when it comes to staging and preparing a home. We want your home to be as bright and welcoming as possible, so we always recommend opening the blinds/curtains and making sure your windows are sparkling clean to let in ample natural light.
• Fresh paint is also appreciated in most cases. A neutral shade or a crowd-pleasing color can make a world of difference.

Did you know that different shades of white paint can show differently depending on the directional orientation of the room? Before investing in a big task like painting your home, it’s best to consult with a real estate agent who can offer advice.

Learn more about preparing your home for sale with these posts next:

• Should I Update Before Selling My Home in Park City?
• How to Create Curb Appeal in Park City
• How to Get Your Home Ready for Winter in Park City

Add a Pop of Personality

Although much of staging relies on depersonalizing the space and neutralizing things to help buyers effectively envision themselves living there, we still love to add a pop of personality.

This could be a bright red kettle on the stove, beautiful ivy covering not-so-beautiful window wells, a unique welcome mat, or any other accessory for the home. The right pop of personality will be memorable to a buyer when they are reviewing all the properties they toured at the end of their showing day.

Work with the Right Park City Real Estate Agent

Selling your home is a huge undertaking. If reading this post has you feeling a bit overwhelmed, we don’t blame you! Staging is a science and an art best left to the professionals. Here at CFH, we work with incredible stagers who consistently transform spaces to make them stand out when they hit the market.

If you’re thinking about selling your home, we’d love to help you. Get in touch today directly by calling 435-647-8035 or emailing us at info@CFHparkcity.com.