If you’re selling your home and you can’t decide whether or not to stage it, consider this: According to StagedHomes.com, non-staged homes across the U.S. spent an average of 175 days on the market.  Staged homes sold in 35 days, on average -- that’s 80% quicker.

According to a HomeGain.com survey, home staging activities all yielded 300%+ returns on the homeowner’s investment -- meaning that the staged home’s sales price was 3 times -- or more -- greater than the money the homeowner spent on staging.  Check out the table, courtesy of StagedHomes.com:

The Difference Home Staging Makes

Source: StagedHomes.com

What is Home Staging?

According to US News and World Report, home staging is “preparing the home before it goes up for sale . . . positioning the home in the best possible light to make it much more likely to sell more quickly and for the full asking price.”

One of the 15 “secrets” from MyPhoenixMLS.com article 15 Insider Seller Secrets: Don’t Try to Sell Your Home without Them, is “Paint prospective buyers a picture.”  A buyer’s decision to buy is based largely on emotion, not reason. Prospective buyers will pay attention to how they feel in your home. Can they imagine themselves at home there? Isn’t that the same way you purchased your home?

If your home is in move-in condition, with neutral decorations so that the buyer can envision her family at the dining room table or snuggled up on the couch, you’re on your way to a sale. But if the house needs cleaning or repairs – or you have so many highly personalized decorations that the buyer can’t imagine himself living in your home, then a sale is going to be much more difficult.

Over-personalized decorations can hinder a buyer’s ability to imagine your home as their own. So put away your knick-knacks and replace them with well-placed, neutral decorations. Buy some home decorating magazines for ideas. Or, if you’re not the decorating type, consider hiring a home staging consultant who can help you get your home ready for showing.

When you’re decorating your home for showing, think about the type of buyer that may be coming through your house. If your prospective buyers are mostly young families, leaving out the kids’ decorations is a good idea. If your buyers are more likely single professionals, a few coffee table books or a well-placed vase are better ideas.

Once you’ve cleaned, repaired, and decorated your home to make a good first impression and to help prospective buyers visualize themselves in your home, invite a few friends over to give you their honest opinions. Your real estate agent will be able to give you a good objective opinion, too.

For more information on home staging, and how MyPhoenixMLS.com can help, check out these helpful articles:

11 Seller Mistakes that Could Cost You Thousands -- and How to Avoid Them

4 Simple Steps to Getting Your Home SOLD

What do you think?  Have you had success with staging your home?  Did you hire a professional or DIY? Click on the “Comments” link to join the discussion!