Staging Your Home for the Fall Market

Allegra Dioguardi of Styled and Sold is here to talk about the ins and outs of staging your home for the fall market, misconceptions about how to approach home staging and more!

I am often asked if I stage a home differently to reflect the different seasons. The short answer is no, I do not. Staging should be timeless, and it should reflect the “Hamptons” lifestyle. Even now, with more people staying here year ‘round, buyers are drawn to this area because of the casual relaxed lifestyle of sand, sun, sea and sky. Your East End home should subtly reflect that so don’t go out and buy pumpkin spice candles for your listing folks!

This particular Fall market is being called a buyer’s market. There are currently more potential buyers then homes for sale. This drives up prices and can generate multiple offers. Should you stage your home for sale in such a hot market? Yes! Staging is an effective tool in any market and if done correctly will always generate a faster and more lucrative sale.

Regardless of the market, home staging can mean the difference between an offer and a bidding war. Today, most buyers expect a home to be move-in ready. In a seller’s market, buyers may be making offers at the top of their price range in order to secure a home. A home stager will be able to identify what updates and repairs are most expected and come up with creative and affordable solutions. Stagers can point you in the direction where you will get the most bang for your renovation buck. Statistics show that staging will net you a great return on your staging investment.

Now more than ever, your listing photos are critical. Good listing photos= good first impressions= more showings. A good stager will understand how to “edit” your house with an eye to making your listing photos shine on the Internet. Particularly, with vacant new construction homes, staging can help a potential buyer understand how they would live in a home and help them form an emotional connection to a house. A well-staged home will make buyers fall in love at first sight and love at first sight is what sells homes fast!