Some sellers use staging, which is meant to show off the beauty of a home, to hide its flaws. Even though a lot of people selling their homes are honest about how they look, some sellers don’t tell the truth about their home’s condition and use staging tricks to hide its many disadvantages and issues. Staged homes can strike the perfect balance and appeal to the emotions of potential buyers as soon as they walk in the door. Plus, having in mind that professionally staged homes usually sell for 6% to 25% more than homes that haven’t been staged, it’s no wonder why so many sellers do it. This can make your buying process that much more difficult unless you know which staging tricks to watch out for, and that’s exactly what we’re going to help you with in this article.
Which home staging tricks should you watch out for?
Having all of the above in mind, you need to be very careful when shopping for your new home. Even though you’ll have your agent to help you along the way, it’s never a bad thing to prepare.
For instance, you’ll hire residential movers for your move because pros can do it safely and most efficiently. However, you’ll still need to prepare before your move. The same goes for your real estate adventure, so here are the 6 most common home staging tricks you should watch out for when house hunting.
#1 Kitchen, master bedroom, and living room upgrades
In 2017, The National Association of REALTORS® created a report that tells sellers where to put their staging efforts. That’s why most well-staged homes will probably have updated hardware in the kitchen and new and modern furniture in the living room and master bedroom. You’ll most likely even notice new art on the wall.
This report says that buyers are most interested in the master bedroom, the living room, and the kitchen when it comes to staging. So it’s only natural that many sellers will focus on these rooms. As per the report, buyers didn’t care as much about the rooms for children and guests.
This report also found that 27% of buyers will overlook other flaws in a home if it is well-staged. But don’t worry, we’ll help you not end up in this group.
#2 Quick surface fixes
No one really wants to spend more money than they have to when getting their home ready to sell. Because of this, some people will only make quick fixes on the surface to make their homes look better.
However, if you took a closer look, you would be able to see flaws or issues they were trying to mask. One common one is to replace the doors and hardware on the kitchen cabinets but not the cabinets themselves. This is fine if the boxes are in good shape, but make sure you open them up and look inside.
#3 Hiding flaws with furniture and accessories
One of the first things your agent will tell you when house viewing is to pay attention to furniture positioning. Make sure to look for furniture or other items that don’t seem to fit. It could be put there on purpose to hide something wrong, like a broken wall or outlet.
Don’t be afraid to look behind things and poke around because you never know what you might come across. Also, pay attention to area rugs as they can be used to cover up many bad things. They are great for defining spaces and adding softness, but they can also hide scratches and stains. Don’t be afraid to lift up a corner of an area rug to see what’s under it.
#4 Small furniture
Did you notice small, apartment-sized furniture that seems a bit out of place? Well, that’s another one of the staging tricks you should watch out for. Many people use this trick to make their home or certain rooms look bigger.
This trick is especially useful in photos where it’s very hard to assess how big something is. Combined with using a wide-angle lens, it’s a perfect way to lure potential buyers and make them think a room is bigger than it is. However, in person, it might not work as well, so make sure to pay attention and thoroughly check everything.
#5 Distractions everywhere
One of the main things sellers will try to do is distract you from the not-so-appealing features of their homes. For that reason, they’ll use art and different decor pieces as they’ll easily divert any viewer’s eyes. For instance, art can be used to draw attention away from cracks in the ceiling or bad trim.
As setting the scene is essential, using art can be a big part of making a room feel warm and welcoming. So when you’re admiring a beautiful piece, don’t forget to look above and around it. Don’t be afraid to take a peek behind the paintings or check underneath that lovely statue in the corner.
#6 The home simply seems too perfect
The first thing most sellers will do when staging their homes is make sure it’s clean and free of clutter. Some of them will even hire professional cleaners and organizers in order to ensure their home looks spotless.
Usually, this is a good sign, but don’t think that this is how the people really live or that you will once you move in. Don’t forget that you’ll have to put all your things in there, so try to imagine how the space will work in real life. Remember that just because it looks good doesn’t mean that everything works right. So watch out and look closely!
House-hunting is easier if you watch out for these staging tricks
We won’t lie—buying a home won’t be easy, but if you thoroughly prepare and reach out to an experienced agent, we’re sure you’ll end up having a smooth process. Plus, now you know the most common staging tricks to watch out for, which will immensely help you during the process. Good luck with your real estate adventure!
Photos used:
https://www.pexels.com/photo/a-real-estate-agent-touring-the-family-inside-a-house-7414931/
https://www.pexels.com/photo/man-in-gray-suit-jacket-talking-to-clients-7641866/