By Audra Slinkey, Home Staging Resource

There’s been a lot of talk about staging a home to sell these days because for the first time in a long time, sellers are getting above asking price offers! Making the most money on the sale of the house is the name of the game, and the agents who can do that for a neighbor/friend becomes the agent of choice.

Unfortunately, there are quite a few myths about home staging that need to be corrected…

Myth #1 – Staging is mostly “decluttering.”

FALSE! Staging is about “styling for the photo shoot.”

While removing the extraneous in a home in order to give the seller a view of the architectural details is a part of staging, completely clearing off the kitchen counters, dining tables, and coffee tables is most definitely NOT what a good home stager recommends.

Listing photos online often show kitchens, for example, with completely cleared countertops and that are overall lifeless.

But an expert home stager works with the home’s integrity to capitalize and merchandise the space into something that will resonate with the buyer online first — so they’ll then want to see the home in-person.

Photo credit: Karen Scovie of Staging Consultants, staging consultants.biz

Myth #2 – Staging is mostly for vacant homes.

FALSE! Staging is more critical in occupied homes because it costs a lot less and has a huge impact.

Consider this photo online originally for this room (another overly “decluttered space”).

Once June Carter of www.homestagecraft.com stages the space using updated accessories the photo and room is transformed!

Myth #3 – Staging is about neutralizing and painting all the walls beige.

FALSE! Staging is about working with what the seller has, so that the more expensive cosmetic changes don’t need to done.

For example, look at this dark bedroom. It likely would benefit best from paint.

Debra Ostrus of Spaces Streamlined works first with the owner’s furnishings to inexpensively rearrange and photograph the space using the color scheme provided.

The challenge for most real estate agents is finding the kind of home stager who understands that staging is an art form in merchandising. We are creating a space the buyer will fall in love with. When we do this, the demand for the product goes up and thus the price too.