When you go to an interview, you dress for the occasion—a nice suit, a sharp haircut, an appealing color palate. You do this because you know that first impressions matter. And they matter a lot. They matter so much, in fact, that most people will assess their like or dislike of a new acquaintance in a matter of a few seconds to a few minutes. BAM! Even though we know we shouldn’t judge a book by its cover, many (most of us, really) totally do. This principle is equally as important in real estate when your home’s first impression tends to be its lasting impression on a potential buyer.

Home staging is a growing business type with multiple firms all over the United States. Though many home sellers think they can dress up their own home sufficiently for it to sell, a home stager can potentially decorate your home to sell faster and at a higher price than you could. Though they can’t guarantee success 100% of the time, following are a few very good reasons to consider hiring a home staging company when selling your next home.

Stagers Are Objective

A good home stager can put aside your style and their style in order to cater your home to a wider audience. They can enter your home with a critical eye and look beyond the personality you’ve decorated it with. They’re especially good at helping you de-clutter, simplify, and make appealing spaces that will be attractive to potential buyers. Remember, you’ve lived in your home for years—sometimes decades. A stager hasn’t. Their fresh eyes will help them repackage the space in a way that you simply can’t. And that’ll give your home an edge over the competition.

Stagers Know What Buyers Want

A stager’s business is knowing what looks good to potential buyers in certain areas. They’ll do considerable research about where the home is and what types of people are likely to be interested in it and stage it accordingly. For instance, they might rearrange furniture to make it more “family friendly” or add a crib in the room that you now use as a guest bedroom. You see, staging isn’t just about making a space beautiful—it’s about making it functional. It’s about fulfilling a buyer’s vision of living there. A good stager can help you make a space inviting, practical, and pretty at the same time.

Stagers Can Accentuate the Positives and Eliminate the Negatives

No home is perfect, and there are bound to be things that are less than appealing to any number of people touring your home. Like a magician, a stager can redirect a buyer’s attention to the things that are most appealing about the house while minimizing the things that might be problematic. If there is a room that doesn’t get as much light, for example, the stager might decorate with lighter colors, or remove the curtains so that it’s brighter.

Going back to a stager’s objectivity, they are able to achieve this balance because they approach your home with a fresh pair of eyes. They’ll help you clean, rearrange, and repackage your home so well that you might not even want to move! They can make your home look like a model home, appealing to a wider audience and helping people feel confident in putting in offers fast.

Staging Is a Good Investment

Staging can be pricey, so make sure you do your homework. Ask your stager how much of your own furniture and decorations they can use. Realize that you might need to rent out a storage space and move a considerable number of your belongings into it to create more space in the home. Furthermore, make sure you know how much the investment will be before you sign on—does the stager charge by the room? By the month? Look at their track record and, if possible, contact previous clients.

But even though there’s the initial investment, good stagers can help your house wow potential buyers into quickly bidding and even overpaying for the home. There’s a reason that developers have model homes smartly staged open for tours. Like dressing up for an interview, you can dress up your home and add this same “new home appeal” to your house. So make a good impression and hire a seasoned stager the next time you’re putting a home on the market.

My husband and I are looking at a house that has an HOA, but we never lived with one before so we are curious to know if there are benefits to having one. I liked how you pointed out that one good thing is that they will provide a landscape company to help with the yard work. It will be great not having to worry about spending all of our time doing it, but having it still look nice.

Very nice love the colors

I would love to have a tiny home to live in! It seems more manageable and affordable. The Hiatus in Oregon is beautiful. I love the wood floors. can you put a tiny house on any property? Thanks for the inspiration and information!

I have a home in Stamford CT and I am looking for someone to assume my mortgage. Not sure if you are interested in something like this based on what I saw on your website. Eric

Is it possible to buy a first home with a 580 credit score? The house is in Groton ct and is only $90,000