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Tag: moving house

Real estate staging in Washington D.C. is becoming more popular. Which means it’s more necessary than ever.

The real estate industry has been making it clear that they believe real estate staging is worth the investment for their clients.

While, a decade ago, home staging may have been advised by seller’s agents only if the space was a little—well—odd, that’s all changed in recent years.

Let’s take a look at why real estate staging in Washington D.C. has become more popular than ever—and what that means for those trying to sell your home.

Real estate staging in Washington D.C. is more important than ever

Why has real estate staging become so popular?

Recent anecdotal reports suggest that the real estate industry is taking notice of the change in the popularity of home staging. Home staging is on the rise, even in super competitive housing markets like New York City, Los Angeles, and our own Washington D.C. But why?

It’s a growth cycle

Once home staging started becoming more mainstream… it became even more mainstream. That’s because as more and more homes on the market are staged to sell, those that aren’t staged start to stand out—in a bad way.

No one wants their home to be the one house in their neighborhood that’s up for sale completely vacant or stuffed with a decade’s worth of clutter. Competing against other homes that are tidy and tastefully staged with up-to-date, broadly appealing décor and furniture is going to be a challenge.

And this matters even in so-called seller’s markets (like the kind we currently have in D.C.). Your home would probably sell eventually because buyers are hungry for space. But would your home fetch the same price as a home that’s designed to create that “homey” feeling for potential buyers? Probably not.

A huge home-staging study conducted in 2018 found that 68% of staged home sold for 9% more than their neighbor’s un-staged home. For a $500,000 home, that’s an extra $45,000!

Plus, not staging your home when everyone else is means that your house will likely be the last to sell. It’s kind of like being picked last for the baseball team. Someone will eventually choose your home, but it might be because the house they really wanted was snapped up too quickly.

Real estate staging is important because empty homes feel clinical.

HGTV has raised expectations

Most people I know watch HGTV shows on the occasion—and many of them watch them religiously. In fact, Statista found that at least 25% of Americans in all age groups have watched HGTV in the past month. There’s something so satisfying about seeing someone’s home ownership dreams come to life.

An unintended consequence of America getting into home design is that buyers are expecting a TV-ready home. The most recent National Association of Realtors survey found that 20% of buyers were disappointed when homes weren’t as stunning as those they see on television. And a disappointed buyer is not going to get into a bidding war over your home.

Additionally, with the growing influence of interior design television shows (and platforms like Pinterest and Instagram), people are less likely to make the trek out to see your home if they haven’t been enticed by the glossy photographs online.

Drawing people out from behind their screens and into your home is where staging matters even more—after all, no one buys a home they haven’t seen in person. When a home is staged, buyers are 40% more likely to actually visit in person.

What does this mean for you, if you’re selling a home?

It means that the bar has been raised for home sellers. If you want your home to sell for top dollar, it’s worth investing in real estate staging.

One report estimates that every $100 spent on home staging is $400 more in your closing price. And another source found that staged homes in the ever-competitive seller’s market in New York City actually sold for $11,000 more than un-staged homes.

Not to mention, home staging moves your property faster. In 2017, the National Association of Realtors found that 62% of staged homes sold significantly more quickly than vacant or un-staged homes.

If you’ve ever moved before, you know just how critical an extra week or month of time can be. It can mean the difference between having the money and not having the money to purchase your new dream home before someone else bids higher. Or, it could mean paying two mortgages at the same time while you wait for your old home to finally sell.

 

Not convinced yet? Check out our home page for 8 Reasons to Stage.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

How to Use the KonMari Method When Moving

As a real estate staging expert, I’ve had a first-row seat to the emotional stress my clients experience as they’re moving house.

Especially if you’ve lived in the same home for years, you’re likely feeling many things at once. You may be excited to move into a new place, sad to be leaving your memories behind, and overwhelmed with the looming pile of work that stands between you and your move.

All these conflicting feelings are why you should approach packing up your home with a system that was created to address the charged emotions that are tangled up with your stuff: the KonMari Method by tidying expert Marie Kondo.

Most of us begin packing up our homes with dread. We either pack slowly and painfully over months, or we grab a giant trash bag and whirl through our homes with a thoughtless frenzy. No one can blame us for doing this. But there’s a better way!

The KonMari method can improve not only the practicalities of preparing for your move but also the emotional aspects.

 Here’s how you can apply Marie Kondo’s six core principles for tidying up to moving:

1.    Envision your old home and your new home as perfectly organized

For Marie Kondo, envisioning your home decluttered and organized should be one of the first things you do before tidying. The goal is to inspire motivation for your task. This is even more powerful in the context of moving as you think about the fresh start that awaits you.

Plus, homes that are no longer filled with the remnants of the previous owners—and instead are staged by a real estate staging company with neutral décor and furniture—on average sell for 6.32% more than your list price. That can mean the difference of tens of thousands of dollars in your pocket. What could be more motivating than that?

So, before you succumb to stress thinking about everything still to be done, take a moment and just imagine how great it will feel to have your old home completely squared away and your new home organized.

Envisioning your new home organized is a great way to drum up the motivation for tidying and packing. Photo by Jeff Sheldon on Unsplash.

2.    Think of everything in your home as part of a category, rather than part of a room

A big part of the KonMari method is cleaning by category rather than location. When you’re moving, it’s tempting to pack up room by room so that you have that feeling of satisfaction when you finish a room.

But when you go by category—such as “papers” or “clothing”—you can get a birds-eye view of how many items in each category you have. Then, you can make a truly informed decision about what to keep and what to give away.

In addition, you will avoid the nightmare of trying to unpack boxes that include a nonsensical collection of items. Going room by room, you might create a box with the books that were on your coffee table, several candles, a throw rug, and a couple of couch cushions…plus some miscellaneous cat toys. This method makes for disorganized and inefficient packing. Going category by category, on the other hand, you’ll have neat boxes marked “Books” or “Pet toys.” Much easier to pack and to unpack!

Marie Kondo recommends the following categories for general tidying: clothes, books, papers, miscellaneous, and sentimental. When you’re moving, you should add categories to account for all of your things. For example, you could add furniture, appliances, décor, electronics, and lighting to her original list.

3.    Follow the KonMari Method order of tidying to avoid getting sidetracked by nostalgia

It’s impossible not to have an emotional reaction to packing up your home. Unfortunately, getting caught up in that forgotten photo album or an old journal can derail your packing efforts for the day.

That’s why Marie Kondo recommends leaving the “sentimental” category for very last. Do your best to ignore sentimental items as you pack, knowing that you will have time to muse over memories once everything else has been put into boxes.

Save packing sentimental items for last, so that you don’t constantly get sidetracked from packing. Photo by Julie Johnson on Unsplash.

4.    Give away items before packing the “keepers”

As you pile together all your items from each category, you may feel the pull to start packing the ones you’re “certain” you want to keep. But, as the KonMari Method dictates, you should finish giving away the items you don’t want before you even start organizing the ones you do want. This way, you know exactly how many items you’re keeping in that category—and you can judge if you should give away more before you pack.

5.    Even if you’re eager to be done, don’t be thoughtless in your packing

There is so much that you have to check off your to-do list before you can finally consider your move finished. Still, resist the urge to hurriedly separate items into “keep” and “toss.” The most revolutionary takeaway from the KonMari Method is to treat your things with respect and care.

Especially for those “miscellaneous” items, pick up each item and pause for a moment before deciding whether or not to keep it. Ask yourself, “Does this spark joy?” If it does, let yourself feel that joy, and then place it into the keep pile. If it doesn’t, feel good about your decision to let it go. This helps you gain a sense of control over the process of downsizing and reduces the stress that so often comes along with moving.

It may feel silly, but holding each item for a moment and asking yourself, “Does this spark joy?” before discarding or keeping it can help your packing feel meaningful. Photo by Giulia Bertelli on Unsplash.

6.    Finish packing before you put your home on the market

The KonMari Method advises committing completely to tidying for a full day or even longer so that you finish more quickly. When you’re moving, commit to packing and organizing by creating a deadline for finishing—before the last minute.

Too many homeowners drag on the transition process for months, essentially living between two homes. Or, they don’t give themselves enough time to properly pack up, not anticipating their home will sell as quickly as it does. Both scenarios lead to overwhelm.

Instead, commit to organizing and packing everything before a specific date. That way, you can plan for the next step—selling your home—accordingly.

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Moving house is the perfect time to declutter and downsize your stuff. For many of us, it can be just the impetus we need to finally feel control of all the things we’ve accumulated over the years.

Hopefully, these tips for using the KonMari Method when moving will help you face the challenge of packing with less stress—and maybe even some joy.

 

All packed up and ready to start your new life in your new home?

Tactic Staging can help you get the highest sale price for your home with expert & tasteful real estate staging.  

Contact us for a consultation!