4 Reasons You NEED to Stage Your Home to Sell It in Knoxville (Plus 5 Amazing Staging Tips)

If you’re like many people selling a home, there’s a pretty good chance that your Knoxville REALTOR® has talked to you about home staging – but why is she making such a big deal of it?

Here’s what you need to know.

4 Reasons You NEED to Stage Your Home to Sell it in Knoxville

The real estate market in Knoxville is very competitive. Buyers and sellers are making deals every day – and you need to do things that make your home stand apart from the rest in the same price range to attract buyers and get offers.

Enter home staging.

Here are four reasons you need to stage your home to sell it in Knoxville:

1. Staged homes sell for 17% more than non-staged homes do.
2. 95% of staged homes sell in 11 days or fewer.
3. Staged homes sell 87% faster than non-staged homes do.
4. Staged homes let buyers imagine themselves living there.

Here’s a closer look at each – and then some tips on staging you can use right now.

#1. Staged homes sell for 17% more than non-staged homes do.

Nobody wants to sell a home and lose money on the deal – and staging helps avoid that. While you may not always get list price, when you compare homes that are and aren’t staged, you’ll find that staged homes sell for 17 percent more money than homes that aren’t staged sell for.

For every $100 you invest in staging, the potential return is $400.

#2. 95% of staged homes sell in 11 days or fewer.

According to the National Association of REALTORS®, a home that’s staged properly is likely to sell in 11 days or less. Even when you account for variations in markets (such as when you compare Knoxville to Nashville, which are very different markets), you’ll find that staged homes are more appealing to buyers – and that tends to bring in offers.

#3. Staged homes sell 87% faster than non-staged homes do.

Staged homes sell 87 percent faster than non-staged homes do, and again, it comes back down to showing buyers what they want to see. Home staging is a way of putting your house’s best foot forward. The ultimate goal is to highlight your home’s best features so buyers can get excited about putting in an offer.

#4. Staged homes let buyers imagine themselves living there.

When buyers see purpose in every space, they can easily use their imaginations to swap out your “stuff” for theirs. Staged homes are much easier to use as springboards because they show buyers all the possibilities – whereas homes that look like everyday houses (or worse, the buyer’s own home) don’t do anything to spark that type of creativity.

Related: 15 home staging tips from the pros

5 Fast Staging Tips You Can Use Today

When you’re staging your home for sale, keep these five tips in mind:

1. Keep your decor neutral. If anything in your home might be off-putting to anyone at all, you’ll want to change it before you list your house. That might mean taking down eccentric or possibly offensive decor, toning down too-bright accent walls, or removing anything that’s not neutral.
2. Removing your personal items. Take down family photos or anything that could indicate what type of person you are. That means religious items, collections and political items should be put away before buyers come to see your home.
3. Lighten up on the furniture. If your furniture makes your space appear cluttered, put some of it in storage while your house is on the market.
4. Stay timeless and avoid trends. It’s good to add splashes of color, but don’t fall for any design or decor trends while your house is on the market. Save all that for your new home.
5. Invest in clean, fresh and white towels for your bathroom. Only put these towels out when buyers are coming to tour your home or when it’s being photographed – don’t let anyone use them until you move into your next place!

Related: How to stage your master bathroom to sell your home