Virtual staging can help potential buyers understand how the house would look if it was decorated and furnished and is a nice low-cost alternative to get potential buyers in the door. For seller-occupied or tenant-occupied homes that are chock full of personal possessions, virtual staging can be the only option.

However, when the buyer physically walks into a virtually staged home and sees that the home is empty or filled to the brim with possessions, they may not get as excited about buying the house +/or not be willing to pay as much for the house. Some possible reasons:

• The buyer becomes disillusioned because it doesn’t look the same as the virtually staged photos; an empty house can echo and feel cold (vs warm and inviting).

• It can be hard for buyers to visualize how they would live in the house; and most importantly, real staging can hide defects.

• Buyer’s eyes go to the staged items versus noticing every little defect (ie: dated finishes, scratched floors, marks on walls, etc).

Although you might be saving upfront money by virtual staging, I feel strongly that buyers are more likely to write offers and that home sellers will net a higher price in the end when they stage vs an unstaged or virtually staged home.

Bottom Line

Connect with the McCarthy + Moe Group to maximize your home’s potential and secure the best sale price.

Source: San Francisco Chronicle