Q: My house has been on the market for three months without an offer.

My agent keeps talking about “staging” it. I think that looks phony and I’m not really ready to pack up a bunch of my stuff yet.

A: Most buyers are sophisticated today and expect a home will be staged. There are several different levels of staging. Since you’re still living in the home your agent probably wants you to pack up all of your personal items and maybe take out some pieces of furniture. A house looks more open and rooms look larger if there are fewer pieces of furniture in it. You want the potential buyers to imagine their personal items in the home, not get stuck looking at the pictures of your family.
Sometimes agents will bring in plants, art work or special items that add to the charm of your home. All of that can help sell it. Ask your agent to take you around to see the houses that are in the same price range as yours. You may be surprised to see how nicely staged some of them are. If those homes show better than yours, it means you’re not being competitive.
There are also several ways to stage an empty house. Some agents have complete households of furniture that they move in. Others use a “suggestion” of furnishings in each room to make it appear warmer and more inviting than an empty house. Perhaps a child sized rocking chair with a teddy bear sitting in it to make an otherwise small bedroom seem charming. Some of our local agents are very good at it. These houses are sparkling clean and attractive and usually sell more quickly. There are many unconscious thoughts and feelings generated by walking into a house. If it’s crowded and messy the buyer may be anxious to leave and not really look at everything. By staging the house to feel open, spacious, clean and attractive you’re making yours the “pick of the litter”. Remember, it’s no longer your home; it’s just a house you want to sell.