Wondering if home staging is worth the investment when selling your property? Many Perth homeowners ask this question when preparing to list their homes on the market. Home staging is definitely worth it, with professionally staged homes selling faster and for an average of 5-10% more than unstaged properties. This investment typically delivers a return of $2-3 for every dollar spent on staging.
The visual appeal created through strategic furniture placement and décor helps attract potential buyers and emotionally connect them with your property. When buyers can envision themselves living in the space, they’re more likely to make competitive offers. Home staging highlights your property’s best features while minimising any flaws, creating an aspirational lifestyle that appeals to your target market.
You might wonder about the cost compared to the benefits. While there is an upfront investment, the potential for a higher selling price and reduced time on market often makes staging one of the smartest pre-sale decisions you can make. Professional stagers understand current market trends and buyer preferences, allowing them to showcase your property in its best possible light.
Is Home Staging Worth It?
- Professional home staging typically delivers a return of $2-3 for every dollar invested, making it a financially sound decision.
- Staged homes create emotional connections with buyers, helping them visualise living in the space and increasing their willingness to pay premium prices.
- Working with experienced stagers ensures your property appeals to your target market and showcases its best features while minimising any drawbacks.
Understanding Home Staging
Home staging transforms ordinary living spaces into appealing, marketable properties that attract buyers and potentially increase sale prices. This strategic approach helps buyers visualise themselves in the space while highlighting a property’s best features.
What Is Home Staging?
Home staging is the process of preparing a property for sale by making it visually appealing to the widest range of potential buyers. Unlike decoration, which reflects personal style, staging creates a neutral yet attractive environment that helps buyers connect emotionally with the space.
Professional property staging involves arranging furniture, accessories, lighting, and artwork to showcase a home’s potential. The goal is to highlight architectural features while minimising flaws.
Effective home staging makes spaces appear larger, brighter, and more functional, which are qualities most buyers prioritise.
How Home Staging Works
The home staging process typically begins with a consultation where a professional stager assesses your property’s strengths and weaknesses. They’ll create a customised plan that may include decluttering, depersonalising, and rearranging existing furniture.
Next, the stager brings in rental furniture, artwork, and accessories if needed. These items are strategically placed to create appealing vignettes and improve flow throughout the home.
Key elements of successful staging include:
- Neutral colour schemes with strategic pops of colour
- Proper furniture placement to maximise space
- Appropriate lighting to create ambience
- Careful accessorising to add warmth without clutter
Professional stagers like Furniture Fitouts work closely with real estate agents to highlight features that appeal to the local market. The process typically takes 1-3 days, depending on the property size.
Types of Home Staging
Vacant Property Staging involves bringing furniture and accessories into an empty home. This helps buyers visualise room sizes and functions, which is crucial since empty rooms often appear smaller than furnished ones.
Occupied Home Staging works with your existing furniture, often supplemented with rental pieces. This typically involves decluttering, depersonalising, and rearranging to create a more appealing presentation.
Virtual Staging uses computer technology to digitally insert furniture into photos of empty rooms. While more affordable, it doesn’t help during in-person viewings.
Partial Staging focuses only on key areas like living rooms, master bedrooms and kitchens, spaces that most influence buyer decisions.
The right type of staging depends on your budget, timeline, and property condition. Most professional stagers offer flexible packages to suit different needs.
Key Benefits of Home Staging
Home staging offers remarkable advantages for property sellers, helping transform empty spaces into inviting homes that prospective buyers can envision themselves living in.
Creating Strong First Impressions
First impressions matter enormously when selling a property. Within seconds of walking through the door, potential buyers form opinions that can be difficult to change.
Professional staging highlights your home’s best features while minimising any flaws. A well-staged entrance creates an immediate emotional connection, making buyers feel welcome and comfortable.
Strategically placed furniture demonstrates the functionality of spaces, especially in tricky areas like small bedrooms or awkward layouts. This helps buyers see possibilities rather than problems.
Research shows that 90% of buyers struggle to visualise a space’s potential when viewing empty rooms. Staging removes this barrier, allowing them to focus on what they love about the property rather than what they’d need to change.
Increasing Buyer Interest
Staged properties typically attract more serious inquiries and viewings compared to vacant or poorly presented homes. This increased traffic can lead to faster sales and potentially higher offers.
Professional staging creates spaces that photograph beautifully for online listings. Since most buyers begin their search online, these images are crucial for generating initial interest and viewings.
Staging helps interested buyers form an emotional connection with your property. When prospective buyers can picture themselves living in the space, they’re more likely to make competitive offers.
Properties that evoke positive emotions often sell for 5-10% more than unstaged counterparts. This emotional response happens because staging creates aspirational lifestyle vignettes that buyers want to make their own.
Differentiating in a Competitive Market
In areas with many similar properties for sale, staging provides a significant advantage. Your home will stand out in buyers’ memories after viewing multiple properties.
Professional staging demonstrates care and attention to detail, suggesting to buyers that the entire property has been well-maintained. This perception of quality can justify higher asking prices.
A strategically staged home showcases versatility and potential that competitors might lack. For example, showing how a spare room could function as both a guest bedroom and a home office adds perceived value.
Buyers often pay a premium for properties they perceive as “move-in ready.” Staging creates this impression, even if the property is older, by presenting a cohesive, contemporary look throughout.
Enhancing Curb Appeal
First impressions begin before buyers even enter your home. Thoughtful exterior staging ensures they arrive feeling positive and receptive.
Simple improvements like freshly potted plants, clean pathways and strategically placed outdoor furniture can dramatically transform your property’s exterior appeal. These elements frame the home beautifully and create inviting outdoor living spaces.
Exterior staging services help buyers envision enjoying the outdoor areas, particularly important in Australia’s outdoor lifestyle culture. Well-staged gardens, patios and balconies effectively increase your home’s usable living area in buyers’ minds.
Homes with strong kerb appeal typically sell 5-7% faster than comparable properties. This exterior focus complements interior staging to create a comprehensive presentation that appeals to prospective buyers from the moment they arrive.
Financial Considerations and Return on Investment
When selling your home, understanding the financial implications of staging can help you make informed decisions about this investment. Proper staging often pays for itself through faster sales and higher offers.
Staging Fees and Typical Costs
In Perth, professional home staging typically costs between $4000 – $5000 for a three-bedroom home. This usually covers a consultation, furniture rental, accessories, and property styling.
Costs vary based on several factors:
- Size of your property
- Number of rooms to be staged
- Quality of furniture and décor
- Duration of the staging period
Many staging companies offer different packages to suit various budgets. You can opt for full-house staging or focus on key areas like the living room, master bedroom, and kitchen to reduce costs.
Some real estate agents may include basic staging as part of their service or connect you with preferred staging partners who offer competitive rates.
Return on Investment
Home staging typically delivers an impressive return on investment in the Australian property market. Research shows that professionally staged homes often sell for 5-10% more than unstaged properties of similar value.
The ROI extends beyond just the final sale price. By selling your property faster, you save on:
- Ongoing mortgage payments
- Council rates and utility bills
- Insurance costs
- Property maintenance expenses
These carrying costs can quickly add up when a property sits unsold for months, making the initial staging investment even more worthwhile.
Impact on Days on Market and Sale Price
Staged homes in Australia typically sell 30-50% faster than unstaged properties. In competitive markets like Perth, this can mean the difference between selling within a week versus waiting months for the right buyer.
The visual appeal of staged homes generates:
- More enquiries from online listings
- Higher attendance at open inspections
- Greater competition among potential buyers
- Increased likelihood of multiple offers
In the digital age, where 90% of buyers begin their search online, professional photos of a beautifully staged home can dramatically increase click-through rates and inspections. Buyers often struggle to visualise potential in empty spaces, but staging helps them emotionally connect with your property.
This emotional connection frequently translates to buyers being willing to pay premium prices, especially in markets where well-presented properties stand out.
Professional Guidance and Preparing for Staging
Working with professionals and properly preparing your home are crucial steps that dramatically improve staging results. The right expertise combined with thorough preparation can transform your property into a highly marketable space.
Choosing a Professional Stager
Professional stagers bring valuable expertise to showcase your property’s best features. Look for stagers with proper credentials, such as certification from the Real Estate Staging Association or similar Australian organisations.
At Furniture Fitouts, we’ve helped stage thousands of homes across Perth, blending timeless furniture selections with a keen sense of what today’s buyers want. As proud members of the Real Estate Institute of Western Australia (REIWA), we’re committed to best practice and results that speak for themselves.
Decluttering and Cleaning Tips
Decluttering is perhaps the most critical preparation step before staging begins. Start by removing at least 50% of your personal items, including family photos, excessive decorations, and unused furniture.
A deep clean is equally important. Consider hiring professional cleaners who specialise in pre-sale preparation. They’ll tackle often-overlooked areas like skirting boards, ceiling fans, and window tracks.
Pay special attention to kitchens and bathrooms, as these rooms significantly influence buyers’ decisions. Fresh grout, sparkling fixtures, and streak-free surfaces create an impression of a well-maintained home.
Learn More About Home Staging with Furniture Fitouts Today!
Home staging is one of the smartest investments you can make when preparing your home for sale, offering real returns in both speed and price. At Furniture Fitouts, we specialise in transforming properties into beautifully styled spaces that captivate buyers and maximise value. Whether you’re selling a family home, apartment, or investment property, our expert team is here to help.
Contact us today to discover how professional staging can give your property the edge in Perth’s competitive market.