Staging a home for sale is a common technique used by real estate sellers and brokers for years. Staging is key to making a home look more appealing, which can help buyers see the property’s potential. Traditionally, home staging requires a lot of heavy lifting as you’ll need to rearrange heavy and bulky furniture and have intense attention to detail and experience in decorating. Most buyers would prefer to invest in a well-kept and up-to-date property, which is why staging is a brilliant marketing move.
However, traditional staging requires physical work, time, effort, and patience but doesn’t always guarantee a quick sale. Fortunately, virtual staging services are now available. These services provide the same benefits as traditional staging but come with a technological twist. Plus, this process saves you a considerable amount of time, money, and headaches, while still getting excellent results fast.
The Basics of Virtual Staging
Virtual staging is the process of creating and using digitally staged photos of a property but not the actual property itself. The property could be empty or full of outdated pieces of furniture and clutter. After the photos are taken, the virtual stager uses photo-editing software to enhance the home’s appearance. This process removes unwanted clutter and inserts decor, furniture, and accessories into the property.
Extreme care must be taken to ensure that every room of the property looks physically staged and authentic. The final photos are posted online for the listing, giving sellers higher chances of attracting buyers to schedule a showing or make a purchase.
Virtual Vs. Traditional Staging
In traditional staging, a professional stager comes to the home and assesses how it looks in order to determine the type and extent of changes they have to make when staging it. The stager will usually measure each room and take photos to determine what items are needed and which ones must be removed.
Once the home is ready to be staged, they’ll bring in pieces of furniture, rugs, and accessories. If the home is fully furnished, the stager may ask the seller to remove some furniture and temporarily put it in storage. There are cases when the stager uses existing pieces found in the property, while in others, the stager might require the seller to take everything out.
This process requires a lot of work, time, and expense on the seller’s part, which can pose challenges if the seller is still living in the property or urgently needs to sell it.
With virtual staging, sellers are saved from the hassle of rearranging any furniture, emptying out rooms, and cleaning the space. Companies that offer virtual staging services only need clear photos of the property, including the bathrooms, bedrooms, living room, and kitchen.
Most virtual stages will visit a home to take professional photos, but sellers are also allowed to submit them. Talk with the virtual stager to see what they prefer. Clear and high-quality photos of every room of the property are essential to guarantee the effectiveness of the virtual staging services. Any option is convenient for the seller because they don’t need to rearrange or remove anything from the property. They also don’t need to shell out money to pay for a storage facility or worry about keeping the home look tidy.
Pros and Cons of Virtual Staging
Similar to other professional services, virtual staging services come with pros and cons. Let’s take a look at the benefits and some of its drawbacks.
Pros:
- Virtual staging is more convenient and easy for the seller because they don’t need to move any furniture or pay for storage facilities while waiting for their home to sell. Cost-wise, virtual staging services are usually cheaper than traditional staging services.
- Planning to sell your property online and attract as many buyers as possible? Virtual staging is one of the best ways to entice buyers regardless of their location and give them a clear vision of what your home looks like.
- Virtual staging software offers a broad range of features — you’ll have countless options for furniture colours and designs, plants, and more. The virtual stager can even customise your home tailored to the newest trends in real estate and your target market.
- Sellers get to enjoy the benefits of virtual staging as you don’t have to leave their homes, rearrange furniture and return them back to their old positions, and be extra careful with furniture that isn’t yours.
- Professional stagers usually have backgrounds in home and interior design, which means photos will look more beautiful and polished when uploaded online. Plus, you don’t have to worry about these photos being pixelated, as stagers will upload them in the best quality.
- In most cases, virtual home staging only takes a couple of business days to complete from start to finish. As a result, sellers won’t have to wait for long periods before getting their properties marketed online.
Cons:
- If the virtual staging isn’t done properly, the photos can look fake, or the items added may appear more like CGI than actual pieces of furniture or decor.
- Keep in mind that virtual staging only changes items inside the property — it won’t impact finishes like crown moulding or paint colours. Changing these items can be misleading, which can result in issues when your home is shown to potential buyers.
How 3D Lines Can Help With Your Virtual Staging Needs
Do you think virtual staging services are perfect for you? We’ve got you covered! Here at 3D Lines, we edit photos of empty interiors and add objects like chairs, tables, and decors to ensure the space looks good and gives off the right energy. Any company can offer virtual staging services — but we guarantee that ours is done effectively and properly.
Reach us at 0203 488 3719, and let’s discuss how our virtual staging services can demonstrate the potential of your property. Partner with us today and see how our services can help you save tons of resources and increase your chances of finding a buyer fast!