Welcome back to our series of posts on virtual staging. So far we have discussed what virtual staging is, and what type of listings would benefit the most. Today we will discuss the differences between virtual staging and traditional staging.
We are going to assume that you are familiar with traditional staging, but here is a brief overview. In its simplest form, traditional staging has been used by real estate professionals for decades and starts by hiring a professional stager/designer. The stager will view the space and recommend how much furniture you need to rent (if any). From here you need to figure out how many rooms you need/want to stage and what your current budget is. The cost for this can be thousands of dollars per month.
So when comparing the two types of staging, there are pros/cons for both methods.
PROS OF VIRTUAL STAGING
- Can help you showcase an empty home’s best features
- Is cost-effective when compared to traditional staging
- Attracts prospective buyers’ attention online
- Offers you the opportunity to stage any number of rooms
- Helps your home stand out in buyers’ memories after they view the listing online
CONS OF VIRTUAL STAGING
- Works best when the home is already empty/vacant
- Difficult when you need to remove furniture or items from photos (contact us to discuss as some extra costs may be involved)
- Furniture and decor only exist in the virtual space – buyers will never see it in person
PROS OF TRADITIONAL STAGING
- Gives buyers a real-life perspective when they tour the home
- Prevents buyers from having to tour a completely empty, vacant home
- Appeals to buyers’ sense of imagination
- Helps your home stand out in buyers’ memories after they leave
CONS OF TRADITIONAL STAGING
- Can be expensive, and you’ll keep incurring costs until the home sells
- Requires stagers to bring in furnishings, decor, and other items
- May be unnecessary, depending on how quickly homes are selling in your market
We hope this answers some of the questions you might have about virtual staging compared to traditional staging.
NEXT TOPIC: Common Virtual Staging Mistakes
**Special thanks to Angie Bersin from Redfin.ca