{"id":10776,"date":"2019-05-30T12:38:33","date_gmt":"2019-05-30T19:38:33","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.homelight.com\/blog\/?p=10776"},"modified":"2024-11-27T08:36:47","modified_gmt":"2024-11-27T16:36:47","slug":"staging-an-empty-house","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.homelight.com\/blog\/staging-an-empty-house\/","title":{"rendered":"How to Stage an Empty House: Spark that Emotional Tie and the Rest Is History"},"content":{"rendered":"

\u201cPeople buy houses for emotional reasons,\u201d says Ruby Henderson,<\/a> a top-selling real estate and home staging expert in Raleigh, North Carolina<\/a>.<\/p>\n

Yet buyers won\u2019t get starry-eyed and passionate over just any home. It has to be one they can fall in love with and imagine a future in. And it can be difficult, as a seller, to convey the full potential of your house if it\u2019s completely vacant, like a college town where everyone\u2019s already left for the summer.<\/p>\n

To help buyers see a home\u2019s full potential, experts recommend staging an empty house that\u2019s up for sale with selective furnishings, decor, and soft touches that have wide appeal. According to data from HomeLight, over 95% of top agents believe home staging to be effective<\/a>, while 45% say vacant homes will benefit the most from the process.<\/p>\n

Just think: When was the last time you walked into a model home that hadn\u2019t been furnished?<\/p>\n

\"A<\/a>
Credit: HomeLight’s Top Agent Insights Survey for Q1 2019<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

Use home staging to show every space of your empty house could be used<\/b><\/h3>\n

One of the main purposes of staging an empty house is to help buyers visualize the purpose of every room and area<\/a>. Wide-open spaces, even if entirely functional, can leave buyers confused about where they\u2019d put their couch or whether their existing furniture would have a place. A living room staged with an on-trend modern theme, statement art<\/a>, and space-defining rug can make all the difference.<\/p>\n

Without staging, a buyer may fail to realize that a side room off the kitchen would be the perfect den, or that the awkward corner would actually make an adorable book nook. Better Homes and Gardens shows how small spaces can still be stylish<\/a>\u2014you can turn a gap between two walls into a small office, display pretty dishware above the kitchen cabinets, or fix a bathroom storage problem with woven baskets.<\/p>\n

But not everyone has the imagination to see them that way.<\/p>\n

Keep it neutral and depersonalized to create wide appeal<\/h3>\n

You may love a room decked out with antique furnishings or an eclectic mix of patterns, but when you stage an empty house, you don\u2019t want to go overboard on any unique stylings.<\/p>\n

The good news is you can\u2019t go wrong with simple, functional furniture with clean lines and neutral color palettes<\/a> on the walls.<\/p>\n

According to top agents HomeLight surveyed<\/a>, the top 5 neutral paint colors are:<\/p>\n