Staging a home once meant adding fixtures, fittings, and even furniture to a home for sale, to create a feeling of warmth and appeal, and to make the sale easier. Staging a home today still means rearranging possessions and furniture, but in more and more cases, furniture and accessories are digital rather than real, a very cost-effective alternative.
What is virtual home staging and how is it done? This new addition to the more traditional sales techniques used to market a home focuses on taking a photo of the home as-is and then dressing it up. Home interior “after” photos are created using virtual furniture, wall colors, pictures, window coverings, and other décor to help potential buyers visualize a home’s possibilities.
With true home staging, furniture and draperies must be purchased, transported, and then arranged in the home, hoping that the set designer has accurately gauged current decorating trends and design techniques to capture attention. of the buyer. Unfortunately, the taste of the homeowner or decorator may or may not appeal to all buyers. Today, virtual home decorators can embellish photos of empty rooms taken and sent by agents and owners with images of sofas, dining tables, rugs, curtains, and artwork. If a furniture set doesn’t quite capture the look, there’s no need to return the shades. It’s as easy as clicking a computer mouse to change the entire look.
However, there are some things that most virtual set companies will not do for an owner. According to most virtual set websites, the ethics statements reiterate that companies will not add non-existent landscaping, wet bars or appliances, or delete power lines or other detractions from photos. These companies also require clients to inform buyers and agents that rooms are staged virtually, so buyer expectations are realistic.
Virtual staging is quite easy for the seller. Most websites simply require photos of the vacant listing and usually deliver results within three to five business days. Sellers and agents can add the photos to brochures, MLS pages, and websites.