Something that most home buyers will run up against at some point in their home search is the staged home. It's not too hard to pick them out of a crowd. They look like show homes, there are no personal pictures, everything is sparkling clean, and sometimes even the furniture looks brand new. There is a reason for this; the home has been professionally staged. Staging has become a common tool in the arsenal of home sellers and there has been no shortage of home staging businesses that have cropped up in almost every city where homes are sold. This is not to say that staging is a bad thing, it isn't. But don't allow the glam and glitter of a staged home distract you from what you are really buying, the home underneath.
Home staging is designed to maximize the strong points of a home and minimize the negatives.
By bringing in new furniture, window treatments, and artwork stagers can essentially make a home look like a show home in short order. This helps the home to show better. What you must remember as a buyer is that you aren't getting the furniture, or the art, what you are getting is the home that it's in. It really does not matter how good the home looks with the current furniture and art in it, the question is how will your stuff look in it? Try to look beyond the things that are laid out before you to see if they are covering up any flaws. Check behind paintings and wall hangings, look under couches and inside closets for little clues as to how the home is lived in when it's not being shown. That will be the true indication of the home's un staged quality.
Staging is really an illusion, albeit a handy one. It makes homes look good, and good looking homes do show better. But it can be easy to let the image presented be the only one you think of when remembering the home. As you walk through a staged home try to first imagine it without any furnishings at all. Next, mentally place your belongings in the home. Take measurements of the rooms if you need to. Don't forget that sellers will naturally try to conceal and small imperfections in their home so make sure that when looking at homes you don't place too much importance on how the home is staged. what's more important is how will the home suit you and your needs.
