Staging is always an important task for home sellers. Staging a home refers to the process of preparing and presenting a property for sale or rent by strategically arranging furniture, decor, and other elements to showcase its best features. Survey after survey has shown that staged homes sell faster and for more than homes that haven’t been staged. But as with everything else, staging is evolving. Certainly, the basics remain the same, but there are new staging trends you must take into account if you’re a home seller. Some of what once worked well for staging may not work now.
Here are some of the benefits of staging a home:
- Increased appeal: Staging can enhance the visual appeal of a home, making it more attractive to potential buyers or renters. By depersonalizing the space and creating a neutral, welcoming environment, staging allows buyers to envision themselves living in the home.
- Faster sale or rental: Staged homes tend to sell or rent faster compared to vacant or poorly presented properties. When a home is staged effectively, it can create a sense of urgency and generate more interest among potential buyers or renters, leading to quicker transactions.
- Higher sale or rental price: Well-staged homes often command higher sale or rental prices. By showcasing the property’s best features and creating an inviting atmosphere, staging can create perceived value and justify a higher asking price.
- Highlighting key features: Staging allows you to highlight the key selling points of your home. By strategically placing furniture and decor, you can draw attention to desirable features such as architectural details, spacious rooms, or stunning views.
- Professional presentation: Staging gives your home a polished and professional appearance. Professional stagers have expertise in optimizing the flow and layout of a space, ensuring that it looks its best for potential buyers or renters.
- Online appeal: In today’s digital age, the majority of home searches begin online. Staging a home can significantly improve its online presentation through high-quality photographs and virtual tours. Eye-catching listing photos can attract more attention and generate more interest in your property.
- Emotional connection: Staging helps create an emotional connection between potential buyers or renters and the home. By creating a warm and inviting atmosphere, staging can evoke positive feelings and make people more likely to imagine themselves living in the space.
- Stand out from the competition: In a competitive real estate market, staging can give your property an edge over similar listings. A well-staged home stands out from the competition and leaves a lasting impression on potential buyers or renters.
With that in mind, we offer these 5 popular staging trends for Santa Cruz home sellers in 2023.
1. Unusual, Creative Light Fixtures
Lighting things up with good artificial lighting and with plenty of natural light has always been an important aspect of staging. Lots of light makes a home and its rooms seem much more inviting and spacious. What is new in staging trends for Santa Cruz home sellers in 2023 has to do with the kind of light fixtures that now work best.
In 2023, effective staging calls for light fixtures that are unusual, creative, and even quirky. You want to go for light fixtures that make a glam statement and can become conversational pieces of art in the home. So, with respect to light fixtures in staging trends, try these: wall sconces to add the feel of more space, pendant lighting over the dining table, and smart lighting that creates a scene or mood (more on this later).
2. Bold, Expressive Color Schemes
For a long time now, the standard advice when it comes to color has been to go with neutral tones and colors to create a blank canvas effect. But that too is changing in 2023. According to current staging trends, Santa Cruz home sellers should now go in for bold, expressive color schemes.
Bold colors and vibrant hues can serve to draw a potential buyer’s eye to the features and aspects of your home that you want to stand out. Such colors can also draw attention away from less desirable things in the home. Bright colors can make living spaces feel more welcoming and less formal, thus making your house feel more like a home that buyers will want to live in.
But this doesn’t mean you have to paint all the walls in these bright colors. You can get the job done with strategic wallpapers, bold rugs, bright pillows, and patterned curtains. Keep in mind as well that what buyers in the local market will play a role in best color practices. You can consult a Santa Cruz agent at 831-588-2334 to find out what will work best color-wise in your market.
3. Bold, Arresting Accents
Similarly, the use of bold and arresting accents is another staging trend to note. These eye-catching accents can be anything from adventurous artwork to decorative items like vases. They will serve to add visual interest to a space and don’t require you to make major changes. And, as with bold colors, these eye-catching accents can help draw buyers’ attention to what you want to emphasize.
Be careful not to overdo it, though, with too many colorful accents that obscure living spaces. Don’t fill a room with so much stuff that buyers can’t see floors and walls. Accents are just that – accents. They should only highlight, complement, and fill in gaps, not draw attention from what should be observed.
4. Incorporation of Natural Elements
This may not be new among staging trends, but it is growing stronger and gaining momentum in 2023. It is the use of natural elements to add visual interest, make spaces seem more inviting, and give a feel of life.
Home sellers, then, should try to incorporate into their staging natural elements such as, say, flowers, foliage, botanicals, and driftwood. These are all items easily acquired and at very little cost. They can work very well to showcase an area or view and draw attention to a home’s outstanding features, all while imparting a sense of well-being, health, and harmony with nature.
Incorporating natural and organic elements into staging has gained popularity. This trend involves using materials like wood, stone, and plants to bring a sense of nature indoors. It can include features such as hardwood floors, stone countertops, natural fiber rugs, and potted plants to add warmth and a touch of serenity to the space.
5. Integration of Smart Technology
At the opposite end of the staging-trends spectrum lies incorporating smart technology. Although smart technology has been growing in popularity among homeowners, it is now coming into its own as an aspect of staging and becoming an important aspect of staging.
To cash in on this trend and leverage the appeal of smart technology, home sellers should try to incorporate these devices wherever possible. So if you’re a home seller install voice assistants, smart TVs, voice-activated lights, and built-in apps.
Just keep in mind that staging in 2023 isn’t only about aesthetics – it now includes technology. Used correctly, it can add a significant amount of appeal to spaces in your home. So you might even consider incorporating things like smart tables that come equipped with built-in charging stations.
With the increasing integration of technology in homes, staging with smart home features has become a popular trend. Including smart thermostats, automated lighting systems, voice-controlled devices, and security systems can help create a modern and convenient living environment, appealing to tech-savvy buyers.
Expert Assistance With Staging Trends
It’s important to note that the effectiveness of staging may vary depending on the market conditions, location, and target audience. Working with a professional stager or real estate agent can help you make informed decisions about staging to maximize its benefits for your specific situation.
Staging done right can help you sell more quickly and at a better price. But it’s easy to get wrong, which can delay a sale and possibly cost you. You absolutely must take into account what works for staging in the local market. So be sure to work closely with your Santa Cruz agent who will know exactly what your market requires. If you’re a home seller and want to leverage 2023’s staging trends, be sure to contact us today at 831-588-2334.
