How to prepare your home to be virtually staged
If you’ve decided to virtually stage your home, there are some items to check off the list before you hand your home photographs over to a graphic designer.
1. Clean your home
Whether you’re virtually staging an empty room or doing furniture replacement, it’s important to clean any area of your home that will end up in virtually staged photographs. The more empty and sparkling a room is, the easier it will be to transform.
2. Remove personal items
Declutter your space so your designer doesn’t have to. This will cut down on design time and cost, plus it will remove any security concerns around photographing personal information or important documents. You can also cover up valuables, such as jewelry boxes or safes, by removing the items from the area to be photographed altogether.
3. Complete small home improvements
Tackle small home improvements, like retouching chipped paint or polishing hardwood floors, to remove photographic evidence of wear and tear. This will represent your space more accurately in photos and prevent surprises during prospective buyers’ in-person visits to your home.
4. Don’t forget the exterior and yard
Like home staging, curb appeal can increase your home’s value – in this case, by around 20%. Clean up the yard while you get your home ready to improve your curb appeal too. After all, you never know how quickly a buyer may see the virtually staged photos online and request an in-person tour.
5. Take high-quality photos
While we recommend hiring a professional to take the photos your graphic designer will ultimately stage, if you have photography experience you may be able to tackle this task yourself. A bad photograph can ruin the whole process, though, so quality is key here.
Technology is transforming the buying process, and if you’re looking to list your home you can use digitally enhanced design to your advantage. Virtual home staging has been especially helpful during COVID-19, reducing the need for in-person visits and taking home tours online for safe, socially distanced showings.
Check out this infographic to learn more about virtual home staging, and how it’s disrupting the selling process.
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Conclusion
Taking the virtual home staging process online can reduce risk when it comes to your home insurance policy. After all, what if you were to spend money to stage your home in real life, only to experience a home break-in and lose your borrowed luxury home decor?
While a home insurance policy would likely cover the cost of stolen items, you’ll still be responsible for a deductible, whereas virtual home staging saves you the headache and the cash.