Jul 21, 2008 01:27PM

MYTHBUSTERS! Home Staging Myths BUSTED!

Set Up to Sell
Sunday, July 13

Reality television inspires home staging ?mythbusters?

After watching an episode of ?MythBusters? over the Fourth of July holiday weekend, I was happy to find out that waterproof sun block does not, in fact, cause blindness when it gets into your eyes (thank goodness). And I was even more excited to learn that if you are stung by a jellyfish while swimming, you do not need to have someone urinate on the sting ? treating the sting with vinegar, baking soda or even meat tenderizer will work (always good to know).
I was completely inspired to do some ?MythBusting? of my own ? the home staging kind.
In all seriousness though, with all the buzz about home staging these days, it?s important to take a moment and clarify a few common misconceptions.

Myth No. 1: Home staging is expensive.
False. Home staging does not have to be an expensive project. Whether you have a small or a large budget ? or no budget at all ? you can do things to help your home sell quickly, and for top dollar. Also, investing in a home staging project is almost always less expensive than a price reduction.

Myth No. 2: Arranging a few accessories around an empty house is home staging.
Wrong. While I am a firm believer in ?doing what you can,? a few accessories placed in the kitchen and on the mantel is not home staging.
The concept of true home staging is showing off a home?s functionality. This involves proper furniture and furniture placement for the space. Accessories are only to complete a look. For example, that beautiful piece of artwork on a mantel may look nice, but it does not help a buyer envision the space ? how to arrange seating space, where to put the TV or how their family and friends would live in the space.
The true definition of home staging is creating a canvas on which buyers can ?paint themselves in.?

Myth No. 3: I can try my luck at listing my home for a few months and then stage if it hasn?t sold.
Not the best idea. You most certainly can do this, but I have to bring one small point to the table: Any Realtor can tell you that the majority of buyers come through a home during the first month of it being on the market.
By postponing the ?proper packaging? of your home, you are potentially postponing the sale of your house. This results in more mortgage, insurance and utility payments. In order to sell  your home in a timely manner, you have got to show it to its best advantage.
For example: Let?s say you?ve created the best-tasting, lowest-calorie, healthiest soft drink ever and you want to market it.
Would you put this great new soda out there in a plain, clear bottle and label it ?Soft Drink?? Of course you wouldn?t ? well, not if you wanted to actually sell it!
You would take the time to create the perfect name, an eye-catching label and a great advertising campaign so your soda could compete with the best competitors out there.
The same principle goes for selling a home. Your home is a product and, much like the great new soft drink, it must be packaged properly.

Myth No. 4: Home staging is only for people who have ugly wallpaper and shag carpet.
Definitely false. Everyone ? and I do mean everyone ? needs some form of home staging, no matter how perfect their home is.
Now I will admit, some do need more help than others. However, just because your home is perfect in your eyes doesn?t mean it translates that way to the majority of buyers that walk through the door.
We live in our homes, but when selling we have to adjust our perceptions and see a home through a complete stranger?s eyes! You may absolutely love the giant leather sofa in the den, but that comfy sofa may be too much for the space and could make the area look too small with the other furniture in the room.

Myth No. 5: I don?t want to have to do all this work. I will just reduce the price and then my home will sell.
Maybe. It could very well sell. But think of the added value you create by making the appropriate updates and changes. Put your focus on a few things rather than being completely overwhelmed.
Buyers, 99 percent of the time, are picky. (Surprise, right?) That unsightly wallpaper coupled with the dark paint colors spell one word to buyers: W-O-R-K. Even when the price is right, they may still shop around for a home that is more move-in-ready and be willing to pay a little more cash for it.
The moral here: Perception is everything. Your home needs to feel like home. If it overwhelms you, it will surely overwhelm the buyers!

So there you go: A few home staging myths busted, by yours truly. (Kids, don?t try this at home!)

Set Up to Sell is written by Amber Langston and produced by the Homes Arkansas section of the Arkansas Democrat-Gazette. If you would like to receive advice about staging your own home to sell, send questions to lgarner@arkansasonline.com. Selected questions and responses will appear in future columns. We cannot, however, provide individual responses to each request.