The Advantages and Disadvantages of Virtual Staging
Welcome to the year 2020, where technology has made it possible to fill an empty room with exquisite computer-generated furniture and for the most part make it look real. Today a large majority of listings use some sort of virtual staging, but the question is how successful is it and it is worth using as a seller?
Virtual staging has come a long way since its creation. In 2020 virtual staging has become increasingly popular thanks to COVID – 19 and the negative impact it had on open houses. Today there are companies out there that can not only generate a beautifully designed room from nothing, but also replace furniture, change wall colours, and wipe out photos to show a potential buyer the possibilities that a house can offer.
The Advantages
When we look at some of the benefits of virtual staging, the first thing we think of is cost. With traditional staging you are paying the staging company a staging fee as well as a monthly rental fee, meaning the longer the property sits on the market, the more you will have to pay. While with virtual staging you are paying one flat fee that includes hiring the company and for the photos. These pictures you get to keep forever and can use repeatedly for marketing purposes.
Virtual staging can also be a great tool when it comes to marketing a property. The virtual company can take the dimensions of the room and use furniture that will complement the space and appeal to potential buyers. They can turn an empty cold room and transform it into an inviting space. All this can be done in less time than it would take a traditional staging company to come in, stage, and then have a photographer come in to take pictures.
You might ask, what happens when we visit a property and there is no furniture? In today’s market buyers view properties with an open mind. Agents have said that having buyers walk into a home with a brochure of what the room could look like help them tremendously.
The Disadvantages
While virtually staging can make a room look polished and life like, it is not perfect. Like everything in life, it does have its flaws. For one, you can tell that a home has been digitally staged if you look at the soft items like pillows and blankets. Digitally it is hard to achieve the softness and movement that can be experienced in real life.
For some buyers it can be hard for them to imagine what their furniture and possessions can look like in a room when looking at a virtually staged photo. While others don’t like walking into an empty room and prefer to see a physically staged home. Another downside to virtual staging is there is a lot of bad virtually staged photos out there and it could come back to haunt you if not done correctly.
Call us today at 250-864-HOME (4663) or email us at info@thepropertysource.ca to discuss virtual staging and for all your real estate needs, we will be happy to help!
PIN FOR LATER
