The COVID-19 pandemic has changed a lot in the world, including how real estate and home building happens. A major change has been the rise in technology in these industries. Now online open houses and digital design meetings are the new normal. Another big shift has been the rise of virtual staging. But what exactly is virtual staging and what are the advantages? Our custom home builders break it down for you.
What is Virtual Staging?
In the past, when people were looking to sell their custom home’s they might hire a professional stager to redesign their homes to better highlight its core features and appeal to buyers. This could mean hanging new artwork, rearranging furniture, and other cosmetic changes.
This can be costly though, and with the pandemic, it’s not surprising that people weren’t keen on having strangers in their home moving around furniture. That’s why virtual staging has been on the rise. Virtual staging is essentially when a professional photoshop furniture, artwork, and other décor over real images of a home. The core home structure in the photos is all real, but the rest isn’t.
When is Virtual Staging used?
As a custom home builder and residential developer, we’ve actually used virtual staging quite a bit. It helps buyers visualize how a room can be used without having to physically move furniture into a place. It can be hard for some buyers to picture how a room can be used without furniture in it as a frame of reference. That’s why most real estate photos show at least some items in the home rather than showing it empty.
Virtual staging is often used when:
-A homeowner has already moved their furniture out
-You don’t want people physically in your home staging
-Your furniture is out of date or personalized
-You want to show off key features and give buyers a reference
-You’re trying to save on staging costs
Advantages of Virtual Staging
There are many advantages to virtual staging over physical staging or none at all. Buyers like visuals, and if physically providing them isn’t possible, a virtual option is great. Virtual stagers also tend to charge much less than in-person ones, so it’s a great way to save money. It’s also a great option if your home is decorated with out-dated or a specific style that your real estate agent thinks might not appeal to buyers.
Disadvantages of Virtual Staging
Even though there are tons of benefits, there are a few downsides to this practice as well. Many buyers feel duped by this, and are often caught off guard when they arrive to see the home in person and don’t find any of the items there. It’s also important that if you use a virtual stager that they keep core features intact. Don’t let them remove walls, scale physical structures up or down, or place items where it’s not possible. In other words, virtual stagging should only do things that can physically be done.
Looking to build your dream custom home? Contact us today! Our custom home builders are ready to bring your ideas to life.
