In pandemic times, you may not want to risk unnecessary contact by inviting a professional stager into your home, but that doesn’t mean you should skip staging. Here are some tips:

Traditional Staging

There are three tenets of traditional staging:

• Declutter:

You may need to put some of your personal belongings in storage, but decluttering makes your home look bigger and more desirable, so well worth the extra effort.

• Depersonalize: Your objective is to make prospective buyers visualize the space as their own. The fastest way to accomplish this is to make your home look as neutral as possible. Remove photos and other personal items from view. If you add a fresh coat of paint, choose neutral colors like ”greige” to create a blank canvas. Devoiding your home of personal touches suggests that the space will belong to the buyer, not the seller.
• Deep clean: A clean home signals that you’ve taken good care of the property. Your kitchen counters should sparkle, and your blinds should be free of dust. While you’re cleaning, keep an eye out for scuffs and nicks you’ll want to patch or repair.

Virtual Staging

Virtual staging—a practical solution during the pandemic—involves digitally adding furniture and décor to rooms in your home. There are a host of tech platforms that allow you to add furnishings and accessories to photos of each room in your house digitally, enhancing its overall appeal. Virtual staging can be more cost-effective and safer than physically staging a home, but there are some rules you should follow:

• Disclose that your images have been virtually staged. This should be clearly noted on your property listing.
• Don’t get carried away. There are no limits with a huge digital library of assets you can add. You can style your home any way you’d like, but don’t become deceptive by removing walls or adding home features that don’t exist.
• Seek professional help. Virtual staging can help your home sell quickly, especially in a competitive market—but only if it’s done right. Consider hiring a professional who has experience taking good photos of homes and artfully enhancing those images with virtual staging.

The decision to stage traditionally or virtually depends on your home, your circumstances, and your budget. An experienced Realtor can help you decide which option is best for you.