[caption id="attachment_4805" align="alignnone" width="700"] Staging details create a welcoming sanctuary in this Lake Winnipesaukee Adirondack-style home in Meredith, NH. This 5-bedroom home is set on 2.5 acres with easy access to New Hampshire's largest lake.[/caption] In today's real estate market, home staging is a topic that gets plenty of attention. Search for the term on Google and you'll get over 11 million results. Home staging involves making a house more appealing to potential homebuyers in order to sell at the best price. Staging a home certainly can be effective selling strategy, and it's one that our agents recommend. Your real estate agent is an excellent resource on how to stage your home, with an emphasis on the "your." Here's our take on what's fact and myth about how to stage a home.

Fact: Lighting Plays a Key Role in Home Staging

Proper lighting can help potential buyers see inside White Mountains homes for sale, but you can also use lighting to convey the feelings that will anchor a prospective buyer to your home instead of another house they're viewing. The kitchen and common living areas should be brightly lit with fresh bulbs. Bedrooms and bathrooms do well with ambient lighting.

Fiction: You Don't Need to Stage an Empty House

Empty houses are actually most in need of staging, and the easiest to stage. You don't have to go all out, but a few key items will help a lot. Depending on your house, your agent might recommend a stocked bookcase, a stack of firewood by the fireplace, supplies for hot cocoa on the kitchen counter, and some cozy throws tossed over the back of a rocker or settee. See the point above about lighting, which empty homes need applied with a practiced eye.

Fact: Staged Homes Can Sell for More

In a recent National Association of Realtors survey on home staging, about one-third of buyer's agents said staging a home increased the dollar value offered between one and five percent. Buyers' agents surveyed said that one key factor in staged homes was that they make it easier for the potential buyers to envision themselves in the listed property. From the homebuyers' perspective, staging the living room was found to be most important, followed by staging the master bedroom and kitchen.

Fiction: You Can Do Staging Yourself

If you've watched DIY real estate shows, you may be convinced that you can handle your home staging yourself. In reality, unless you're an interior designer or a professional real estate home stager, all you'll actually accomplish is a thorough decluttering. While decluttering is important, it's not the same as staging. Staging involves carefully planned setting up of furniture, accessories, lighting, and layout. For best results it's always recommended to rely on a professional stager or your real estate agent. Contact us today to speak with an experienced agent who can help you sell your home quickly at a great price.