In a competitive real estate market, presentation is a critical element to success. Home staging is becoming more widely accepted these days, and the folks at MJT Property Styling kindly shared these few tips with me a short time ago.

Five reasons you should never sell an empty property:

1. Empty rooms draw attention to cosmetic imperfections – like scratches and marks on the walls and carpet indentations.

2. 83% of buyers have trouble envisioning how an empty space will look and feel as their home.

3. Your listing won’t stand out in advertising against competing properties.

4. You can’t eliminate dead space which (if staged) could have great potential.

5. Having furniture in a property allows the buyer to lose their hearts. Most buyers commit to a purchase based on an emotional connection, rather than logic & reason.

Remember, it may only take seconds for a potential buyer to decide whether they like or dislike your property. Don’t leave that first impression to chance.