Property and finance blog

A nicely staged home can do wonders for turning casual lookers into serious buyers. For the seller, it's often a worthy investment...

But when you're representing buyers, a staged home could draw attention away from a home's negative features, says a new report from the National Association of Exclusive Buyer Agents (NAEBA).

In a recent NAEBA member survey on home staging, 82 percent of the practitioners who responded said that buyers are likely to get distracted from important issues when viewing a staged home. And 51 percent said that staged homes often cover up real defects, including structural damage.

"Staging has taken the residential real estate industry by storm," the report says. "It has been the major focus of television programs and has been a dominant topic in real estate trade publications. However, up to this point, virtually all the shows and articles have been directed toward the seller’s benefits.

However, Boyd says buyers still need to be on guard. If they get too emotionally attached to how the home looks when it's staged, they can end up overpaying.

"Thebiggest concern for home buyers is that the staging effects can make ahome seem more appealing to the eye," the report says. "Once you ownthe home, the staging furniture will no longer be there, the cutflowers go away, and often you need to repaint your new home."

Source:  NATIONAL ASSOCIATION OF REALTORS®