“Don’t trust everything you see, even salt looks like sugar.”

Remember when you were a kid and you would pull a prank on a friend by filling the sugar container with salt, or vice versa?  Upon first look, the poor friend couldn’t tell the difference.  It was once he poured it on something and took a bite to realize it wasn’t what he thought. 

Virtual staging is a lot like salt.  It looks like sugar and is so enticing but once a buyer goes into the home it turns into salt.  It’s simply not as inviting as the pictures online promised. (Feel free to take a look at one of our previous posts, Can’t Beat the Real Thing Baby, to read more of our thoughts between virtual and professional home staging).

Recently, we had the opportunity to stage a home that was previously listed on the market using virtual staging.   This home showed well online virtually staged (though not to scale) but buyers were disappointed once they walked in the door to this country home.  They were anticipating sugar but got a spoonful of salt instead.

This home had been on the market for over 6 months vacant.  Then they paid to have it virtually staged.  It still did not result in a contract.  They reached out to us and we staged the entire main floor plus basement.  The home then sold in less than a month.  Proof is in the pudding folks – professional home staging allows the buyer to FEEL like they could live in a space once they walk in the door. 

For example, take a look at the comparison between the virtual and professional staging of the living room:

The virtual living room was not staged to scale.  The plant in the niche by the stairs touches the chandelier. The ceiling height is also depicted as very low due to the placement of the sofa and art. Our professional staging photo (though at a slightly different angle) shows the ceiling being much higher due to the vertical art above the sofa. It also shows the space is larger by allowing a sofa and two end tables. The niche is also more to scale showcasing the beautiful chandelier with a small ottoman placed in that nook.

The bedroom that was virtually staged looked great online. But once you entered the room you probably would not feel like you were in the same space. It seems much larger online due to the virtual placement of furniture. The render makes the window behind the bed seem centered on the wall. In reality the window is not centered. In addition, roman shades were added as part of the virtual staging. Window treatments typically convey with the home, but these don’t even exist. Talk about bait and switch! We actually staged this bedroom with a different layout since the windows were not centered on the walls. We felt this opened up the space more in the room. If we would have placed the bed in the same spot as the virtual render, there would be no room for an end table beside it.

The basement virtual stage was a bit more realistic, however, the main flaw was the scale of the room. The virtual furniture created a much smaller space than in reality. Take a look at the comparison below and see how much space the sectional and ottoman take up compared to our sofa and large coffee table.  This basement probably did not wow the buyer once they walked in and saw it empty and cold. Furniture breathes life in the basement!

This home is just one example of many out there who choose to virtual stage.  Yes, it’s less expensive.  Yes, it’s quicker.  BUT salt does not make the chocolate chip cookie amazing – it’s the sugar. 

Next time, skip the virtual staging and spend less time on the market by choosing professional home staging prior to listing. Give us a call or book online for a home staging consultation and learn how we can make your house into a home that will sell. Let us shine the spotlight on your listing.