Staging Tips for a Virtual Open House

Virtual home tours exploded in popularity during the pandemic, even being recommended by the National Association of Realtors to remain safe. Most places have lifted pandemic restrictions, but virtual tours remain popular, especially for far away buyers looking to relocate. As always, planning and preparation is critical for making the best impression.

Staging for Your Virtual Open House or Video Walk-Through

In many locations, it won't be possible to stage homes in the traditional sense while social distancing is in place. For a virtual open house or video walk-through that you record yourself, you will need to work with homeowners to help stage the interior of the home before your scheduled arrival.

Focus on decluttering and making the interior spaces feel as large as possible for the video. Ideally, see if you can ask the owner to send you photos of each room and meet with them on the phone or through online video conferencing to provide suggestions for improvements. If there is storage space available in an attic, basement, or garage, ask the homeowner to consider putting items that are causing clutter in these spaces temporarily.

Curbside Appeal

Make sure you capture the exterior from the street with the approach to the entrance and front door in your virtual open house or video walk-through. Your goal should be to simulate the experience of attending an actual open house in-person for your viewers. If attention to the yard and landscaping is needed, you might be able to find landscaping contractors who are operating and practicing social distancing guidelines.

Virtual Staging for Photos

Thanks to technology, you can apply very effective virtual staging to your interior property photos. Similar to traditional on-site staging in a home, this can make a dramatic difference when it's done well. This option can be quite inexpensive and well worth the cost. Visualstager is a DIY service that lets you upload your photos and make the staging choices yourself using their virtual staging tools.

The following articles provide a number of reviews that will help you start exploring virtual staging software options:

• The 13 Best Virtual Staging Apps and Software for Real Estate
• How to Stage Your Home with the Click of a Mouse

To view the original article, visit the iHomeFinder blog.