Is it just me or does everything seem to have gone virtual? It is a cool technology. We can photoshop our family pictures or download a picture of a room in our house and apply paint colors. I have spent hours doctoring up a family photo to create a hilarious caricature of a person or event that entertains us all.
However, recently this "virtual" thing has entered the real estate market. With a challenging real estate market homeowners and agents are perceiving home staging as a necessity in their marketing plans. With 93% of potential buyers previewing homes on the internet it has become critical to have a professionally staged and photographed home, whether it is vacant or owner occupied, in order to attract the largest marketshare possible.
Occasionally a property is unable to be traditionally staged. Whether it is because of a difficult location or a cost constraint these properties now have another option to enhance their virtual tour. By downloading a picture of an empty room and through the magic of a virtual transformation it can become a designer decorated showcase!
Is this deceiving? Not if the photograph of the room is not manipulated in anyway other than just adding furniture. The color of the walls remains the same and any defects are left untouched.Virtual staging is just like traditional home staging, the furniture is not sold with the house, it is just there to help potential buyers visualize a room. It is expected that the buyer will visit the property before purchasing and see exactly what they are buying. With the help of virtual staging they will already have a clear understanding of the home's potential. It is also important that the photographs are clearly marked that the home has been virtually staged.
This doesn't replace traditional home staging. The house still remains empty when personally visited. Nor does it help buyers visualizie how a difficult floor plan will work for them. However, it might be the right answer for a property in a remote location or one with a very limited budget.
