The short answer is, no you do not need to move out.
The longer answer is, well: longer.
First, I strongly recommend that we stage your home whether you've already moved out or are still living there. Sometimes that means a full stage once you've removed all your belongings. Other times, that means you declutter and then my stager adds some staged furniture and decor to your belongings.
Staging makes a huge difference to potential buyers touring your home, but more importantly it has a significant impact on the quality of those photographs that appear in the Real Estate Apps we all love.
But, as I said, you don't have to move out to stage.
The next hurdle is allowing access to the home outside of traditional weekend open houses. Not everyone can make it to these planned showings. They then rely on their realtors to show them homes weekday evenings, on their lunch hour, etc.
This is a breeze when the home is vacant, but not impossible if you're still living there.
The easier you make it for people to see the home, the better. Or rather, the reverse: don't make it hard for a potential buyer to come see your home. If it is too much of a hassle, they may just move on.
I know that can be difficult if you work from home or have pets or young kids. Work with your realtor to strategize the best way to allow easy access without disrupting your life too much. The bottom line is that while it definitely takes a bit more planning, it can be done.
Reach out to discuss how I would approach listing your home while you're still living there.
