Real Estate photography company Propertypics charges $120 for three rooms to be virtually staged or $200 for six and say they’re having their busiest winter ever. Photo / Supplied
Real Estate photography company Propertypics charges $120 for three rooms to be virtually staged or $200 for six and say they’re having their busiest winter ever. Photo / Supplied
Giving houses the ‘lived-in’ look digitally cheaper than staging.
Virtual furniture is being superimposed into empty rooms for real estate adverts to attract potential buyers.
It's a cheaper alternative - and much quicker - than moving real furniture into homes which can cost the seller thousands compared with $120 for three mocked-up pictures.
The Real Estate Institute says there are no hard and fast rules on the practice but recommends agents declare on their ads that the home is being virtually staged.
As well as large pieces like tables, couches and beds, finishing touches like vases, picture frames and cushions can be added. Some companies even offer virtual landscaping, superimposing grass and flowers.
A home in West Auckland that featured on the front page of the Herald on Monday after selling four times within three months was virtually staged during one of the sales in July.
Even a copy of Dick Frizzell's Mickey to Tiki Tu Meke watercolour was added to a wall in the dining room, as well as pasta canisters and an open cookbook in the kitchen and blankets to the end of beds in bedrooms. The advertising pictures declared five of the rooms had been virtually staged by real estate photography company Propertypics.
It charges $120 for three rooms to de digitally staged and $200 for six.
Owner and co-director Christopher Hope was experiencing his busiest winter ever for real estate photography. The company added virtual staging to their services in 2013. "Usually this time of year it's a bit quieter, especially August, it's usually our quietest month because people hold back a bit for Spring but it just hasn't happened this year."
He printed the fact each image had been virtually staged on each photograph to avoid any misunderstanding for prospective buyers.
Mr Hope put pictures of real furniture into the photos of the rooms, rather than digitally-generated furnishings.
The agent who sold the Henderson home in July, Ronald Hachache of Ray White, said he encouraged all his sellers to either use home or virtual staging.
Real Estate photography company Propertypics charges $120 for three rooms to be virtually staged or $200 for six and say they’re having their busiest winter ever. Photo / Supplied
"It makes my job a lot easier. I'm sure you've seen photos of a house that's vacant, there's nothing appealing about it. What's the point of taking a photo of an empty room ... it just looks stupid."
Mr Hachache said he preferred home staging as the furniture was in the house during open homes, but if his client couldn't afford it, he would opt for virtual staging.
NZ Property Photography owner Pierre Cilliers said he does not state the photos have been virtually staged but has not had negative feedback.
"At the end of the day people are supposed to look past the furniture in a building as they're buying the structure they're not buying the furniture, so you're not really misrepresenting a property because the furniture doesn't typically come with the property."
Fred and Domoina Ralaimihoatra, of DAR Designs, specialised in home staging before adding virtual staging.
The company charges $299 for three pictures.
Mr Ralaimihoatra said home staging was more popular and more expensive but it allowed the seller to have the furniture in their home for up to four weeks.
The Real Estate Institute doesn't have an issue with the practice as long as real estate agents were transparent about its use.
"It is not an issue as long as it doesn't misrepresent the physical property that is for sale," Institute chief Colleen Milne said.
"We would recommend that those using virtual staging state that it has been used in their advertising as a precaution, and so buyers are not misled and there is no misrepresentation of the actual property and its chattels."
Setting the stage
• For virtual images costs start at $120 for three pictures.
