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Selling your home? If so, you likely want to do everything in your power to make it look great and trigger solid offers ASAP. Staging your home can be one key contributing factor to achieving that.

When you stage your home, you optimize its look and design. This allows potential buyers to visualize the house as their own. It makes it look like a place they aspire to put down roots. (Yes, decluttering and removing some of your personal mementos may be involved.)

According to a National Association of Realtors® survey, 89% percent of buyers’ agents said staging a home made it easier for a buyer to visualize the property as a future home.

Want to learn more? Here’s a step-by-step guide to how you can stage your home.

8 Steps to Stage a House for Sellers

Follow these tips for staging your home and impressing prospective buyers.

1. Take Stock of Needed Fixes

If a house requires considerable repairs, a seller may face a lengthy negotiation process with buyers that results in concessions and contingencies. Any issues flagged by an inspection will also need to be addressed with prospective buyers.

Deciding whether to make these fixes beforehand will affect how a home is staged and perceived by buyers. Even relatively small issues like cracks in a ceiling and a dripping faucet can raise concerns and influence a buyer’s impression. That’s something to be wary of, especially in a hot housing market when many buyers want to snag a home quickly.

Taking care of these common home repairs before house staging can show buyers that you’ve maintained the property and keep their focus on its strengths.

💡 Quick Tip: Don’t overpay for your mortgage. Get your dream home or investment property and a great rate with SoFi Mortgage Loans.

2. Enhance Curb Appeal

Before buyers walk through the door, they’ll have already formed an impression from the home’s curb appeal, the attractiveness of a property from the sidewalk or street.

Buyers may even do a drive-by before setting up a showing to narrow down their search. Thus, sprucing up a home’s exterior, lawn, and landscaping is essential to any plan for how to stage a house. Even in winter, curb appeal matters.

Any eyesores, such as chipped paint, cracked windows, or clogged gutters could discourage buyers from taking a closer look. Power-washing any siding and applying a fresh coat of paint where needed are some possible quick improvements.

Thinning out lawn decor, replacing burned-out lights, and tidying up gardens and landscaping are also low-cost ways to increase curb appeal.

For many prospective buyers, their first look into your home will be digital. High-quality photos can be helpful in attracting buyers.

Staying on top of things like lawn care while the home is listed could make a difference in getting more showings and securing a higher offer. In fact, 98% of NAR members say they believe curb appeal is important to potential buyers.

3. Remove Clutter

While working on house staging, you may also be encumbered with the home-buying process or figuring out what to do with all your stuff after it’s sold. In either case, staging is an opportunity to jumpstart the moving process and declutter the house.

Removing clutter is a popular staging tactic to make the interior of a home appear more spacious. A home’s square footage can’t be fabricated, but curating a more open layout can give the impression of a larger space.

Begin by packing away items that you don’t use daily, like seasonal clothes, knickknacks, sports equipment, and other odds and ends. This is also a chance to identify anything you want to sell, donate, or dispose of.

Storage space of a home can also be a major selling point. Instead of loading up the basement, garage, and closets, sellers may want to consider asking family members or friends to store their belongings, hosting a garage sale, or renting a storage unit.

Recommended: How to Refresh Your Home Room by Room

4. Depersonalize the Space

Cutting back on personal items is an important step in staging a house. While decluttering the home, stowing away family photos and clothing is a good place to start. Removing subtler items like personal toiletries can further neutralize the space.

That lavender paint in one room and turtle-themed wallpaper in another? It might be best to create a more basic canvas.

The point is to show that the home is move-in ready and an open book for buyers to add their personal touches. With just the integral furniture and furnishings remaining, it’s easier for buyers to imagine themselves moving in and living there.

5. Do a Deep Cleaning

Once the decor and furnishings have been minimized, it’s time to get the house squeaky clean. While this is one of the more cost-effective ways to stage a house, it can take significant time and energy.

To streamline the process, consider starting with the highest surfaces and working your way down. Overhead fixtures like lighting and ceiling fans are often overlooked in regular cleaning routines, and thus accumulate lots of dust and grime. It’s likely that cleaning these hard-to-reach places will bring debris down on countertops and floors.

Bathrooms and kitchens are key rooms to focus on. Water stains and mildew in sinks, tubs, and showers are obviously a no-no. Making sure appliances sparkle and that countertops are spotless can give the kitchen a fresh new look.

💡 Quick Tip: To see a house in person, particularly in a tight or expensive market, you may need to show proof of prequalification to the real estate agent. With SoFi’s online application, it can take just minutes to get prequalified.

6. Define Every Space

While the kitchen, bathroom, master bedroom, and garage are straightforward in their purpose, some spaces in a home may not have an obvious use to prospective buyers.

Thinking about how to stage spare rooms and unconventional spaces is important. For example, staging such a space as a home office or workout room could appeal to a larger segment of buyers.

7. Stage Where It Matters Most

Not every room holds equal weight from the homebuyer’s perspective. Prioritize the living room, primary bedroom, kitchen, dining room, and yard; real estate agents say these are of most interest to buyers.

The kids’ rooms and basement? Spend less time and energy there.

Recommended: Home Appraisals: What You Need to Know

8. Don’t Forget Outdoor Space

While the front of a house determines curb appeal, the yard, porch, or patio space can sell buyers on the lifestyle they could enjoy there.

The backyard is a popular place for entertaining and socializing, especially for families with kids. Tidying up the yard and addressing any safety issues like a wobbly porch railing or broken fence could be easy fixes.

Setting up a focal point, such as an outdoor seating area, fire pit, or grill, can make the space more inviting. Even if it’s a limited yard or patio space, brightening it up with flowers and comfy outdoor furniture can change the perception from confined to cozy.

Recommended: Guide to Buying, Selling, and Updating Your Home

The Takeaway

How to stage a house? It can take time and energy, but emphasizing a home’s strengths and creating an inviting atmosphere can be done with some thorough cleaning, decluttering, and rearranging.

Looking for an affordable option for a home mortgage loan? SoFi can help: We offer low down payments (as little as 3% - 5%*) with our competitive and flexible home mortgage loans. Plus, applying is extra convenient: It's online, with access to one-on-one help.

SoFi Mortgages: simple, smart, and so affordable.

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*SoFi requires Private Mortgage Insurance (PMI) for conforming home loans with a loan-to-value (LTV) ratio greater than 80%. As little as 3% down payments are for qualifying first-time homebuyers only. 5% minimum applies to other borrowers. Other loan types may require different fees or insurance (e.g., VA funding fee, FHA Mortgage Insurance Premiums, etc.). Loan requirements may vary depending on your down payment amount, and minimum down payment varies by loan type.

SoFi Loan Products
SoFi loans are originated by SoFi Bank, N.A., NMLS #696891 (Member FDIC). For additional product-specific legal and licensing information, see SoFi.com/legal. Equal Housing Lender.

SoFi Mortgages
Terms, conditions, and state restrictions apply. Not all products are available in all states. See SoFi.com/eligibility for more information.

Tax Information: This article provides general background information only and is not intended to serve as legal or tax advice or as a substitute for legal counsel. You should consult your own attorney and/or tax advisor if you have a question requiring legal or tax advice.

Financial Tips & Strategies: The tips provided on this website are of a general nature and do not take into account your specific objectives, financial situation, and needs. You should always consider their appropriateness given your own circumstances.

Third-Party Brand Mentions: No brands, products, or companies mentioned are affiliated with SoFi, nor do they endorse or sponsor this article. Third-party trademarks referenced herein are property of their respective owners.

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People often use the terms “pending offer” and “contingent offer” interchangeably, but there is actually a difference when you are talking about real estate.

When a property is said to be contingent, that means the seller accepted an offer that is contingent on particular conditions requested by the buyer. These conditions could involve anything from an inspection to financing.

If, however, you see a house on the market switch to pending, there’s a different status involved. The seller has accepted an offer, and all contingencies have either been waived or addressed.

Yes, the distinction may be subtle. However, the bottom line is, neither status actually means a property is sold. If you have found your dream home and it says “contingent” or “pending,” there is still a chance you could snag it.

Contingent Offers vs. Pending Offers

Here’s a closer look at the difference between contingent and pending offers.

What is a Contingent Offer?

When a home’s status switches to contingent, it means contingencies stand in the way before the deal is done. If closing on a home is a race, then buyers still have miles ahead of them when they enter the contingency process.

There are many types of contingencies buyers can include in their offer that make it easier for them to back out of a real estate deal, but these are some of the most common:

•   Financing contingency. The buyers put some money or the promise of a mortgage behind their offer, right? This condition ensures that if the buyers aren’t approved for a mortgage, they’re not on the hook for finding cash to buy the property.

Some buyers choose to have a preapproval letter in hand to make the financing contingency move faster.

•   Inspection contingency. A home inspector is paid to search the property top to bottom to uncover any issues. With a home inspection report in hand, buyers can ask the sellers to solve the issues or give them a credit against the purchase price of the home.

With this contingency, buyers can also walk away from a deal based on the findings of the inspection. Alternatively, if both parties don’t come to an agreement on repairs or credits, they can terminate the deal.

•   Appraisal contingency. In order to secure financing for a home, it must be professionally appraised for the value of the offer or more. If the home appraises for less than the offer, the buyer can either make up the difference in cash, negotiate with the seller for a lower offer, or walk away from the deal.

Recommended: What Is a Mortgage Contingency?

•   Home sale contingency. If buyers need to sell their existing home to help finance the purchase of a new home, they may include a home sale contingency in the offer. That means if an offer on their home falls through, they’re no longer on the hook to buy the home they made an offer on.

Contingencies are in place to protect buyers and sellers in the event of snags throughout the negotiation process.

Prospective buyers can include as many contingencies as they like in an offer, and if the sellers agree, the buyers will need to work through each one before they make it to closing.

For people salivating over a hot property that looks taken, contingencies may signal opportunities for a deal to fall through. If you have your heart set on a home that’s contingent, you can hold out hope. Thanks to contingencies, there’s a chance the existing offer will fall through.

💡 Quick Tip: Don’t overpay for your mortgage. Get a great rate by shopping around for a home loan.

What is a Pending Offer?

Just because a home is pending doesn’t mean the deal is done. A home often enters pending status once buyer contingencies are cleared, but it can also enter pending status immediately if a buyer makes an offer without contingencies.

A pending home sale may still fall through, but the buyer and seller have worked through most of the contingencies. For a pending sale to fall through, there likely has been an unexpected issue with the inspection or financing.

In fact, a pending home is still on the market. The listing agent and seller can choose to continue showing the home and even accept other offers, even if its status is pending. However, this is largely up to the sellers and their agents.

Recommended: First-Time Homebuyer Guide

Can Pending and Contingent Homes Take Other Offers?

If a home is contingent and the buyers are still working through the inspection, financing, or selling their current home, a competing buyer can make a backup offer on the property. If the initial offer falls through for any reason, the seller can take the other buyer up on their offer.

It’s up to the sellers whether they will accept a backup offer or not, but if the buyer loves the property, it can’t hurt to ask.

In many markets, a home with pending status means it’s not open to additional offers, but the deal isn’t sealed. It’s not over till it’s over, so the buyers could still back out based on their contingencies, as outlined above.

(A home could be marked “pending, taking backups,” indicating that the seller is still showing the house and accepting backup offers.)

When a home is pending or contingent, it’s not against the law for another buyer to ask for a tour, express interest in the home, or even make a competing offer. But compared with a home that is not under contract, it is less likely that a competing buyer will get the property.

While you may make offers on these properties, buyers don’t get your hopes up. Depending on how close the buyer and seller are to closing, it’s not legally possible for the seller to accept another offer.

Additionally, the closer a home gets to closing, the more complicated competing offers can be. This is when a seasoned real estate agent may come in handy. They will understand the market, process, and legalities better than most first-time buyers do and how to navigate a hot housing market.

Recommended: Guide to Buying, Selling, and Updating Your Home

The Takeaway

Contingent vs. pending: Though some use the words interchangeably, the two statuses are different. A contingent deal may have a long way to go, as buyers firm up financing, await an appraisal, or sell their current home. A pending property is nearer to closing, but the deal still isn’t final.

Buyers eyeing a dream property may hold out hope that contingent or pending deals fall through. In that case, having everything set up for a backup offer could pay off.

Looking for an affordable option for a home mortgage loan? SoFi can help: We offer low down payments (as little as 3% - 5%*) with our competitive and flexible home mortgage loans. Plus, applying is extra convenient: It's online, with access to one-on-one help.

SoFi Mortgages: simple, smart, and so affordable.

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*SoFi requires Private Mortgage Insurance (PMI) for conforming home loans with a loan-to-value (LTV) ratio greater than 80%. As little as 3% down payments are for qualifying first-time homebuyers only. 5% minimum applies to other borrowers. Other loan types may require different fees or insurance (e.g., VA funding fee, FHA Mortgage Insurance Premiums, etc.). Loan requirements may vary depending on your down payment amount, and minimum down payment varies by loan type.

SoFi Loan Products
SoFi loans are originated by SoFi Bank, N.A., NMLS #696891 (Member FDIC). For additional product-specific legal and licensing information, see SoFi.com/legal. Equal Housing Lender.

SoFi Mortgages
Terms, conditions, and state restrictions apply. Not all products are available in all states. See SoFi.com/eligibility for more information.

Tax Information: This article provides general background information only and is not intended to serve as legal or tax advice or as a substitute for legal counsel. You should consult your own attorney and/or tax advisor if you have a question requiring legal or tax advice.

Financial Tips & Strategies: The tips provided on this website are of a general nature and do not take into account your specific objectives, financial situation, and needs. You should always consider their appropriateness given your own circumstances.

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Compounding returns can help the money you’ve invested grow, as long as those returns are reinvested.

Compound returns depend on the rate of return–meaning how much the investment gains or losses over time. The most powerful effects of compounding returns take time, even decades. That’s why people are often encouraged to start investing at an early age, even with small amounts. The longer their money is invested, the more compounding it can do.

How can investors receive compounding returns? Here’s how the process works and steps to take to achieve it.

What Are Compounding Returns?

Compounding returns are the earnings you continuously receive from contributions you’ve made to an investment.

Compound returns can be achieved by any type of asset class that produces returns on both the initial amount–or the principal–as well as any profits or returns that are generated after the initial investment. Essentially, the money you put to work is doing additional work automatically for you.


💡 Quick Tip: If you’re opening a brokerage account for the first time, consider starting with an amount of money you’re prepared to lose. Investing always includes the risk of loss, and until you’ve gained some experience, it’s probably wise to start small.

How Does Compounding Interest Work?

Compound interest, on the other hand, refers to interest that accrues on savings accounts. (There isn’t such a thing as compound interest in stocks.) So, for instance, if you have a savings account that pays interest on the principal in the account, the interest you earn gets added to the principal. That means, your interest ends up earning interest–or compounding.

The Value of Compounding Returns

Here’s a hypothetical example that illustrates the idea of compound returns. (However, be aware that this is only for an investor making profits. In reality, an investor could also experience losses.)

Let’s say an investor buys a stock that costs $1,000. That’s the investment’s “principal.” In the first year, they earn a 10% return. The stock is now worth $1,100. Things start to get interesting in the second year, when the stock increases in value another 10%, bringing the stock’s value to $1,210.

That’s $110 in profit earned in the second year, compared to $100 in the first year. This happened even though they did not add any additional money to the investment, and they earned the same compound rate of return. The investment simply grew over the previous year, creating a larger base from which to earn more.

If the investor were to earn a 10% rate of return the third year, the profit would be even greater than in the previous two years. Working off a larger base—now $1,210—a 10% return will yield a profit of $121.

But keep in mind that investments that hold stocks may experience volatility. Take the example from above. Three consecutive years of precise 10% returns is highly unlikely. In fact, it’s also possible for investors to lose money on their investments, which is the case in almost any asset class. While helpful for understanding the concept of compound returns, it’s not necessarily reflective of the real-world experience.

Recommended: A Beginner’s Guide to Investing in Your 20s

How to Get Compound Returns

With compound returns, the reinvestment of interest may be done automatically or manually.

Here are some examples of investment types that can earn compound returns.

Stocks: There are two ways to make money on a stock. The first is through price appreciation, and the second is through dividend payments. When the value of a stock grows over time, an investor has the potential to earn compound interest if those profits are reinvested. With cash dividend payments, compound returns are not automatic, as they are paid out in cash, but an investor can add the payouts back in in order to potentially earn additional returns.

Mutual funds: Mutual funds are pools of stocks, bonds, or other investment types. For example, a mutual fund could invest in the U.S. stock market. Over time, the goal is that the mutual fund grows as the underlying investments grow. Many mutual funds give the option of automatic dividend reinvestment plans. This way, the investor can earn compound returns in both ways, on the price appreciation and the dividend payments.

Exchange-traded funds (ETFs): Similar to mutual funds, ETFs are pools of investments, like stocks. As the value of the ETF grows over time, returns will compound. Depending on which bank or institution where the ETF is purchased, it may or may not be possible to automatically reinvest dividends.

Remember, with all investments, a good return on investment is not guaranteed, even profits aren’t. Plus, investments that tend to earn a higher potential return may also come with higher risk.


💡 Quick Tip: How to manage potential risk factors in a self-directed investment account? Doing your research and employing strategies like dollar-cost averaging and diversification may help mitigate financial risk when trading stocks.

Which Products Offer Compound Interest?

Here are some examples of the types of accounts that earn compound interest.

High-yield savings accounts: Some high-yield savings accounts pay interest on cash balances. With these accounts, it is possible to earn interest on top of interest earned in previous months, therefore earning compounding returns.

Money market accounts: These accounts combine features of both a savings and a checking account. For instance, you may be able to write checks or use a debit card with a money market account. You earn interest on the balance in the account.

CDs: With a CD, or Certificate of Deposit, you place your money in the account and leave it for a specified period of time, which is usually anywhere from three months to five years. While the money is in the account, it earns a guaranteed amount of interest that typically compounds.

Bonds: You can buy different types of bonds such as US Treasury Bonds. In return for buying the bonds, the issuer pays you compound interest over a certain period of time, which can be as long as 30 years until the bonds mature.

The Takeaway

Compound returns can be a powerful way for your money to grow over time. When you invest your money in stocks or other asset classes, you have the potential to earn compounded rates of return. And the longer you invest, the more time your returns may have to compound.

Ready to invest in your goals? It’s easy to get started when you open an investment account with SoFi Invest. You can invest in stocks, exchange-traded funds (ETFs), mutual funds, alternative funds, and more. SoFi doesn’t charge commissions, but other fees apply (full fee disclosure here).

Invest with as little as $5 with a SoFi Active Investing account.

FAQ

Do stocks compound daily?

Compound return is a measure of a stock’s performance over time. Compounding often happens monthly, quarterly, semi-annually, or annually.

What is the average compound interest return?

The average compound interest return depends on the types of savings vehicles you have.

What is the difference between arithmetic and compounding returns?

With arithmetic returns, you take the difference between the ending value of an investment and the beginning value of the investment and divide it by the beginning value. Compound returns depend on the rate of return–meaning how much an investment gains or losses over time.

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Third-Party Brand Mentions: No brands, products, or companies mentioned are affiliated with SoFi, nor do they endorse or sponsor this article. Third-party trademarks referenced herein are property of their respective owners.

Financial Tips & Strategies: The tips provided on this website are of a general nature and do not take into account your specific objectives, financial situation, and needs. You should always consider their appropriateness given your own circumstances.

SoFi Invest®

SoFi Invest encompasses two distinct companies, with various products and services offered to investors as described below: Individual customer accounts may be subject to the terms applicable to one or more of these platforms.
1) Automated Investing and advisory services are provided by SoFi Wealth LLC, an SEC-registered investment adviser (“SoFi Wealth“). Brokerage services are provided to SoFi Wealth LLC by SoFi Securities LLC.
2) Active Investing and brokerage services are provided by SoFi Securities LLC, Member FINRA (www.finra.org)/SIPC(www.sipc.org). Clearing and custody of all securities are provided by APEX Clearing Corporation.
For additional disclosures related to the SoFi Invest platforms described above please visit SoFi.com/legal.
Neither the Investment Advisor Representatives of SoFi Wealth, nor the Registered Representatives of SoFi Securities are compensated for the sale of any product or service sold through any SoFi Invest platform.

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