Home Staging A Seller' Secret Weapon - CBS Sunday Morning

Home Staging - A Seller's Secret Weapon - CBS Sunday Morning

Watching CBS Sunday Morning is a part of my Sunday ritual...every Sunday. Today there was a segement on home staging as a seller's secret weapon.

 

While I don't agree with everything that was said, I do agree with the large majority of it. Home staging is a home seller's not-so-secret-weapon for getting their home sold faster and for a higher price. And if its on CBS Sunday Morning, well, it must be true!

There were some statements made during the piece that didn't ring true for me, like "home staging costs about 3% of the listing price" . I've never even come close to charging 3% for a staging job and I think neither have 99% of the professional home stagers out there. I'm guessing that they were including every and all expenses associated with getting a home ready for the market, including painting the interior and exterior, repairs to the structure (not normally the purview of home stagers) and infrastructure (upgrading electrical and plumbing - also not normally considered part of home staging).

Very generally speaking, I think most home staging projects cost .5% to 1% of the listing price of the home, although I don't know any home stagers that bid their job based upon a percentage of the listing price. Of course, where the home is located, whether it is a vacant home staging or an occupied home staging, home condition and how many rooms are to be staged all play into the cost of real estate staging.

They interviewed a Chicago real estate agent, Ian Schwartz, who said "You have 2 choices, either stage it or not. And if the answer's "not", I'm not working with you". Schwartz goes on to say that he cannot waste time on ugly houses and doesn't want to have to apologize for any of his listings. I say "Bravo" Ian Schwartz! Ian is one of the top real estate agents in the Chicago area, and now I know why.

So thank you, CBS Sunday Morning for informing home sellers of the importance and benefits of having your home professionally staged. Yes, hiring a professional home stager (and hiring the right real estate agent) are definitely a home seller's not-so-secret weapons when selling a home!

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2010 RESA Professional Stager of the Year

Michelle has staged hundreds of Los Angeles homes, many of which have sold with multiple offers, above listing price.

She works with home sellers, listing agents and asset managers to prepare homes for sale throughout Los Angeles.

Moving Mountains Design provides vacant home staging, occupied home staging, color consultations, corporate and executive relocations, move organization, redesign, and interior design. We also stage model homes, REOs,foreclosures and auction properties for real estate investors and asset managers.

For more information about our Los Angeles home staging services, contact Michelle at (626)385-8852 or by email.

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