Home Staging - What is it all about?

In nearly every listing appointment, the topic of home staging comes up, generally because I bring it up. As I am a Realtor® and appear to specialize in Marketing and Selling homes, my actual "job" is to consult our clients and guide them to the most likely combination that will cause their house to sell, and provide customer service. That said, I have horrible taste in interior design (better said, I'm boring). Most folks don't really understand what home staging provides them; however, it can be a vital piece to selling their home.

In today's age of computer-based home searches, photographs speak a million words. Great photography combined with great staging piques the interest of home buyers, thus keeping them from just doing a click through on the Internet. After all, we want them to view the house as an incredible product, and ultimately call us so we can schedule an appointment to view the house in person.

The Home Staging process generally comes in a few stages;
1. There is the initial consult. The staging consultant comes in views the home and takes many notes, and gives a brief explanation of what they do.
2. The second stage is a return visit to provide a report. Recommendations varying from paint color in specific rooms all the way to (potentially) a different light fixture, or rearrangement of furniture, and oftentimes the decluttering or depersonalizing of photos and nick knacks.
3. The third stage, if agreed upon, is the actual staging itself. Most good home stagers will be able to do and/or arrange all of the work that they suggest. Many of them also have furniture they can lease on a monthly basis. This can even be a one time staging, specifically for initial photography and video of the listing.

You should expect an initial consult fee of around $150. Actual staging costs can vary dramatically. The staging for house in the next paragraph link was about $2000, and resulted in a full price offer.

If you follow this link, you can see one of the most recent staging projects we accomplished. You will notice a very dramatic difference, and ultimately, this was a game changer for the home seller. I am a big believer in staging, and suggest you ask your Realtor® about the staging process.