What Is Your Buyer's Reaction Worth? Cost Vs. Benefit - Home Staging Minneapolis MN

By
Home Stager with Rooms With Style

What is your buyer's reaction really worth?

Home Staging - Cost versus Benefit

The price of Home Staging....is it worth it? That is always a question on the minds of home owners especially if their home is vacant. 

It isn't cheap to bring in furniture and have it staged. There is of course the rental fee for furniture but it is also all the labor. The movers, the truck, the staging time to pack everything, stage the home and then come back and pack it all up when it sells.

So is it really worth it?  

I recently staged a 1904 three story home that sat vacant for many months. Let's look at the cost versus the benefit of Home Staging for this architectural jewel in a classic neighborhood of St. Paul, MN

Cost...

1) The old cliché  is true....Home Staging almost always costs less than the first price reduction.

2) In addition, Home Staging is usually less than the carrying costs for one month. Let's look at the costs involved in maintaining a vacant home:

Mortgage, interest, real estate taxes, insurance, water, heat, air conditioning, electricity, shoveling or lawn maintenance services, cleaning services, and maintenance upkeep

 
Benefits.....well, a picture is worth a thousand words so let's count up the dollars in the following pictures by tracking the buyers reactions before and after Home Staging of this 1904 Three Story Upper End Home: 
 
Buyer before: "They want how much for this old house?"
 
 
LR before
 
 
LR before
 
 
Buyer after: "Wow, look at the vintage subway tile on the fireplace, check out those bay windows."

 

LR after 

 

LR After

 

LR after

 

Buyer Before: "What the heck am I going to do with this small room right off the Living Room?"

 

FR before

 

FR before 

 

Buyer After: "What a great room for the kids to watch TV!"

 

FR after

 

FR after

 

Buyer Before: "This is kind of dark and dreary."

 

DR before

 

 

Buyer After: "Look at this stunning wood and original lead glass windows. And that built-in hutch that is 109 years old - Incredible!"

 

DR after

 

DR after

 

Buyer Before: "The kitchen is nice."

 

kitchen before

 

Buyer After: "I want this kitchen! The kids will love this bench for eating breakfast every morning."

 

Kitchen after

 

Buyer Before: "Huff...ah, ah...after climbing three flights of stairs it better be worth it. This is it?"

 

bedroom before

 

bedroom before

 

bath before

 

 

bath before

 

Buyer After: "I can't wait to run up those stairs to get up here every night. I am heading off to soak in the tub and then curl up with a book on that window seat by the fire."

"Oh....that's right, give me the papers to sign and make it snappy." 

 

Bedroom after

 

Bedroom After

 

Bath after

 

Bathroom after

 

Bath after

 

 

So...which statements are your buyers saying? What is their reaction worth?

If the difference is getting your home sold in days versus months, may the benefits of Home Staging outweigh the costs? 

 

 If you would like to discuss the cost versus benefits of Home Staging for your property, please give us a call at 952-567-1124 or visit our website at www.RoomsWithStyle.com.



 

Comments (32)

Maureen Bray Portland OR Home Stager ~ Room Solutions Staging
Room Solutions Staging, Portland OR - Portland, OR
"Staging Consultations that Sell Portland Homes"

Wow is right, Shar!  What an effective transformation of this home from ho-hum to "let's make an offer right now!"

Mar 05, 2013 03:01 AM
Janelle Ancillotti
Seneca Home Staging - Syracuse, NY
HSR Certified Home Stager, Syracuse, NY

Beautiful beautiful job, Shar! I love it! It's so true that people buy "homes", not empty spaces.

Mar 05, 2013 06:32 AM
Beverly Carlson
Carlson Properties 325-721-2429 - Abilene, TX
Abilene's Staging Realtor
WOW! Shar, you went from DRAB to FABULOUS I love that you staged the upstairs and I know that IS work! Staging is an investment. Buyers falling in love - PRICELESS!
Mar 05, 2013 09:46 PM
Shar Sitter
Rooms With Style - Minneapolis, MN
Home Staging and Redesign Minneapolis/ St. Paul, M

Thank you Michael. That is truly what I hope for every time I do a staging...that it will bring the seller extra thousands of dollars!

Exactly Karen. It is all so emotional when one is buying a home.

Thank you Maureen. It was a blast to work on...even with the many trips up to the 3rd floor. Ha.

They need to have the feeling from the time they walk in that they can see themselves in each room. Thank you for stopping by Janelle.

It was good work for my hips and thighs Beverly. Bins up...oh I forgot the hammer, need the scissor, bins down, ha. 

Mar 06, 2013 11:30 AM
Joni Bailey
101 Main St. Realty - Huntsville, TX
Your Huntsville / Lake Livingston Area REALTOR®

I have yet to see a better example of how staging can change the way a person thinks about a house. With Lake Livingston right here, we see a lot of vacant weekend homes. Attention Seller's! Have your home professionally staged!! SUGGESTED!

Mar 07, 2013 10:45 AM
Kathy Streib
Room Service Home Staging - Delray Beach, FL
Home Stager - Palm Beach County,FL -561-914-6224

Shar- excellent transformation of this vintage home.  The "before" pictures were bland and nice.  What you did added warmth to the dark home and showed any buyer the possibilities of the space. 

Mar 07, 2013 11:08 AM
Shar Sitter
Rooms With Style - Minneapolis, MN
Home Staging and Redesign Minneapolis/ St. Paul, M

I hope it is grabbed quick Valerie as it sat on the market quite awhile vacant. It obviously is up there in price as it is huge so not as many eligible buyers but it only takes one! Thanks so much for stopping by. 

Thanks Joni and yes....ATTENTION....stage your vacant house! LOL. Thanks for the suggest, very much appreciated. 

The home was lovely before Kathy as you said, it just was lacking some star power. Now it has it! (said with humility, ha). Thank you for dropping in to comment. 

Mar 07, 2013 11:41 AM
Wendy Tomm
Beyond the Walls - East St Paul, MB
CCSP, RESA-PRO, BBB - Wpg Realtors

Shar very very great post.  You do such beautiful work...keep up the great staging I just love seeing your rooms and ready your posts.

Mar 07, 2013 12:07 PM
Sharon Tara
Sharon Tara Transformations - Portsmouth, NH
New Hampshire Home Stager

I love these pictures Shar!!!  What a gorgeous transformation you made....such a warm and inviting home!

Mar 08, 2013 04:30 AM
Peg Barcelo
Fluff My House! Home Staging Inc. 250.486.6369 - Summerland, BC
The FlufftasticStager from Summerland, BC

Such a great job Shar! Lovely house made even more fantastic by your awesome Staging skills! =D

Mar 08, 2013 10:29 AM
Shar Sitter
Rooms With Style - Minneapolis, MN
Home Staging and Redesign Minneapolis/ St. Paul, M

Thank you Wendy, that is so nice of you to say.

Thanks much Sharon. I had a great house to work with! 

It sure was fun Peg! 

Mar 10, 2013 10:12 AM
Anna Dovger
Add Value Home Staging LLC, 281-704-6607 - The Woodlands, TX
Home Staging -The Woodlands, TX

Beautiful Staging, Shar.  This owner did a great job updating but the package didn't look complete. If I would see this house vacant, I would't even go to the third floor. Your staging make buyer think that if it's so beautiful down than it makes sense to go and check the upstairs. And than it is so inviting that they want to move right away.

Mar 16, 2013 02:24 PM
Joan Cox
House to Home, Inc. - Denver Real Estate - 720-231-6373 - Denver, CO
Denver Real Estate - Selling One Home at a Time

Shar, the transformations you create in these homes are splendid!    This old house now has CHARM!

Mar 18, 2013 11:03 PM
Maureen Bray Portland OR Home Stager ~ Room Solutions Staging
Room Solutions Staging, Portland OR - Portland, OR
"Staging Consultations that Sell Portland Homes"

Shar ~ That third floor master really has the "Wow" factor -- and makes the climb up there well worth the reward!  All of the rooms look so inviting.  Your styling really makes the most of each space.

Mar 19, 2013 02:53 PM
Sondra Meyer:
Colorado Springs, CO
See It. Experience It. Live It.

Shar,

After considering the before and after pictures of this lovely older home, I think that I will beg sellers in the future to have their vacant homes staged.  You did an amazing job. 

 

Mar 20, 2013 12:10 PM
Shar Sitter
Rooms With Style - Minneapolis, MN
Home Staging and Redesign Minneapolis/ St. Paul, M
Thank you Anna. Totally agree that if they don't like the first floor they won't head upstairs.....especially to the third floor.
Mar 20, 2013 10:43 PM
Shar Sitter
Rooms With Style - Minneapolis, MN
Home Staging and Redesign Minneapolis/ St. Paul, M
This really is a stunning old home Joan. Classic and great architectural details. It was just lacking a little pizazz.
Mar 20, 2013 10:45 PM
Shar Sitter
Rooms With Style - Minneapolis, MN
Home Staging and Redesign Minneapolis/ St. Paul, M
I didn't want to leave the third floor once I had it staged Maureen, ha.
Mar 20, 2013 10:47 PM
Shar Sitter
Rooms With Style - Minneapolis, MN
Home Staging and Redesign Minneapolis/ St. Paul, M
Yes beg them Sondra. It makes such a huge difference.
Mar 20, 2013 10:49 PM
Kim Gaston
RE/MAX Advantage Realty - Colorado Springs, CO
Colorado Springs REALTOR®, CNE (719)661-6987

Fabulous job, Shar! Your attention to every detail really shows in your work. "This Old House" should hire you for their set design!

Apr 07, 2013 02:43 AM

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