What does staging cost?

We have a new chant in our area - it was reduce, reuse, recycle - now reduce, reduce reduce. You can get a lot of staging for $10,000 and they don't blink at that price reduction.

we as Realtors give our costs up front...  >>>>>>smiles....

Staging in this market is a must!

Amie, You hit the ball out of the ballpark with this great comeback to the inevitable question of "how much does it cost"!!

As a Home Stager, I always give free estimates up front to sellers and agents, but I have to see the property first.  Price is dependent partly on on the size of the house, but also on how much needs to be done.  We all know every house is different and some need more Staging help than others.  Also, there are different levels of service.  I can do a full home Staging, I can do a written detailed Consultation Report which the sellers then implement, or levels in between.  For vacant homes it can range from doing simple vignettes in a few rooms to arranging for rental furniture and bringing in the accessories.  So you can see it's impossible to just throw out one simple cost for Staging.

Kathy Fix, Staging Dreams, Murfreesboro, TN 

I agree that staging will always be less expensive than the first price reduction. AS far as giving a price up front - isn't that what the consultation fee is? Once the consultation is complete, don't we all price out the home for staging? There is no secrecy here. It is simply on a home by home basis and there are so many factors that come into play. If a homeowner can't afford the staging - can they afford not to at least have a stager come out and supply them with a detailed report that gives them lots of great ideas, tips and tricks to do it themselves. A couple hundred dollars for information and education is certainly worth avoiding a price reduction. I love helping all clients and the excitement I see when they have done a great do-it-yourself job (it's not as good as a professional but it certainly made a difference in the home's appearance). They are always more optimistic, excited and have a new found confidence. Price is an issue in todays market so rather than price - what is the need, establish that and price will follow accordingly.

I was talking with Yvonne Root from Arizona yesterday about marketing staging services to agents.  She said a concern agents put forward was that they could not accurately predict the cost to stage a listing.  She described a scenario by which someone calls an agent and says "I want to buy a house, how much does it cost?"  Of course that would be tough to answer with no other information. 

The same is true of staging, every project is unique.  What we can probably give them so they are credible to the vendors asking the cost question, is the range of what consultations cost.  In my area the range is from two hundred to eight hundred for a minimum two hour consultation in which some staging hands-on work may or may not be done.

Hopefully they will put forward that this range exists for the same reason a Picasso does not cost the same as a Monet, even if both are the same size and framed similarly.  The price varies and the experience, talent and offerings vary from stager to stager.  

Amie I understood your point was that although the first question you are asked is the cost of staging; you believe the client should be asking whether they can afford NOT to stage.  Like a benefit/risk assessment.  Is that what you meant?

I think the client's concern about the cost is valid and going to remain the first question we hear until the service is demystified in terms of what it costs.  People who have never used staging or interior design services for instance, are often intimidated by their perception that these are luxury services for the affluent, and make the assumption that these services are beyond their means.  

The last thing this family needs to hear is how they are going to be further disadvantaged because they are afraid they can't afford staging.  I think they need the reassurance that it can be as accessible to them as a consultation fee that will give them a clear plan that they can implement themselves if possible  It helps to have an LA who will consider sharing the cost of that initial consultation.  Once they know more about the cost/benefits they can proceed to invest further with a better idea of what's in it for them. 

We need to widen public awareness that staging is an effective marketing tool from an investment and profit making point of view, and not some costly and elitist way to make the property look like something it is not.  

To get there I think we need comfort in discussing prices and cost/benefits with homeowners and realtors, and be ready to talk about how services impact sales profitability.  After a few years of this there will be a general public awareness of the cost benefits of staging as there is now in the industry of renovation.  People have better and better advance understanding of the ballpark cost of their project before they call a contractor for instance. 

Smart consumers always compare value to cost.  As frustrating for us as it is to always feel as if we are forced to compete on cost, it is one of the standards on which the one who is paying for our services will base the decision whether or not to hire us, and therefore promote our entire industry. 

I do agree that the homeowner needs a better understanding of how not staging can create a negative impression in the mind of the buyer.  I just think the cost question is valid too. 

 

You and I know the cost of NOT staging however when a potential client asks how much it will cost them, as Debbi says, it is a valid question.

When I get a call from someone trying to sell me something and they go on about what I will be missing out on or what I will be getting...but stalling on giving me a price...I hang up. Most people don't want a hard sale.

If they are contacting you they have some understanding of the value to staging...as Deb says above, 'The last thing this family needs to hear is how they are going to be further disadvantaged'.

If a client has a question...supply the answer.

thanks dane caldwell... i like your point..,,>>>>smiles

ive had staging reps in our keller williams office and that was our main concern maybe an hourly rate or something.. i think that you are hearing directly from realtors concerns about this issue,, AND its a valid concern,, 

Great answer! I have a hard time when the first question is what will it cost and I have not even seen the house. That is a question that is not easily answered sight unseen but the value it can add is priceless.

Phyllis Pafumi 

If I had a dollar for the number of times I've been asked that question I'd have beachfront property in Maui!

Well now, y'all are just dodging the question.

Hourly rates for home stagers vary, but generally it's $50 to $150 an hour. Home stagings bids are generally created after the following expenses have been determined:

1. Inventory (usually a percentage of the replacement value 20 -25% is customary).
2. Transportation (not only delivery, but pick up)
3. Actual staging time

Of course a $100K condo and a $1M dollar beachfront property are going to have different qualities of furnishings and accessories. Different markets also have different profit margins for our clients.  Currently Houston sellers have difficulty in justifying home staging because of the slim profit margins (although as in any market, we do have our 'hot' neighborhoods).  While I generally do secure close-to-list selling prices, I am more effective in reducing market time.

Economics determine the price of a consultation. I personally charge $135 (flat fee) for a complete walk-through.  However, there are only so many hours in a week, and as my business grows I will utilize higher pricing to reduce the volume of clients.  The purpose is not so much to line my wallet, but to continue providing excellent service to each and every client that secures my services. Other, more experienced Home Stagers in the Houston staging community ask for, and deserve the $200 to $300 fees that they secure, because they have proven themselves, and delivered results to their clientele.

Unfortunately home staging is not like McDonalds.  We don't have a 'prix fixe' because no two situations are similar.  Professional home stagers don't drive up to a million dollar home, and double their fees (surprise!).  A job is a job, but a $1000 staging job is great for a condo, it is a detriment to an upscale listing.

Thom Scanlon ASP/IAHSP/RESA

Houston Home Staging

WOW Amie! Thank you, thank you! Now I know EXACTLY what to say when asked "How much does staging cost?" Fantastic! (I got what you were saying, LOL!) ~Leslie