subject: Staging A Home To Sell: Is It Really Necessary? [print this page] If you're preparing your home to sell in a competitive market, youve probably heard from your realtor hundreds of times that staging is everything. Staging can be used to set the scene in a home to make it "show ready." The thought is that proper staging can impress a potential buyer and make them more likely to purchase a property.
But how beneficial is staging when selling real estate, and do you need to put forth the effort to make a sale on your home?
The Benefits of Staging a Home
Across-the-board, professional realtors agree that staging a home is the only way to present it in the best light possible. Many real estate agents will work with their clients to go the extra mile by updating furniture, decor, and color choices to make a home appear current and fresh so that its immediately snatched up off the market.
At its very core, staging is used to create a "buzz", which can give a home that certain something that will make a buyer remember it above other properties. Depending upon the state of the real estate market in your area, proper staging may be what sets you apart from other sellers so that your home is purchased even more quickly.
While staging is optional when selling a home, many realtors agree that it shouldn't be. Selling a home is a significant financial transaction that requires a buyer to take presentation seriously to keep a home on the market for as little time as possible.
Plus, when you compare the time and effort put into staging to renovating or repairing a home, staging wins in cost versus value hands-down. While staging may require you to update furniture, clean your home thoroughly, and put away family knickknacks, its much less expensive compared to renovating your home, repainting walls, or updating fixtures in a bathroom.
How to Stage a Home: Professional Staging versus DIY
Clearly, home staging is a complicated matter that is taken seriously in the real estate industry. Many realtors will provide their clients with the option to stage their home themselves or hire a professional to do the job for them.
Yes, there is such thing as a professional home stager. The profession has been in existence for over 30 years and is often used by real estate clients to powerfully market a property by increasing its initial appeal.
How much does working with a home stager cost exactly? Costs can vary depending upon area and expertise, starting as low as $150 for a consultation up to $6000 for a complete project. Many stagers will charge by the hour, while other home stagers will charge clients a flat fee per project.
If the cost of hiring a home stager doesn't fit within your housing budget, you may have to roll up your sleeves and do it yourself. Most real estate agents can provide clients with specific guidance on the best way to stage a room to help it appear warm, open, and inviting; as an added bonus, staging a home can play up its best features to make small spaces appear even larger!
