Frequently
asked questions |
How much will it cost to stage my home?
Home staging can range from a few hundred dollars for an initial consultation
to a few thousand dollars to furnish an entire home. Key factors include:
•the size of your home and it’s current condition
•the amount
of work you are willing to do yourself
•the amount of furnishings that you own
that can be used in the staging process
A home stager working with a furnished home will be able to keep your costs down by working primarily with what you
already own.
Keep in mind that the cost
to stage your home is an investment and that the return on your investment will pay off when the home is sold.
Should I stage my home before I meet with a real estate agent?
While not required, this is certainly the
best scenario. Showing your staged home to a real estate agent will allow them to see your home in its best light and
help him or her make the best pricing recommendation. The real
estate market is strong - why should a home be staged?
Yes, in a hot market just
about every house or apartment will sell, but the question is when and at what price. Even if it did sell quickly and at a
good price, it doesn't mean it was sold at the higest possible price.
The real estate market is soft - who would want to spend money in a down market?
The softer the market, the more you must differentiate the property from others crowding the market. Wouldn't
it be great to get a bidding war going because your property looks so much better than everyone else's?
Remember,
staging is an investment not an expense. It can increase profit in two ways - by increasing value and by reducing expenses
(mortgage, taxes, utilities) by decreasing the time the home is on the market.
My home is already on the market? Is it too late to have it staged?
No, it is never too late. Yes, you may have missed valuable opportunities
to sell your home because it wasn’t properly prepared to sell; however, you may have gained valuable information from
prospective buyers that will give you an idea as to why it isn’t selling. If your home has been on the market
for some time, it might even make sense to take it off the market, have it staged and then put it back on the market as a
new listing.
Will having my home
staged change the list price of my home?
Maybe,
depending on the magnitude of the changes you have made since your home was priced. If a real estate agent assessed
and priced your home prior to it being properly staged, the agent should see the house again to reevaluate your home.
