1. Does Staging Really Work?
If done correctly, staging really does work. There have been lots of studies done to back up this claim. You can read about some of them on Did You know? Home Staging Facts and Statistics. When looking at whether any idea or process is working, look at what’s happening in that particular field.
If you look around, you’ll see the field of home staging is growing in leaps and bounds. More people are becoming stagers. More sellers are hiring stagers. Agents are recommending staging or including it in their services. There are a growing number of articles, books, and blogs on staging. More are coming out every day. If staging were not successful, this field would not be growing like it is.
2. Why Does Staging Work?
Staging is completed to show the home in its best light. It’s just like detailing a car before you sell it. Staging makes your home look more expensive.
- It suggests to buyers that you take excellent care of your home.
- Only 10% of us can envision the potential of home, so the rest won’t be able to see what it could look like if it was cleaned and de-cluttered.
- Buyers want to do as little work as possible when buying a home. If they see a home that looks like it needs any type of work, all they see is money, effort, and time spent getting the home the way they want it.
- By doing the work for buyers, they feel they can just move right in and relax and enjoy their new home.
- Many buyers assume if you can’t bother making your home look good while selling it, then perhaps you’ve neglected routine maintenance or repairs. This sends up a red flag.
- When you show buyers how to use each space, buyers are able to envision themselves just moving right in. They don’t wonder which rooms work best for different purposes. When they have to think about how to use each room, they wonder whether there really are enough rooms in the home. They second guess -- something you don't want.
- Finally, it justifies the price you’re asking and doesn’t give them any areas where they can suggest taking money off the price because everything will be in excellent condition.
3. How Does Staging Affect My Home's Listing and Selling Price?
Staging enables you to list your home for more than you could if the home weren’t staged. You can list it for what it’s truly worth, rather than listing it for more than it’s worth if all the staging were done and just assuming you’ll allow deductions for the needed repairs or imperfections buyers notice.
Most staged homes sell for the listing price or very close to it, and sometimes even more. This can happen if there’s a bidding war or a seller wants to make sure they come in with the highest offer so they come in high just in case other offers come in.
4. Why Can't Stagers Guarantee Results?
Selling a home involves so many factors. Staging is one component, but if the other components are not in place, no amount of staging will help. Here are just a few other factors that come into play.
First, your "a href+"http://homebuying.D106/od/realestateagent1/qt/AboutREAgents.htm">agent plays a huge role. Is he/she doing his/her job? Is the home being advertised, listed in MLS? Is the agent responding in a timely manner to inquiries about the home? The sellers play a role too. Are they following through with keeping the home in its staged condition? Are they making it easy for people to see the home? Are the sellers insisting on a listing price that is not reasonable? These are just a few of the many factors that the stager has no control over and is why stagers can’t offer guarantees.
5. What Does the Overall Process Look Like? How Does it Work?
All stagers have their own routines, although I’m sure most look like mine. First, the stager will come over and do a consultation, in which he/she will explain the process to you to see if it’s something that fits your needs.
Next, they will do a thorough observation and evaluation of your home. I work on a 7-step staging plan and evaluation is the first step. The stager will take measurements to draw rough floor plans and make note of large pieces. They will also take lots of pictures of all the rooms and spaces, and from different angles.
Next, the stager will go back to the office and prepare a detailed, extensive report that includes: the home’s positive features and negative features; a suggested floor plan; suggestions and ideas; tips and tricks; resources; as well as a thorough outline of the steps to take and how to complete each step. They will usually come back and go over the report with you and walk through the home with the plan.
If you need more help, most stagers will offer a package that includes coming back to help with the implementation of the staging plan they developed for you. This is usually charged by the hour, ½ day, or full day.
6. How Do I Know if I Need to Stage or Not?
I recommend all homes should be staged: residential, new construction, condos, townhouses, vacant homes, and rental apartments or homes. I also suggest staging regardless of market conditions. In other words, I believe everyone and every home can benefit from staging. Some may need more staging than others, but all homes should be staged.
7. When Should I Start Staging or Hire a Stager?
Staging should be the first thing you do when you’ve decided to sell your home. Yes, you should do this even before you invite potential agents to your home.
8. How Do I Know if a Stager is Qualified?
I will go over this in full detail in my article, Do Stagers Need to be Certified or Licensed? But I will mention a few things here. Most importantly, there is no requirements for becoming a stager -– no coursework, tests, exams, or applications. Anyone can become a home stager, just as anyone can become a decorator. However, an interior designer and a real estate agent need to be certified by the state.
This is why it’s important to interview more than one stager, look at their experience and other credentials, see if they took any classes or coursework, ask stagers for references and call them, and trust your instincts.
These questions just scratch the surface of what I am asked. For more FAQs, visit Round 2 of Frequently Asked Questions, a blog post that continues this conversation.