Home Staging

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By Elli Davis, July 14, 2011

Home After Staging by Real Estaging

Staging (For) The Perfect Home Sale

Take a moment to think about how people treat their wedding day. They want everything to look perfect. Even if their beloved partner is ready to make the committment, and everyone already thinks it will be a great union, they will still make the effort to prepare an immaculate event that looks beautiful and is unforgettable. Would you do the same when selling your house?

Just as there are wedding planners and catering professionals ready to help you on your wedding day, there are staging professionals who will help you set up your house in a way that highlights all its special features and makes it look its best. Every good impression you make upon your buyers can turn into a premium on the price they will be willing to pay. What’s more, if you manage to attract two or more buyers simultaneously, welcome to the sweet side of a bidding war!

Why Choose Staging?

Few sellers actually use the services of a home staging professional when preparing their home for sale. While home staging may not be a good investment for everyone, there are distinct benefits to having an unbiased expert assess and (re)arrange your home. If you have lived in your home for a few years, chances are that you have collected items which you love but which may inadvertently affect the likability of your home to visitors.

That dresser you inherited from your grandparents may have emotional value to you, but if it does not match the rest of your decor it may become a distraction to potential buyers. You may have grown accustomed to this wonderful piece of furniture that has been a part of your family history, and you may not consider it an issue. The same applies to the choice of complementary toss cushions on your sofa, or the choice of curtains accompanying the walls in your kitchen.

Home Before Staging by Real Estaging

What Can Stagers Do For You?

A home stager can be of great help in cases when you have the freedom to invest in this service and are willing to sacrifice parts of the environment to which you are accustomed in the hope of a greater return when your property sells. Home stagers are unbiased and can see your house just as a stranger does. A good stager will not only be able to tell you what is amiss, but will also readily offer remedies to the little things that detract from the beauty of your home. Sometimes there is no need for a big investment if you just move around some furniture and repaint a wall or two.

That said, if you or your family are not ready to have your living space rearranged by a stager, maybe you should pass. Nothing is worse than finding all the staging work undone by your spouse two days after the staging took place.

If you do decide to go for staging and hire an individual or a company to help, make sure that you communicate everything clearly from the start and that you set boundaries on the amount and the type of work required. Staging is a creative process, and the artist may sometimes get carried away. But the house is still yours and so is the money. So place a cap on the fee and ask about the range of services that you can buy for your buck. Consult with your real estate agent and let her or him assess the likelihood that your investment will pay off upon closing.

Have you ever used the services of a professional stager before? Please let us know about your experience in the comments.