What is “Home Staging” and How Does it Help Sell My
House?
by
Lori Matzke
“Home staging” is not a new term, but for many
homeowners and real estate agents the concept of
“professional home staging” is shedding new light on
how to promote a home in the real estate
marketplace. In past years, homeowners were left to
their own discretion as far as preparing for home
showings. Though they could occasionally rely on an
agent for instructions, more often than not real
estate agents were just as perplexed at working out
the details as the homeowner.
While agents are experts in the field of selling and
closing, many are not design savvy. Agents
usually know exactly what factors can help sell a
home. It’s just not always easy to get a home into
selling condition in a timely manner without some
sort of experienced assistance.
Professional home stagers are practiced in the art
of preparing a home for resale. They work with the
“flow” of a home, eliminate clutter, edit and
arrange furniture, and even assist in enhancing
curb-appeal. With the aid of a professional home
stager, your house can make a notable first
impression on potential homebuyers.
First Impressions
As the real estate industry often stresses, the
first impression is the key factor in selling your
home. Typically,” says Jan Van Horne of Coldwell
Banker Burnet Realty in Eden Prairie, Minnesota, “a
potential buyer has made up their mind ten seconds
after they step in the front door. They were
already forming an opinion as they pulled into your
driveway!” That really doesn’t leave too much room
for fault.
“To achieve the greatest possible outcome,” Jan
adds, “a home should always be presented at its best
the first time around.”
Finding a Professional
You find and select a professional home stager much
like you would find any other professional service.
Ask around and get referrals. Check with your real
estate agent. A number of larger real estate
companies offer access to a listing of professional
home services in your area. These individuals and
companies have often already been pre-screened by
the real estate agencies or their agents.
How Much Does it Cost?
When you contact a home stager, ask for an estimate.
Most home staging businesses will be happy to give
you a free estimate and it is usually a quick
process. Keep in mind that this is only an estimate
and estimates can be a bit off. However, unless
something unforeseen takes place between the
estimate and the actual job itself, an estimate
should be fairly accurate.
Get several free estimates and make some
calculations. Just like any service, pricing in the
home staging industry can vary over a wide range.
Some charge an hourly rate and some will charge
you a set fee for the entire job. Be sure to ask how
they determine their fee so that you can make an
educated decision. Also, factor in the condition of
your home, the average amount of time homes have
been on the market in your area, and the asking
price of your home.
Asking price can play a huge factor in what a
homeowner should be willing to pay for staging
services. Some professional home stagers bring in
rented furnishings, driving the price up
considerably. Some simply charge too much to make it
pay off. A lot of home stagers seem to forget that
their clients are planning on moving out of the
house very soon. Most home sellers are not willing
to invest a huge amount of cash in a house they are
planning on leaving behind.
Find out up front what the stager is planning to
bring in and at what cost. Though expert services do
come at a price, the cost should balance with the
expected benefit of a higher selling price. As a
rule, the higher the asking price of the home, the
more one can spend to have it professionally staged.
Agent Participation
In some instances, it makes sense for a real estate
agent to contribute to the cost of professionally
staging a home. “As a real estate agent,” says Tony
Cirelli, a Minnesota Re/Max agent from Apple Valley,
“I have to look at profit margins. I analyze current
market trends and what will be spent on advertising
before dropping any cash into staging.”
Pat Cirelli, Tony’s wife and partner, agrees. “For
the most part, an agent should be able to determine
if a home is in need of this type of service, and if
it would be of benefit or not. If you know it would
be in the homeowner’s best interest and if you know
that something will need to be done before the home
is listed, it might be wise to set aside an amount
of your marketing budget for staging. If it’s a
reasonable fee, it is usually a worthwhile
investment. It could certainly make all the
difference in your showing.”
