Staging your home before sale has the potential to make it sell faster and for more money, but until that money is in your pocket its sometimes a daunting task. On top of all the other stresses associated with selling, finding the money to stage a home can seem like an insurmountable obstacle, especially given the ideas most people have about what staging entails. But home staging can be affordable for anyone on any budget and it’s a vital part of marketing your house for sale.
To start, I’d like to dispel a myth about what staging MUST entail. There are a variety of different ways to approach staging and there is no one-size-fits-all approach. Many times when I discuss staging with potential clients they are under the impression that they must move all of their belongings and furniture out of the house and rent furniture to fill it back up. While that is one option, usually your own furniture and décor can be used if it is curated. Often simply cleaning, and starting to pack some of your furniture and any clothing, storage items, books, etc. that you don’t need everyday provides enough room to rearrange furniture and showcase your beautiful home. On the off chance that your furniture isn’t quite right for the space, borrowing furniture from family and friends is a great low-cost option.
But how do you even know where to start? That is where a staging professional comes in. One of the things that I and many other stagers offer is a Staging Consultation. Everyone does these a little differently, so for the sake of clarity I’ll just explain how I work. When someone schedules a consultation with me I ask them to set aside two hours so that we can take a comprehensive look at the home. After meeting with them briefly to discuss their feelings about the selling process and go over any questions or concerns they may have about staging, I begin my assessment. Starting from the curb, I walk through the house and all the way into the backyard, as a buyer would, noting anything that may give a negative impression of the home. If possible, I’ll discuss my findings with the homeowner that day and give them a brief summary of my notes. Within 48 hours I will deliver a staging report to them based on the notes I made discussing my suggestions for how to best showcase their home. They can do the work themselves to save money and still end up with a well prepared home in time for an open house.
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Current buyers expect a move-in ready home and if they don’t find that in your property, they may start asking for discounts. The money you spend on staging will end up being negligible when you get a full price offer (or higher) because you took the time to get your home prepared before putting it on the market. Your home is your most important (and valuable) asset, so make sure you market it for all it’s worth.
