Why should I hire a home Stager?
Updated: Feb 1
If you like spending money on additional mortgage payments, utilities, and the stress of having your home on the market, then this article is not for you! If you like saving money and spending less time on the market, read on, my friend!
A 2021 survey by The National Association of Realtors found that 82% of buyers agents said that staging a home made it easier for buyuers to visualize the property as a future home. Regardless of whether the furniture is your own, or you rent from a staging company, staging certainly makes an impact on potential buyers.
Let's first discuss the 2 different types of home staging, followed by the two types of home staging that I do not recommend:
VACANT STAGING
This option is for folks who are moving entirely out of the home before the listing goes on the market. Some people need to move immediately for a job, etc, so leaving their furniture for staging is not an option. A vacant stager will assess the main areas of your home, take measurements and provide all of the perfect furniture and accessories to make your home appealing to potential buyers. The stager handles everything from furniture selection, delivery, and pickup after your home sells. There are upfront and monthly costs and depending on demand and market, there is typically a 30 day minimum with subsequent months being less expensive than the first 30 days.
Homecraft Staging no longer provides vacant staging services, but is happy to make referrals
OCCUPIED STAGING
A MUST for anyone still living in the home until it sells, or has the ability to leave furniture in the home for listing purposes. A professional home stager will come out to your home and tell you what furniture and items need to be removed for staging & how to strategically place the remaining pieces for ultimate appeal. Remember, it's hard for homeowners to be subjective about their own homes, so having a professional stager come in can give you a whole new perspective on your belongings and how to use them.
Suggestions for upgrades and repairs are also given. Do you need to replace your builder-grade light fixtures? What about those shiny gold door knobs? Do you need a professional window cleaning? Do all your doors close properly? Do all of your lightbulbs work? How about that pet smell - do we need to address that?
This is where HomeCraft Staging shines - we are the experts at doling out tips, tricks and feedback that will help your listing stand out amongst the competition.
An occupied home stager can not only make suggestions for you during your Home Staging Consultation, but they can also do the work for you. Yes, you heard that right - they can
DO IT FOR YOU
- well, more like help you do it! At HomeCraft Staging, we work side-by-side with our clients to stage their homes. We move furniture (sectionals, dressers, mirrors, beds)*, rehang artwork, and strategically place accessories. We make huge changes in a few short hours.
And lastly, you never lose money with occupied home staging. The cost for your consultation is ALWAYS worth the return on your investnment (ROI). You literally have nothing to lose, except your first impression.
Lastly, the two types of staging that I do not recommend:
HYBRID STAGING:
I don't really include this as an option, because it goes against my professional judgment. A hybrid stage is typically an occupied home but they might need accessories, bedding, or artwork. *Steps on soapbox* For one, I don't think it is sanitary to rent out pillows, bedding or soft linens to a home where people are living, especially if there are children or pets present. I was also an RN for 11 years, so I am admittedly a bit of a germaphobe. I couldn't, in good confidence, rent those same items to another home owner. Secondly, this isn't profitable for the stager: he/she has to store these items, deliver them and actually place them in the home, wait for home to go under contract, then pick the items up from the home, and then sanitize them, then take them back to storage/inventory. By the time I charge you for my time & for the item rental, you could just invest the $ in something you will like in your new home and use it for staging. I am incredibly thrifty and creative and am constantly giving my clients budget-friendly options. Hello, Amazon!
Exceptions?
I do have some very savvy realtors who have their own small inventory of items and will deliver them to the home, let me use & strategically place them for staging, and then immediately pick them up after the MLS photos have been taken - this works for everyone and can give a home the extra visual boost it needs to stand out online.
VIGNETTE STAGING:
A random piece of furniture placed in an otherwise empty room. Ex: A chair in the corner of a living room or primary suite. Maybe there's a plant next to it. This just looks tacky and is never acceptable. Stage the room as it's intended purpose or don't put anything in there at all. This is cheesy and confusing for potential buyers.
Thanks for stopping by! Find us on Instragram @HomeCraftStaging for more
*Homecraft Staging is an insured comapny. We have limitations on what we can move/lift with assistance from homeowner/realtor/hired third party with signed permission from homeowner.