Staging Your Home-What’s the Best Option for You?

July 25th, 2013 | by: SM SOLD | Posted in : Real Estate Tips

For most sellers, staging a home can bring stress and images of upscale designs with huge price tags. It’s a misguided assumption that staging a home is unaffordable and unnecessary. The reality is, most sellers would benefit from at least some level of staging. It doesn’t have to involve a high-end designer or the removal of everything in your home. There are many ways to stage a home, no matter what level you can afford. The goal of staging your home is to make it a marketable product that buyers can envision themselves living in. A little work can go a long way; here are different levels of staging and easy things you can do to make your home that much easier to sell.

1. A One-Time Consultation

Most home stagers are actually designers. A designer can tell you what looks good and what doesn’t, what could use a paint job, and how to make the house appeal to everyone. Designers are not that expensive, you can find a designer anywhere from $75 to $200 an hour. Those couple hundred dollars would be best invested into selling your home because you’ll know exactly what to fix and replace before you spend the money on the wrong item.

2. Partial Staging

Hiring a partial stager is an excellent benefit. A stager or designer can transform small areas into bigger rooms, and even bring warmth to cold spaces. The stager can bring in a day bed to give the illusion of having an office or an additional bedroom for a versatile look. Just changing a few things around the house will have a significant effect on the way the house looks and feels to potential buyers.

3. Fluff Staging

If partial staging isn’t for you, fluff staging might be a better fit. Hire a designer to move around the furniture you currently own to make things look professional. You may have some great pieces hidden away in another room or simply have furniture placed in unfitting positions. A stager can move out pieces that are too big for a space and rearrange your home to give it the appeal it needs to mandate multiple bids.

4. Full Staging

If you need to move out before you sell your home, you will probably be taking your furniture with you. In this case, full staging is your best option. Buyers need to see furniture so that it is easy for them to imagine themselves living in your home. The less work they have to do, the more likely they are to place a bid on the home. An empty home also echoes, feels empty, and has a cold and sometimes sad feeling to it. These aren’t the impressions you want to leave on potential buyers.

5. Full Staging plus Renovation

If you are moving out of your home and have a few thousand dollars to invest in some renovations to the house, you can significantly increase the value of the home. Stagers usually work with contractors who don’t cost a fortune and can work quickly. It can make a big difference to do simple things like replacing old appliances with new ones or replacing cabinet doors.

When selling your home, it’s all about putting your best foot forward and presenting your home the best way possible. Any changes you make, big or small, will make a significant difference in marketing your home to potential buyers.