I think I can stage my house myself. Why should I use a home stager?
Staging is not rocket science and there are in fact many things that you can do on your own to prepare your home for sale. BUT - first answer these questions. Do you have the extra time needed to invest in the extra work that will get your house ready to show? Are you armed with a current list of trades people who can do the work that you can't? Do you want to take the chance that you may miss either the big picture or the details of how your house will be seen by potential buyers? If you answered "No" to any of these questions - calling in a professional home stager may provide you the peace of mind, network of skilled professionals and attention to detail that both you and your potential homebuyers will appreciate. And MOST importantly, a home stager can provide "new eyes" on your home and see it more objectively than you can. A good home stager will properly assess how your house presents itself and notice details that have become invisible to you.
Doesn't it make sense to to try listing my house first and if it doesn't sell quickly, to then call a home stager?
If your home is relatively new and in mint condition, is tastefully furnished, painted and accessorized, if you get compliments on the decor and colors in your home; and if having your house sit on the market indefinitely is not a concern - then it may be worth trying to list without staging. BUT consider the following. The negligible cost of staging adds significant value to your home. You've heard it before - it's the FIRST IMPRESSION that counts. If you leave anything unfixed or undone, you're leaving open the opportunity for homebuyers to find small and large projects that they will have to fix themselves. They will either choose not to put in an offer OR will low-ball their offer. When your house sits on the market for any length of time- your first option is to then lower your asking price which will be in thousands of dollars increments. Without the benefit of presenting a staged, shining and show-ready home, you stand to lose a significant amount - which will always be more than the cost of staging.
How do I compare one home stager to another?
In doing my own research before establishing South Cove Interiors, I found many websites for home stagers that followed a cookie cutter format. It wasn't clear if the text or the pictures were their own or copied & pasted from some stock program. You should be able to tell that the site and the stager are real. Does the webpage include the stager's own words and pictures from rooms and homes are clearly those that the named stager actually transformed?
Call a home stager in your area. What is your initial impression? Would you be comfortable working with this person? Are they a good listener and picking up on important details you're sharing with them?
Ask what they can and will do for you, are they flexible to your needs and situation?
Putting your home up for sale is physically and emotionally draining. A good home stager will oversee the big tasks and small details so that you and your family get through this stressful time as easily and quickly as possible.
Put very simply - consider what (if anything) you have to lose and
what you stand to gain by having your home professionally staged and ready for
the scrutiny of potential homebuyers.
Don't lose the chance to make that positive first impression!
A townhouse in Niantic was in desperate need of my staging services. The homeowners had purchased another home
and started new jobs out of state. They were exhausted from the first phase of their move and did not have the time nor
energy to finish getting it ready. After staging - remaining items were boxed, and rooms were decluttered, smartly
arranged, clean and inviting - ready to show!
