Why should I use home staging?

Staging costs far less than the average list price reduction.

The most common statements that I hear from home owners about home staging is "I'm not paying to change something I'm selling" or "The next owner can fix that".

Fifteen years ago, when a 1200 square foot house was selling for $100,000 those statements may have made more sense but nowadays when that same home (15 years older) is selling for $300,000, buyers do not want to spend any time or money 'fixing' things; they just want to move in.

This means that they are going to ask for a few thousand dollars off the listing price to pay someone to strip out and replace that old grungy grey carpet or you can invest a few hundred dollars to get them steam cleaned; in fact, the clean fresh beige carpet may make the house look so good that you could actually increase the listing price by a few thousand dollars.

So lets do the math (this is presented as an example):

You invest no time or money into staging your property and after being on the market for 3 months you settle on a $290,000 offer, down from your original $300,000 asking price.

Or You invest a few days and $1000 to have a home staging consultation/session, apply the recommendations provided by your home stager and have all the carpets steam-cleaned by a professional. Your real estate agent decides to list the property at $310,000 and has no problem getting you the full asking price within 3 weeks of listing.

That means for the $1000 you spent, you've made $20,000. That's a 1900% return on your investment.

The goal of staging a property is to help you sell your home faster and for top dollar.

Home staging in a Hot Market

While it is true that in a hot or sellers market (i.e. 1 home to 10 buyers) it seems like all you have to do is place a 'for sale' sign on the lawn and the house will sell. However, we've all driven by that one property that has been on the market for 3 or more months.

Home staging will help you get multiple buyers interested and we all know that a bidding war is always a good thing when it comes to selling homes.

Home staging in a Cool Market

In a cool or buyers market (i.e. 10 homes to 1 buyer) it is much more difficult to sell your property. Anything you can do get a competitive edge over similar houses for sale in the area will make the job easier for your real estate agent and get the property sold faster.

Home staging will ensure that your property stands out from the numerous homes that the buyer has looked at, giving your listing the advantage.

What Staged Productions can do for you

Staged Productions will present you with the "buyer's eye"

Buyers can be very critical; picking out things that you have become very comfortable with. It's your home, you don't see the chipped paint or lack of lighting in the living room.

We will tactfully address issues you may not see.

Staged Productions will free up your time.

Where do I start? Cleaning, de-cluttering, painting? What about new floors?

We will spend the time to create a detailed list of everything that should be done and then prioritize it with you; keeping in mind your budget and timeframe.

Staged Productions will reduce your stress.

We take over the worry of preparing a home for your photography and open houses; all you have to do is let your real estate agent in and everything else will be in place.

Home staging by Staged Productions will get your property sold more quickly and at higher prices

What Staged Productions does NOT do

Staged Productions does NOT advertise with signs on your property or brochures laid out during an open house.

One of the main steps in home staging is de-cluttering so we definitely believe that the one lawn sign by your real estate agent is more than enough.

We truly believe that you, the home owner, and your Realtor^® will be our best advertising.

How much does Home staging cost?

Home staging will cost less than the first list price reduction that a non-staged home usually goes thru.

Generally, the cost can range from a few hundred dollars, for an initial consultation and detailed plan, to thousands of dollars, for furnishing an entire home. It completely depends on:

the square footage and state of repair of the home

how much of the work you are willing to do yourself

the price point of the home

For example, it costs more to furnish a 1.3 million dollar home than a $300,000 home, because of the square footage and the quality of furnishings that would be required to fit the home's target market.

Staged Productions charges a flat fee for the initial consultation; which includes a detailed review of every room in the house, prioritization of the actions required and examples of the vision that we see for your home. We also have an hourly rate that is charged for all additional time that you want to invest with us; Open House preparation, de-cluttering, re-arranging furniture, etc. Click here to request more details.

A small investment in home staging with Staged Productions can have considerable financial return.

Links to a few media articles on Home Staging:

chatelaine - Smart Guide: fluff your house for resale

Canadian Business Online - Winning the real estate war: 10 tips from home stagers

Globe and Mail - Gnome-free zone

Home Staging - House Staging - What are the benefits?

OC Register - Retooling for a slow housing market

Property Sold - Home Staging Tips to Help Your Home Sell in a Slow

Royal LePage - Image is Everything: Creating a Positive First Impression is Key to Selling Your Home