How much does it cost to have a house staged?
It helps to think of Home Staging as an investment in getting a house sold. The price of Home Staging is always less than a price reduction. In a market like we are experiencing now, a price reduction has to be pretty drastic to make an impact, usually starting at $10,000. The investment of Home Staging a home is anywhere from about ½% to 1% of your asking price and certainly less than a $10,000 price reduction.
Can’t buyers use their imaginations and look past my décor or repairs needed?
Only 10% of buyers can see past the homeowner’s personal belongings and taste. If they are able to see past any repairs or changes that are needed, they will make a much lower offer than it would have cost the seller to go ahead and make the changes before hand. Selling a house “as is” only sends them to the competition down the street.
Isn’t Home Staging the same thing as Decorating?
Although similar in concept, decorating and Home Staging are used for two different reasons. Decorating is about personalizing a space to the owners taste and interest. Home Staging is about de-personalizing a space to make it appeal to a larger pool of buyers. I like to call it “un-decorating”. The way that a home is decorated for “living” and the way that it should be staged to sell are totally different.
Can’t I just do this myself?
Most homeowners don’t understand what a potential buyer is looking for when they are looking for a home. As a professional home staging consultant, I help the seller disassociate themselves from their home and see it as marketing a commodity instead of the home where they have built memories. This is something that many sellers don’t know how to do because it is so difficult for them to be objective about marketing their home.
I have already made re-pairs and repainted, updated flooring, isn’t that enough?
These improvements are a great start and necessary for preparing a home to sell, however, as an experienced professional, my team and I will go the extra distance to create the correct look and most especially the correct “feeling” that is required in this industry to make the house “reach out an grab” a potential buyer from the internet photos and bring them all the way through the front door.
Who hires you? The real estate agent or seller?
It could be either party. I work with home sellers and real estate agents that are serious about getting their properties and listings sold.
Example:
Home Sellers:
You NEED to sell your property, you want to achieve a quick sale, move onto your new place and reduce the stress of having a house on the market. You want to SELL your house, not LIST it. You want amazing online photos for a buyer to see and plenty of them. You don’t want your house eliminated before it can ever be considered by a buyer. You know that there are improvements or changes that can be made, but you want to get the best return on your investment and seek that advice.
Real Estate Agents:
You understand that the way real estate is sold has changed and you are eager to keep up with the times. You are ready to be a TOP PRODUCER and offer your sellers more in the way of service than your competitors. You understand buyers and what they expect. Buyers today are savvy, busy, they shop around and compare to get the best deals. They want more for their money and are willing to wait for good value. You know that they research online before contacting an agent and that having GREAT online photos is key to driving buyer traffic to your listings. You know that the days of “we know work needs to be done on the house, but we’ll just give them credit for it” are over. Buyers will pay more money for a move-in ready listing. You want other agents eager to show your listings. You know that every listing that is on the market is in a Price War and Beauty Contest.
In all cases, the one thing that my clients have in common is to achieve fast results and for the best price that they can get.
Nan Johnston
Southern Staging & Redesign
735 Pierce Chapel Rd, Newnan, GA 30263
(770) 251-0608
