There is a significant difference between decorating and staging a home; when you are selling, you don’t want to hire a decorator before putting your property on the market. This is because a decorator’s work centers around “stuff” or decorations in the home, often distracting to buyers. On the other hand, professional home stagers are minimalists. They ensure that potential buyers focus on the house rather than your stuff.
What is the difference between decorations and professional home staging?
Staging a home is about creating an ideal ambiance for buyers. Professional stagers “allow people to be able to picture their own stuff in the house,” rather than be overwhelmed with distracting knick-knacks. On the other hand, an interior designer may include too much clutter for the buyer to appreciate the home for what it’s worth. If you are selling a home, remember that people are buying the property, not the stuff currently inside the property.
Hiring a professional home stager is an investment that can increase your property’s selling price and limit its time on the market. In essence, it’s a cost-effective way to make a quick sale and get your staging investment back. A study conducted by the National Association of Realtors’ in 2017 reported that 58% of sellers’ agents stated staging increased the sale price from 1% to 20%. Additionally, the Real Estate Staging Association found that 90% of staged homes spend less time on the market than their unstaged counterparts.
Hiring a professional can cost anywhere from $1,000 to $8,600, with large homes being on the higher end of the price range. Additionally, if you rent furniture, you can be charged an additional $500-600 per room, per month, with a commitment of 2-3 months. However, don’t let the price tag deter you from staging because, most of the time, your return on investment is significant. Many realtors also offer complimentary staging services when you use their agency. These realtors are either certified or will pay out of pocket for the service as they believe in the difference that professional staging has on a property’s closing price.
A home stager prepares a home to be put on the market. Staging aims to make the property appealing while allowing potential buyers to imagine putting their personal touch on the house. Most people have way too much clutter in their homes, which is distracting to buyers. A stager will guide you in placing any unnecessary items into storage before your home is shown. The last thing you want is for buyers to be distracted by too many collectibles and not see the home for its actual value.
Home stagers prepare your home to be placed on the market by:
If done correctly, staging significantly reduces the time it takes for your property to sell. Almost all agents will advise you to stage your home; this limits the days on the market and makes the seller more money. An unstaged home can sit on the market for months, while a staged home may get an offer within a couple of days, further proving that taking this extra step is significantly beneficial.
Stagers have a keen eye for what buyers need to see; they help the buyers to be able to appreciate the home for what it is and its potential. They ensure that the property is not overloaded with decorations, clutter, and knick-knacks that will take away from its appeal. Therefore, even though you are selling your home, hiring someone to set it up to appeal to buyers will ensure that it sells quickly at a potentially higher price.
Even though family photos are sentimental to the seller, too many photos will make a buyer feel that they’ve intruded upon your personal space. An entire wall of family photos may be too much. However a few here and there add personality to the home. This allows the buyer to envision their own family residing in it. When you hire a stager, they will help you determine which photos to keep out and which ones to put away. They may even suggest you replace some of the photos with simple decorations such as abstract art.
When you hire Turning Point Realty and a professional stager, you can ensure we will sell your home quickly for its value or more. Our services paired with a staging plan will guarantee that your home is set up to appeal to buyers rather than have them distracted by clutter and decorations.