Hiring a home stager can be a confusing process for many home owners. Some sellers are not sure exactly what to expect from a property staging company or how much they need to spend to maximize staging effectiveness without cutting into their profit margin. One thing is for sure: Just like anything else in the world, a little research and effort typically goes a long way. Simply hiring the first home stager who presents themselves can turn out to be a real waste of time and resources.
This resource section provides discussions that are focused on helping clients to understand the different types of staging services that are available and then making the best choice for their own specific needs.
Finding and Hiring a Home Stager
Finding a home stager is easy. There are staging businesses set up virtually all over the world and these services are really catching on in the US. You can look in the phone book, online or ask a real estate professional for a referral. Of course, a real estate agent will be more than happy to oblige, since staging helps make their job much easier and they are likely to get a tidy little commission for any work that they refer out to a staging colleague.
Many home staging services run informational websites, like this one, to promote their services. You should be able to get a pretty good feel for what to expect from any particular stager, by enjoying their internet presence. If their writing does not do much to spark your interest, then their staging probably won’t either.
Remember, you can hire a full service stager or a home staging consultant. The decision really depends on how much work you want to do yourself.
Choosing the Right Home Stager
I always recommend finding a stager who best embraces and represents your plans for selling your home, not someone who tries to convince you to get on board with their own plan. For instance, many home sellers simply want to spruce up their home with some inexpensive tips and techniques which can make a real difference in the overall presentation on their property to potential buyers. They do not want to clear out their home and bring in some foreign décor and furniture which is out of their taste and budget.
Other home owners have pets and/or small children, which makes professional home staging a real hassle, since most home fluffers are designing with an eye for the buyer, without considering the very real needs of the residing family. In essence, there often needs to be a compromise between staging a home and living in it until the sale is complete.
Read more about choosing the best enhancement specialist when home staging luxury properties.
Hiring a Home Stager Considerations
I think most professional stagers certainly have the talent and drive to help virtually any homeowner to market their property effectively. However, their style, fees and lack of compromise are certainly not a good fit for many families. These stagers are best left to decorate unoccupied homes, homes with only flexible adult occupants (no children or pets) and homes which are at the highest end of the price spectrum. For everyone else, accounting for over 85% of total home sales, you need to find effective solutions to get the most value out of your house, without making it into a museum or a logistical nightmare in the process.
Take time to interview a stager to make sure they can provide you with service which meets your needs. If they fall short, then you are paying them for nothing. If they go overboard in what they want to do to your home, then you may be paying far more than you need to spend and might have trouble recouping the cost after the sale.
A good universal solution is to hire a home staging expert who will listen, remain objective in their goal to improve your home’s appeal and find solutions which will work for you. Read more about protecting yourself with a home staging contract.
