How Professionals Can Help You Stage Your Home to Sell

Selling your home is a major transition point. You want to present it in the best way to maximize the number of potential offers. “Home Staging” refers to making a home as appealing as possible so potential buyers can clearly imagine living there. Professional Home Stagers help makes this process as easy as possible for you.  

What is a Professional Stager?

A Professional Stager is a business owner who has education in Home Staging and has a business established to serve Sellers, Realtors, Builders and Investors.  Some are identified as “Accredited Staging Professionals® which is an educational credential offered by Stagedhomes.com. Your real estate agent is hired to list and sell your house – and needs to focus their time on marketing your house to target buyers.  They are not a professional Stager and a savvy agent knows to partner with a trained expert in order to provide the best recommendations for you. The agent can provide references and suggestions for a stager if they don’t have one on their team. You can also ask friends and neighbors for recommendations if they’ve recently sold a home as well.

How Does it Work?

Staging is more than just cleaning or hiring a junk removal service. It actually improves the look of the home with subtle touches. A stager often provides their own supplies. They will hang art and sometimes even bring in new furniture. Common staging furniture and accessories include rugs, pillows, and lamps. You want the home to feel “lived-in” without seeming tired.  You might also need to give your rooms a different coat of paint. Neutral colors in particular are recommended. It can be hard for a buyer to see themselves in a home if the palette veers in an extreme direction. This is because the color choice has already been made for them.  A professional Stager will be able to recommend proper paint colors that are on trend and buyer-friendly, and some may even have great discounts with major paint companies to help you save money.

What are the Benefits?

Buyers see that your home is new and fresh. You have put the work in so they don’t worry about having to make these updates themselves. Staging a home could also bring in a higher return on investment. According to the National Association of REALTORS® Profile of Home Staging, this return could be as high as 6-20%. Hiring a professional stager takes the stress out of doing it yourself. Their network of painters, movers, and other handymen make selling a home easier. Stagers make recommendations and have a good eye for how to present a house in a way that is appealing to the broadest number of buyers.

Where to Go From Here

You should assess the condition of your home before you hire a stager. Vacant homes looks small and even old. A few key pieces show buyers exactly what will fit when they move in. Smaller homes should maximize existing space with nothing too elaborate. Needless to say you should also clean up any clutter that’s lying around. You can start packing now since you will be moving anyway. Don’t neglect drawers, either, since buyers will open them as well. Don’t be concerned if you feel like your personality is getting taken away. The process of Staging is depersonalizing so the next owner – the Buyer – can picture themselves in the house – and not be focused on you and your family.  You have a whole new house to look forward to decorating after the staging process is over and your house is sold.   Rachelle Wilber is a freelance writer living in the San Diego, California area. She graduated from San Diego State University with her Bachelor’s Degree in Journalism and Media Studies. She tries to find an interest in all topics and themes, which prompts her writing. When she isn’t on her porch writing in the sun, you can find her shopping, at the beach, or at the gym. Rachelle recommends finding junk removal locations for those staging their houses to sell. Follow her on Twitter and Facebook: @RachelleWilber; https://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=100009221637700