What It Costs
Hiring a home staging professional can be an investment. Just keep in mind that what you put into the process should come back to you when you sell your home, so you are not throwing away money blindly but are getting a worthwhile return on this endeavour.
What you spend will depend on how much help you need and what kind of changes you plan to make your home look great. On the low end of the spectrum, you may want to hire a home stager just to walk through your home and make some general suggestions you can then implement on your own. This most basic service can cost anywhere from $100 on up to about $300 and can be a great way to strategically help a home already in good shape.
If you need more help than this, you can pay a stager to redecorate one or more rooms for you. Sometimes this will involve buying new accessories and furniture or renting some items to use. (Some well-established home stagers may even have key pieces they can lend to you.)
The price for this more-in depth staging varies a great deal depending on whom you use and what you need. You can expect to pay anywhere up to about $2,500 to $3,000 for some thorough staging for your property. Just keep in mind that the size of the house will also affect the bottom line, as will the price range in which your home falls. (Less expensive homes can have less expensive furniture while multi-million dollar homes need the highest quality furniture.) If you have a vacant home and need a stager to make it looked lived in, you can expect to pay up to $1,000 each month or even more for furniture and accessories to fill your space. In addition, some stages charge by the hour (starting at $50 to $100 an hour), while other stagers will be willing to work on a set project fee. Find out about front how your stager will charge you. If you have a set budget to spend, many stagers will be willing to work within your constraints.
So you can spend anywhere from $100 for some basic recommendations on up to $3,000 or more for more in-depth help with staging your home to show it to its full advantage.
A Less Expensive Option
You may be sold on the importance of staging your home and the value it brings, but if money is tight, you may not be able to make this work within your finances. This doesn’t mean you can’t still you’re your home in its best light, though. Many real estate agents can offer staging advice and help and they don’t charge for this service if you list your home with them. In fact, staging your home can help them get a faster sale and at a higher price, so they will come out ahead in their commission check. This can be a win-win scenario for both of you, then.
A Final Note
One goal of staging your home is to give it a warm and welcoming feel. An easy – and inexpensive – tip to help you accomplish this mission is by baking fresh cookies when perspective buyers come to visit. The smell of the food will add an appealing edge and leaving a delicious treat for people to sample just may tempt them to stay a bit longer and see all your home has to offer for them.
