How much does home staging cost?

Whenever someone asks me what I do, I have an incredible opportunity to not only answer their question, but also educate them on the value of home staging and redesign. Inevitably the conversation veers to some aspect of cost, and usually they have already made up their mind that home staging costs a lot of money. When I get the chance to talk through my process, they start to see how much time and money they can actually save by staging their home. We start by having an initial conversation, determining things like how much work they have already done and what their timeline for selling is. Then we can set up a time to walk through their home and determine what needs to be addressed. Often times the cost comes in the form of time. How much time will it take to declutter and clean their home? Do they need to address issues like paint or repairs to get their home in tip-top shape? If after all of those things are addressed, then we can talk about the cost of home staging. A lot of homeowners are willing to roll up their sleeves and put in the effort to get their home sold. However, there are still many that either don’t have the time, or the tasks are just too daunting for them to tackle. That’s where I can help. I can help them determine what things are the most important to address as well as provide input should items need to be rented or purchased. Each home is different, and therefore needs varying degrees of attention. Below is a list of 10 Quick Tips for Home Staging that will help your home sell faster and for more money. Or check out this video that walks you through the steps and provides some great examples of how to get the most for you home.

1. Focus on the rooms that count: Living room, Master Bedroom and Kitchen. This is where buyers are going to spend most of their time as they tour your home.

2. Depersonalize your space: Take down your family photos and put away personal items in your bathroom and bedroom.

3. Declutter: Clean out your closets, get rid of bulky items and start packing things away. It will not only make your home appear bigger, but it will give you a head start on the packing process.

4. Clean, clean, clean: Clean those spaces that you ignore on a daily basis. Closets, baseboards, ceiling fans, light switches, etc. Get you house in tip top shape before buyers even enter your home.

5. Patch, repair & paint: Fix those gouges, dents and scratches that you stopped seeing on a daily basis. And if you need to, give your walls a fresh coat of paint.

6. Choose neutral colors: Whether it's paint or furniture, choose colors that set the backdrop for your home, but don't detract from it's features. Use color as accents in your pillows, decor or even artwork.

7. It starts at the door: Make sure your entryway is cleaned up and inviting. This is buyers first impression of your home and what they might expect as they step inside.

8. Fresh is best: Eliminate odors and ensure that your home smells fresh. Put out a green plant or some fresh flowers to give some life to your home. And if necessary, use a plug in, but turn the setting to low so to not overwhelm buyers as they enter your home.

9. Shine a light on it: Open the blinds and turn on the lights. Make your home shine. Even if you don't live in your home with all of the lights on, turn them on to make your home appear bigger and brighter.

10. Move it: Move big, bulky pieces out of the way. Reposition furniture to make your home feel bigger and have it appeal to more buyers. If you have larger items that get in the way, get them out of the house.

Focus on these steps and you you will be well on your way to putting your house on the market.