DIY Home Staging or Professional Home Staging is a question that has an answer with pros and cons both ways. It really is up to the individual seller on what they want to do. In this post, I will list the good and the bad for both ways.
Pros and Cons For DIY Home Staging
As you probably already know If you have read my other posts (If not check these out) I focus on DIY home staging.
By no means am I saying it’s the only way to go. I am a Home Stager and help others sell their homes. I just want to help everyone. The DIYer and whoever wants a professional home stager I am here for both.
Having been home staging for the past 15 years, I do know that it does work.
A staged home is a sold home.
DIY Home Staging
Pros
- Doesn’t Cost You Professional Stager fees
- Can stay within your set budget
- Start planning weeks or months in advance
- Shop your own house
- More money in your pocket
Cons
- You have to do it
- Emotional attachment to Home
- Your time
Let’s go over the list now to explain the meaning of each pro for DIY home staging.
Pro
Doesn’t cost you Professional Stager fees.
There are fees that are part of the professional home staging process.
The first cost is the consultation fee. This is where they would come in and see what they would need to get done. It can cost around the $300 to $500 or more range. Depending on what needs to be repaired, painted and furniture staged the cost can go up from there. Yes, this part needs to be done regardless of who is doing the staging. At least you will have control of what you are paying for if you are DIY.
Put that extra money towards what is needed to stage your house.
Can Stay Within Your Budget
The reason most everyone chooses to DIY home staging is the budget. A lot of us really don’t have the money to put into the staging when we are saving up for the closing costs and other fees included in buying a house.
Remember you will need to put some money into the house you’re selling if you want top dollar. But you can still stay within the budget by DIY.
Start Planning Weeks or Months in Advance
When you plan weeks or possibly months in advance that you are putting your house up for sale, you will be able to go thru your things. This is a big plus in my book.
I would much rather declutter and not bring my unwanted or not-needed items with me to my new home. The posts on decluttering have great tips that will help get you ready to move.
With professional home staging, everything is on a time schedule. There is a lot of throwing items into a box just to get it packed up. Start decluttering before home staging.
Shop these great home staging tips:
Shop Your Own House
This is where you can save some money. As you start to declutter your home put aside items that will make for great staging.
Reimagine where those items can go. If there is a lamp that you have sitting on top of the dresser that makes it looked cluttered maybe use it in another room that needs an accent light. Putting aside the items will help you start figuring out how you will stage your house.
You will be amazed at what you have that will be great for staging. Most everyone will not have to buy a lot of home staging items. If something needs to be refreshed or a facelift paint does wonders.
More Money in Your Pocket
Just reading the above paragraphs you can already see the money you have saved. Just be careful and stay on the budget that you have set aside for the DIY home staging process.
I’m not going to sugar coat it home staging is a lot of work if you do it on your own but the extra money in your wallet will be worth it.
This leads me to the cons of DIY home staging.
Con
You Have to Do It
As I said earlier staging does take a lot of work. Getting your home ready for sale is a major task but it is worth it. But on the other hand, when you have a professional home stager you will do a lot of work also.
Emotional Attachment to Home
All of us have an emotional attachment to our home. Even if you are ready to move the house hold’s memories for you. It’s hard to see what needs to be fixed for staging. So step back and try to look at it as a stranger would. If this is too hard ask a friend or relative to come in. Remember you asked them for advice don’t get upset at them if they point things out.
Your Time
Your time could go under the You Have to Do it section. I thought it deserved a section of its own because time is valuable. Depending on how much money you want to save this could be your decision-maker.
Since this is a comparison to DIY Home Staging versus Professional Home Staging we will move on to the professional pros and cons.
Check out this post on DIY home staging here.
Professional Home Staging
Pros
- Someone else tells you what needs to be done
- Professionally done.
Cons
- Costs money for consultation
- Extra money for actual Home Staging
- On someone else’s timeline
Now we will go over the pros for professional home staging.
Pro
Someone else tells what needs to be done.
Some of us need guidance on what needs to be done. There is nothing wrong with this. Maybe you just don’t have the time or you would rather someone else do it. That’s ok too. I am not trying to steer you away from professional staging in any form. I am a Home Stager and enjoy helping others sell their home.
Professionally Done
The word Professional is in there because it will be done right. It’s their job. Hiring a home stager takes away all of the stress of wondering if you have staged your house right.
A professional home stager has a list of items that they check in each home. Everything gets covered and nothing is done wrong or forgotten.
Now on to the Cons of professional home staging.
Con
Costs Money for Consultation
No matter what, you will have a consultation fee. This is the first time the home stager will come in a talk to you about home staging. They will go thru the house and write down what needs to be done. It will be a very detailed list. This is where you can combine DIY home staging and professional home staging. You can just have the consultation and fix and do everything yourself or hire them to get everything done for an additional fee.
Extra Money for Actual Home Staging
I kind of covered this above. You have the actual consultation which is very specific on what needs to be done. Then you have the choice of hiring them to get it done or you do it yourself. Splitting it is an option also.
On Someone Else’s Timeline
On someone else’s timeline means that you will have contractors coming in. Scheduling of things getting done by someone else. You or the Home Stager will need to be there. Just knowing it is getting done is definitely worth it.
Which way will you go, DIY or Professional Home Staging?
Hopefully, I gave you something to think about. There is no right way or wrong way to go. It’s what is best for you. I just wanted you to have the information on DIY versus professional home staging.
Home Staging will get it sold a lot quicker and for more money.
