8 Home Staging questions answered that will put your mind to rest. Just knowing you are doing the right thing by home staging your house to sell.
The First of 8 Home Staging Questions Answered.
What Is The First Step In Selling My House?
It’s that time. You’ve thought and thought about it. You made the decision. You are going to sell your house. There are many different reasons a person wants to sell their house. Whether it’s to downsize, upsize, upgrade, better neighborhood, relocation any reason you have there is one thing that needs to be done first.
Many people think the first thing to do when you are ready to put your house up for sale is call a real estate agent.
STOP!!!!
The first item on your list should be to stage your house. Just think about it for a minute, you are having a real estate agent or Realtor come in to look at your house and tell you what they think your house will sell for.
What you need to do is make sure that the house is looking its best. They are professionals and can look past small things but they are people and subconsciously some things can cause different reactions. Despite them being professionals this still may decrease the sale price.
We all want to get top dollar for our house. The better a house looks the more money you can list it for. I am here to help you do just that. Make your house look better with very little investment. With my tips and guidance, you can be ready to put your house up for sale with confidence.
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What is home staging?
Staging, think about it. When someone is putting on a play or giving a lecture they are up on stage. The stage sets the scene for the play or lecture. Home staging is setting up your house so prospective buyers will walk in and think “ I would love to live here.” not “Who lives here?”
Is Home Staging Important?
YES, it is. Many ask this question because they think it will cost too much money. It doesn’t have to. Here is an article I have written to help you keep the cost down while making the most impact called “Home Staging On A Budget”. Therefore Home Staging is important it helps get you the most money out of your house.
Is Home Staging Really Worth the Hassle?
My answer is yes. We have relocated 5 different times in the past 12 years. Sometimes we only lived in the house for 2 years max. We have never lost money. Making enough for a down payment on our new house and some leftover for other things. On NARS Realtor * they state that with Buyers Agents “23% reported a 1% to 5% price increase on offers for staged homes. Also, Eighteen percent of sellers’ agents said home staging increased the dollar value of a residence between 6% and 10%.”
Let’s think about that. If there is a 6-10% increase on the dollar value then the buyer makes a 1-5% higher offer that makes you more money two different ways.
The NAR Realtor also states that “Moreover, 31% said that home staging greatly decreased the amount of time a home spent on the market.”
So should we say that is three ways Home Staging puts more money in your pocket? Less time on the market is saving you more money.
Where should I start?
My post “Ideas For Staging a House” gives 5 things, you need to do for staging. Give it a read and it will get you started on Home Staging. Then look at the rest of the posts on the Home Staging pages. They will guide you along your way.
Can I Have Someone Else Stage For Me?
There are professional Home Stagers out there. Get on the internet and search for Home Stagers. They can come to your house and meet with you. There are also Stagers that can do a virtual consultation that can let you know what needs to be done. Either way is a great option if you don’t want to do it all yourself. After you have read my Home Staging posts and still need someone to take a look at your home by all means give one a call. Let them do it all or do a consultation. They usually start at $250 and up. Depending on where you live and the size of the house. In my opinion, that’s not bad. If I’m going to be possibly making 6-10% more I’ll invest that much if I’m not sure where to start.
How Long Will the Staging Take?
This is one of the home staging questions that get asked a lot. The length of time it takes to home stage your house depends on what needs to be done. On television you see the Stager come in and be done in a couple of hours. What most people don’t remember is that the house has already been redone. Everything is already in new condition. All the Home Stagers need to do is come in and furnish the house and place pictures and accessories around. Which should take one day max.
A house that has been lived in and has their own furniture might take a while. Possibly a month or two. Depends on how much decluttering and repairs need to be done. The good news is most of the time your own furniture will be used.
Can I live In My Staged Home?
You can live in your staged home. Of course, keeping it cleaned and picked up will be a priority. Even so, it is possible. I have lived in each of my homes and it was fine. When you have a showing scheduled, download the Open House Checklist below. Use it before all of your showings. It will help you get what needs to be ready done.
I have sold many houses. Realizing I needed to stage my first house when it was on the market for 4 months without any bites. I lived in a cookie-cutter house and there were 3 other houses just like it for sale. I staged it and it sold within 30 days. Home staging really does work. All of my other homes have sold within 45 days. A couple even sold in a week. Always with a profit. This is even living out in the country away from the big city. You will be glad you staged your house when you see the “SOLD” sign.
There are 8 Home Staging questions that are asked a lot answered. If you have any more questions that I can answer leave them in the comments and I will add them to the post.
Good Luck with the sale of your house.
