What is Home Staging?
Home Staging is a professional service which prepares homes for sale prior to being listed on the market. Staging is a marketing tool that homeowners utilize to sell their home more quickly and often for a higher price. It helps to create a warm, inviting and appealing space that immediately attracts potential buyers. It also helps to identify and highlight the best features of your home, so that when buyers walk in they notice all of the positive aspects of the home. Home staging is a proactive approach to marketing your home, and is typically done prior to having photos taken and prior to being listed on the market. Many homeowners are seeing the huge advantage of staging their homes and are requesting the services of a Home Stager.
What does a Home Stager do?
A Home Staging professional is someone who is trained and certified in Home Staging. They will begin the staging process with a thorough staging consultation of your home. During the consultation they will recommend home repairs, paint colors, updates to fixtures, décor updates, furniture placement and more. This will assist the homeowner in making decisions on budget and time frame for preparing the home to sell. A Home Stager will then create a design plan for your home and choose furniture and accessories that will appeal to perspective buyers. They will install the furniture and accessories throughout the home creating a warm, comfortable and inviting atmosphere.
Who can benefit from Home Staging and what are the benefits?
Homeowners who are planning on selling their home benefit greatly from Home Staging. When buyers are looking at two similar homes on the MLS, and one is staged and the other isn’t, they will most often choose to see the home that has been staged. Because of the greater volume of people looking at the home, this often leads to a quicker offer. Staging statistics have also shown that most staged homes sell for a higher value than similar non-staged homes. Home builders and investors also benefit greatly from staging a vacant home. Buyers often have difficulty visualizing their belongings in a vacant home, so Home Staging is a great tool which shows buyers how they can arrange their furniture in the home.
What is the difference between Occupied Staging vs. Vacant Staging?
Occupied home staging is when the homeowner and their family will be living in the home throughout the selling process and they have the large furniture items already in the home, but they need items such as art, accessories, rugs and lamps to compliment the décor in their home. The way we live in our homes is often very different than how we sell our house. Homeowners have to “detail” their homes in a similar way as they would if selling their car. This usually requires packing up “taste specific” items, unused items, non-seasonal clothing and personal items. Once the home is de-personalized and items that are not used frequently have been packed and stored, then the Home Stager brings in art, accessories, pillows and small furniture items to create a warm and inviting atmosphere.
Vacant home staging is when the homeowner and their family are no longer living in the home and all of the belongings have been removed. With vacant home staging, the Home Stager brings in all of the furniture, art, rugs, lamps and accessories to give the home a cozy, lived in feeling. If the home is left empty, buyers tend to focus on the dated aspects of the home or the deferred maintenance of the property. Vacant staging helps buyers visualize how they can live in the home comfortably.
Who is the Home Staging Coordinator for The Packer Group?
Jami Natale, ASP specializes in home staging and assists The Packer Group realtors and home owners in preparing their homes to sell quickly and for top dollar. As the Accredited Staging Professional for TPG Staging, her specialty is staging residential properties for Real Estate Sale. Jami is currently an active member of the International Association of Home Staging Professionals (IAHSP) and Real Estate Staging Association (RESA). Jami understands the impact of a great first impression, and strives to achieve that for every home. Her attention to detail and keen eye for beautiful design has fueled her passion to work in this industry. Jami’s priority is to build a rapport with her clients, to communicate with them effectively and to provide outstanding customer service.
If I decide to stage my house before selling, what do I need to do to be prepared?
The first step in the staging process is the Home Staging Consultation. Once the Home Stager comes to your home and gives you suggestions for repairs, remodeling and de-personalizing the home, the next step would be to begin executing this plan. Storage units or PODS are often a great solution for homeowners who need to store items while their home is on the market. The Home Stager will offer a list of contractors that homeowners can use if remodeling (such as paint, carpet, carpet cleaning, house cleaning, etc.) is needed. Once the home is de-personalized, items have been stored, and repairs have been made, the next step would be to have the home thoroughly, professionally cleaned. Buyers can often overlook outdated items in the home if the home is sparkling clean. After this, the home is ready for staging! The Home Stager will bring the furniture and accessories to stage the home and then the photographer will take photos of the home once staging is complete.
What is the cost of staging my home?
The cost of staging a home varies depending on the square footage of the home, weather it is an occupied or a vacant stage, and how many rooms will be staged. The Home Stager will bring a pricing list to the consultation, which will provide the homeowner with an estimated cost to stage their home. The cost of staging your home is an investment in marketing the home in such a way that often leads to quicker offers and a higher sale price.
