If you are selling a home, you must stage it. What if you don’t have the first clue how to do so? It’s worth paying someone. Yes, it costs money to stage a house, but you’ll make it up hand over fist in the selling price. Buyers rely on their first impression of your home. If your home’s not properly staged, it may not be the reaction you want.
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We’re not going to sugarcoat it, home staging is expensive. But again, it’s worth it in the end.
What’s the Average Home Staging Cost?
First, know that you’ll be on the hook for a contract of at least two to three months. That may not sound like a lot, but we didn’t get to the cost yet. Even if your home sells in 48 hours, you’ll pay the full contracted amount as if you didn’t sell the home for three months.
Home stagers charge two fees:
- Original consultation fee
- Monthly staging fee per room
The original consultation fee runs between $300 and $600 on average. The monthly staging fee starts around $500 average per room. If you have a five-room home, you’re looking at $2,500 per month plus the original consultation.
What Goes into the Staging Cost?
Home stagers obviously stage your home. They try to use the items you already have to make your home look as appealing as possible. Sometimes, though, the cost goes up if the stager needs more items. Stagers often buy fresh items or small trinkets to spruce up a home. They have an eye for detail and know what buyers want.
If you have a vacant home, it’s a whole different story. Now the stager must rent furniture and knick knacks to fill up the room. On top of the home stager’s fees, you must pay to rent the items to fill the home up again.
In some (rare cases), stagers may recommend painting the home or making specific repairs. Again, they are the experts and know what people in the area want. They’ll give you their best advice – what you do with it determines your success.
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Saving Money on Home Staging
If you don’t have thousands of dollars to pay a home stager, there are ways to save. First, stick with the consultation. Get the home stager’s advice and the do it yourself. Sure, it may not be as pretty as it would if the stager did it, but at least it’s something. If you have no clue where to start, this is a great way to get your feet wet.
If you aren’t the DIY-type person, choose a few specific rooms for home staging. Kitchens, family room, and master bedrooms are typically the main focus. Hire the professional to handle these rooms and you use the advice provided to spruce up the other rooms in the home.
Finally, ask your real estate agent for staging advice. If you hire a reputable realtor, he or she should have staging experience. While it may not be to the degree of a professional stager with interior design experience, it’s better than you could do on your own. The realtor’s staging advice comes included with the commission you already pay, so you don’t have to shell out more money.
Staging a house is expensive, but if it can net you a selling price that’s thousands of dollars higher than without, it’s worth it. Find out the average price in your area and consider if you’ll see a higher sales price. If you want to start small, go for the consultation or just choose one or two rooms. If your home doesn’t sell quickly, you can always increase your requests, but without the upfront investment before seeing the home’s performance.