I’ve been on hundreds of appointments with sellers for home staging consultations. Our firm is typically brought in by the real estate agent, and I tour the space as a buyer would. Then, I share my thoughts and suggestions with the seller. The tour allows me to create a connection with the property and discover what’s exciting, what has potential, and where the challenges lie.
I usually do these myself as I want to assess what the home needs. It’s probably the design training or just the ability to problem solve, but I actually have an agent that calls me the “House Whisperer” for the ability to rework a space visually.
The truth is, I love houses. My dad was a realtor, and I loved to sit at open houses with him and watch potential buyers come through in search of their forever home. Now, it’s my job, our job, to show them how your listing can fill that role as their dream home. Here are the 4 FAQs I get asked about staging homes…
1. What locations do you serve?
We have staged homes from Simi Valley to Beverly Hills, but most of our projects are in the San Fernando Valley. We’ve staged sweet little valley houses and multi-million dollar estates.
We understand that staging a home is part of the marketing process, so we focus on a custom look for each of the listings, especially in the luxury category. So, our warehouse is filled with a large selection of art, accessories, and lighting.
Read more about attracting more buyers by elevating your listing to a luxury level here.
2. Do I need to stage a vacant home?
If your home is going to be vacant, you’ll most likely need staging services. A staged home sells more quickly and for more money than an empty house.
Think of staging as “setting the stage,” as it’s a bit like a show! It can be used to camouflage a problem area of a home (not hide but distract from something less desirable) and, most importantly, draw attention to all the great things a home has to offer.
Also, empty rooms can confuse your buyers, especially if a home is not your typical track home. A buyer wants to understand how to use every space.
3. How long will my home be staged?
We stage homes primarily in the San Fernando Valley, and the time frame varies with the market and the price of the home. Our contract includes a 60-day rental which is usually plenty of time to get the listing “safely” into escrow. We also include additional monthly rental fee options if your home needs to stay staged just a bit longer.
4. How do home stagers charge for their services?
Another common question, of course, revolves around the big question, “How much does this cost?” For a vacant staging, we charge a minimum flat fee that includes the following:
- Main Living Space
- Main Dining Space
- Primary Bedroom and Bath
- Accessory Package for the kitchen and a powder room
- Each additional space is priced separately, including exterior spaces
We also offer two levels of staging – basic and luxury – depending on the price and target buyer for the property.
To help you figure it out, we have an online calculator to get you a close estimate. You can check that out here.
Contact us if you have additional questions we didn’t answer in this post. We would love to chat and answer those questions!
Xoxo,
