Tipsheet: Staging Tips That Can Help Sell a Home

By Mary Beth Breckenridge

Staging a home for sale can set it apart from the competition and make it inviting to the greatest number of buyers. Kiplinger's Personal Finance has these suggestions for staging your home for less than $1,000:

"Focus on a few rooms. Hire a stager to redo just the entryway, main living area, kitchen and master bedroom. Stagers usually charge $75 to $125 an hour. Ignore secondary rooms, or do them yourself once you've seen how the pro works.

Add some pizzazz. Sometimes a few decorative extras can update or neutralize a home's decor. You may be able to negotiate with a staging company for decor items such as wall art, area rugs, lamps or other accessories. One company Kiplinger's checked charges roughly $250 per month, with a three-month minimum, plus one month's fee for setup and breakdown.

Pay for a plan, but provide the muscle. Many stagers will work as consultants, touring your house and offering suggestions on presenting it. Barb Schwarz, founder of the International Association of Home Staging Professionals, says the average fee for a consultation is $350.

Then it's up to you to do the cleaning, decluttering and rearranging. Kiplinger's suggests renting a portable storage unit if you have a lot of stuff to store. One company, PODS, will deliver the unit to your driveway, transport it to a secure facility and charge you a monthly storage fee."

By Mary Beth Breckenridge
Akron (Ohio) Beacon Journal
Posted: 04/09/2010 12:00:00 AM PDT
Updated: 04/09/2010 02:59:59 PM PDT

Staging Matters would love to help you stage your house.  Staging increases the profitability and decreases the time on the market.  We'd love to visit with you today.  469-322-9113

Targeting Your Probable Buyers

RISMedia recently put out a great article about how home staging should target buyers by group.  The article talks about how different groups are looking for different things in a house and how to attract your target market.  You can read the article by clicking here  http://rismedia.com/2010-04-13/home-staging-tips-that-focus-on-largest-customer-segments/

Attracting First Time Home Buyers

Click this link for a great article about attracting first time home buyers.  Staging your home to sell to a first-time buyer

Closet Makeover Tips

by Debra Rosser of Staging Matters
It is very likely that serious buyers will look in closets and open cabinet doors. The closets that look organized, clean and spacious make a great impression. Here are 6 things you should do to get a closet ready for viewers.

1. Remove about 1/2 of the clothes. If the closet is packed with clothes a buyer may think there isn't enough storage. Pack up clothes you don't need and get them to out of sight.

2. Clear the floors. The floor of your closet should be empty. Get things off the floor and then vacuum the carpet in the closet.

3. If possible use only one type of hanger. You can pick flocked, plastic, wood or wire but if you only use one kind it will add to the organized feel.
4. Get all dirty clothes out of sight. This isn't the time for people to see your dirty....socks. Get a basket with a lid and keep your hamper covered.
5. Keep the closet smelling fresh. Do laundry more frequently so dirty clothes don't give the closet a "smell". Add a box of baking soda to absorb odors, add some kind of room deodorizer and air out your closets.
6. Use baskets to store things on shelves and remember that the shelves shouldn't look "stuffed". Be sure about 1/3 of the shelves are empty.

Closets can convey to a buyer that a home is well maintained and cared for; that the owners are organized and therefore have probably taken care of the house. Getting the closets in order puts you closer to a sale and will make packing easier in the end.

Why Realtors Love Staged Homes and Their Stagers!

by Debra Rosser of Staging Matters

1. A professional home stager can say things to clients that a realtor is hesitant to address because of the longer term relationship they have with their clients. Stagers can address cleanliness, curb appeal, ugly wallpaper and less than desireable paint colors. Often a realtor has already hinted at the improvements but knowing a stager is coming in to reinforce those issues and help the homeowner find practical ways to address them is increasing the probability that a homeowner will take action. A good home stager is not shy about addressing all areas of the home that need changes.

2. A staged home is more likely to look great at Open Houses and showings. This will help the home sell faster and for more money. When a house sells quickly the amount of marketing dollars is less, the reputation of the realtor is enhanced and the commission earned is greater.

3. Most homeowners have a hard time seeing their properties as a product and making that shift from “this is my home” to “this is my biggest investment” is key to keeping homeowners motivated to make changes. A good home stager is a good communicator and will help the homeowner detach from the property and do things that make the home appeal to a wider audience.

4. Staging a house is one of the most effective marketing tools an agent has. Staging is always cheaper than a price adjustment and reinforces that earning a homeowner top dollar is a priority. Staging reduces the need for price adjustments in many cases.

5. Great home stager’s clearly communicate expectations of how a house should look at a showing and motivate the seller so that no opportunity for a sale is lost.

6. Time is money. Agents should spend their time getting listings and creating interest in a property. A good home staging plan takes hours to prepare and this just isn’t a good use of an agent’s time.

7. Staged homes sell for more money and they sell faster than homes that aren’t staged. Staged homes don’t sell for a little more money or a few days faster; they sell for thousands and tens of thousands more dollars and for upwards of 40 percent faster. These two benefits to your clients will earn you a stellar reputation in the business.