Think you can’t afford to hire a professional home stager? Think again. In today’s market, you can’t afford not to consider investing in a home staging consultation.
1. Interview the home stager by phone. The stager will explain the process and gather needed information about your property before you meet.
2. Email your listing to the home stager (if your home is already on the market). First impressions start on the Internet. Home staging will bring out your home’s best features – in person and on the Web.
Before
Actual listing picture from first attempt to sell when home owners did not have the benefit of home staging.
After
Same master bedroom and furniture 4 years later. This transformation is representative of why this $875,000, 3,700 square-foot Katonah, NY, home sells on the first listing day.
3. Start with a home staging consultation. Sometimes referred to as a “working” consultation, these meetings generally last 2 to 4 hours. During that time, the stager walks through your home with the critical eye of a potential home buyer, proposing design and decorating modifications that are unique to your space.
4. Take your own notes. During the home staging consultation allow the stager to focus solely on dispensing advice. This will save both time and money.
5. Prioritize your notes at the end of the meeting. The home stager will ensure that you concentrate on the tasks that give you the most bang for your home-staging buck.
6. Do the work yourself. Let the home stager know your skill set, budget, and time frame, at or prior to the consultation. Armed with this information, the stager will make cost effective recommendations you can do yourself. For the best results, have the stager return for a final checkup prior to photos.
Contact your home stager anytime after the home staging consultation for clarifications or quotes on additional services.
