Staging: Frequently Asked Questions

WHAT EXACTLY IS HOME STAGING?

Home Staging is an effective sales technique that integrates decorating with marketing and creates an experience for home buyers. It’s about more than just furnishing a home – it’s about selling a lifestyle. The elements of home staging will help to neutralize your home by eliminating all potential distractions and drawing the focus to the features of the home instead. Home Staging allows you to market your home to the largest audience possible by maximizing your home’s potential. This process usually involves depersonalizing the space by clearing clutter; rearranging existing furniture to maximize space and light; cleaning the house top to bottom and inside and out; painting rooms in a neutral color palette and replacing carpets or floors if necessary; making any necessary repairs and updates inside and outside the house; and lastly, rearranging existing furnishings and/or bringing in new accessories or furniture to dress the space to create a warm and welcoming environment. With staging, you are creating an inviting home that the buyers will fall in love with and want to call their own.

WHEN SHOULD I STAGE MY HOME?

Ideally, homeowners should contact us prior to listing their homes. During the first 30 days on the market, your property gets the most attention and greatest number of showings. Plus, the longer your house is for sale, the less likely you are to get your desired asking price. With that said, if your home is not selling, strongly consider staging it; it’s never too late.

WHY SHOULD I STAGE MY VACANT PROPERTY?

Empty rooms confuse buyers. They can’t figure out the purpose of a space or see how their furniture will fit. And, the property feels too cold to generate any sort of emotional response. Staged homes, on the other hand, have beautiful online photos and drive lots of in-person traffic. Buyers get a sense of warmth and see exactly how the home functions.They sit on the couch or linger in the kitchen long enough to envision their lives there. Statistics bear this out; vacant homes do not sell as quickly or for as much money as staged ones.

MY HOUSE IS OCCUPIED; CAN’T BUYERS USE THEIR IMAGINATIONS AND IGNORE MY DECOR?

Studies have shown that only 1 in 10 buyers can visualize a home with different wall colors or furniture placement. This means that 90% of people cannot see past what is before them: your personal taste, your belongings, your paint colors, and your style. For a buyer to be wowed, your home’s features and function must be readily apparent and the décor neutral enough so potential buyers can imagine what they would do with the space.

CAN I STAGE MY HOME MYSELF? 

Homeowners are so familiar with their surroundings that it is extremely difficult to view a home the way potential buyers undoubtedly will. We have the objectivity to see properties through buyers’ eyes and the professional expertise to know how to make them the most appealing to the broadest group of buyers.

HOW DOES STAGING DIFFER FROM INTERIOR DESIGN?

Interior design is the process of creating a decor specific to a particular homeowner’s taste, whereas staging is interior marketing done to accentuate the features of the property. Interior design can be expensive as it involves buying new furniture and art, but staging is an investment in the sale of the home and relies mostly on what you already own. To put it simply, the goal of interior design is to create a home YOU love; the goal of staging is to help buyers see your property as a home THEY will love.

I WANT TO USE A PROFESSIONAL STAGER.  TELL ME WHY I SHOULD CHOOSE YOU?

There are several reasons. First, this is our core competency; 100% of our work is staging occupied and vacant homes. Teresa has staged thousands of properties in all price ranges and styles since 2005. We are Stagers working in the local market every day preparing properties for sale. Second, we use our own furniture and accessories so we have more flexibility than big box furniture rental companies with hefty minimum fees. Finally, we specialize in knowing how to get our clients the best bang for their staging buck; whether it’s an occupied home or a vacant one, we are ALWAYS mindful of budgets and we know how to show off a home’s features in the best light for the lowest cost.

DO YOU TAKE CREDIT CARDS?

Yes.  We gladly accept Master Card, Visa, Am Ex, and Discover as well as a personal check. Payment is made at the time service is rendered; a deposit is required to hold the day for vacant staging jobs.

CAN STAGING MY HOME A TAX WRITE OFF?

YES!  Home sellers can benefit from home staging, as the fees for staging services can be considered as advertising costs, according to IRS guidelines. Since a home stager prepares your house for potential homebuyers, the IRS considers the service as an advertising expense, as long as the home stager has been hired for the sole purpose of selling your home. The costs of staging are subtracted from the proceeds of the sale of the home and decrease the total realized profit. In summary, the IRS’s position is that Staging costs are a legitimate selling expense for both primary and secondary homes and are therefore tax deductible.

However, it is important to note that if a house is staged and then taken off the market before it sells, the staging expenses are not tax deductible.

HOW MUCH LEAD TIME DO YOU REQUIRE TO STAGE MY HOME?

We prefer to have 7 business days from the date you commit to staging. However, we understand the fast-paced nature of residential real estate sales, and we will always try our very best to stage your property by your desired list date.

I AM A REALTOR.  CAN WE WORK TOGETHER?

Yes!  We work with Realtors at many brokerages including Remax, Keller Williams, Comey & Shepherd, Treo Realtors, Coldwell Banker, Star One, Sibcy Cline and we very much value these relationships.  We are committed to providing Realtors with exceptional and timely customer service as well as a streamlined staging process.  While working with your sellers, we are mindful of their budgets, and we always provide cost-effective advice to get homes looking their best.  Several of our Realtor clients will be happy to speak to you on our behalf.

 

DON’T SEE YOUR QUESTION ANSWERED?

Contact me by phone or email and I’d be happy to answer all your questions!