Costs and benefits of home staging

Home staging, or “dressing up” a house for sale, is a strategy used by sellers and real estate agents to attract more buyers and sell homes faster. Figures show that home staging makes a house stay for 23 days in the market, or 120 days less than the 143 days it often takes to dispose of property that has not been staged.

The National Association of Realtors (NAR) reports that 58% of sellers’ Realtors agree that buyers are willing to pay more for staged houses.

With COVID, staging can help sell homes faster online, where 93% of buyers begin their home search. That’s because compelling pictures, videos, and other virtual tools help the buyer imagine themselves living in the home they’re searching for online.

How home staging works

• Emphasizing what can be, not what is
  The buyer can see how they can convert the home into a personal sanctuary that appeals to their own sense of style and taste. They can start planning where to put the furniture and other belongings. They can visualize how they want their bedroom or kitchen arranged.
• Prioritizing key areas
  A NAR report says a staged living room is crucial for 46% of buyers, with the master bedroom (43%) and kitchen (35%) coming in second and third. Only 19% of buyers’ agents say their clients prefer a staged bathroom, and a mere 8% report that guest bedrooms get priority attention.

  Staging lets homeowners focus on areas that homebuyers find important. This way, sellers can maximize their resources and avoid spending on areas that don’t command as much attention.

• Making the home look move-in ready
  Staging gives the home a fresh look and highlights its biggest assets. Buyers feel more confident about settling down here.

The costs of home staging

On the average, homeowners can expect to shell out $1,496 to have their house staged by professionals . This covers décor and rented furniture that draw the eye to the best features of a room.

An initial two-hour consultation costs anywhere from $150 to $600. The final price depends on the size of the home and scope of work. A well-maintained home with appropriate furniture that just needs rearranging and decluttering won’t cost as much as a house that needs to be overhauled. Or, you can alsoopt to stage it yourself.

Needless to say, it costs more to stage a luxury home than a standard three-bedroom, single-family home.

So, is home staging worth the cost? It bears repeating that an April 2021 report by the National Association of Realtors, found that staged homes:

• Had better offers from buyers by as much as 5%, compared to unstaged homes
• Cut down the number of days the home stayed on the market
• Made it easier for buyers to see the full potential of a home

Given the statistics, the odds are in favor of home staging.

If you’re selling your home in North Central Washington, call Coldwell Banker Real Estate at 509.888.8887 or drop us a line at info(at)cbcascade(dotted)com. Our team of over 40 real estate brokers will answer all questions about home selling and home staging to make your home sell fast.

Related: How to stage your home for great listing photos