Frequently Asked Questions
Can I stage my own home to sell?
After living somewhere for many years, most homeowners are not able to look at their property objectively. Getting help from a home stager with a fresh pair of eyes and no emotional attachment will give you better insight into what the potential buyer will see.
DOES HOME STAGING COST MONEY?
There is a small initial investment when staging your home for sale, but you’re likely to more than make it back on your final sale price. Take a home valued at $350,000. Home staging can cost less than 1% ($3,500) of the value of the home but increase the profit by between 8 and 10% ($28k - $35k).
Can't potential home buyers use their imagination and look past the current décor and clutter?
Only 10% of homebuyers can visualize the potential of the home. It is very important to have an occupied home staged – it allows the buyer to picture themselves actually living there. This is more true with vacant homes, buyers cannot visualize size and scale – furniture helps give them a frame of reference. Staging a vacant home also aids in the selling of an emotion! And lets face it, when we sell a house, that is exactly what we are selling: an emotion. People buy on emotion!
Is home staging expensive?
Not nearly as expensive as lowering your asking price by 10% to 40%.
Can I list my house and then stage it to save time?
You can only make a first impression once. In the interest of minimizing the time your property is on the market, it is best to stage your home first, and before photographs are taken. Ideally, you should contact Clever Girl Interiors 4 to 6 weeks before you want to put the property on the market. If your home has been on the market with no offers for some time however, home staging would be a very smart option to investigate.
Why can't I just stage the house myself?
Most homeowners cannot objectively view the home they have lived in for more than a year. If they can't view it objectively, they cannot stage successfully. Our homes are very private and personal to us, it is where we live and seek solitude. It is currently decorated (“staged”) to make us comfortable and allow us to live in a relaxed atmosphere. You will not always be able to identify its flaws. If you are not able to view something objectively then you are not going to be able to package and market it effectively. Clever Girl Interiors puts on its “Buyers' Eyes” and can effectively get your home ready for an immediate offer. Using a certified professional home staging company is where you will get your greatest return on investment.
The housing market is good and my house doesn’t need to be staged to sell …
You’re right. Every house will sell…it’s a matter of when and for how much. Even if your house sells quickly in a good market, it doesn’t mean it sold for the amount it would have sold for had it been professionally staged. Remember, professionally staged homes sell on a conservative average for 10%+ more in a good market. If your home sold for $400K unstaged it probably would have sold for $440K staged.