How professional home staging helps sell a property

How does professional home staging help your property to sell?  Is it worth paying for home staging?  Can home staging increase the value of your home?  How do I choose a good home stager?  What should I pay for home staging?

No doubt you have heard of the term ‘home staging’, either on one of the various house programmes on TV or from a home or lifestyle magazine.  Many people wonder if it is really a worthwhile investment when selling.  Maybe you are wondering whether to take on the task yourself, or whether to hire a professional.  Read on to find out exactly how a professional home stager can help you to sell your home: -

The object of ‘home staging’ is to flatter the property without going overboard.  It doesn’t need to look like something from OK magazine, but it does need to look its best and feel inviting and homely.  Some may find the prospect of tackling home staging themselves a bit daunting to say the least, particularly if it’s a crazy family home with people and pets coming and going. A good professional home stager can see beyond this chaos and maximise your profit.

Here’s how they go about it: -

Help create striking and eye-catching online photos

What is the first thing potential buyers see when trawling through properties on the internet?  Your photos, of course!  To put it bluntly, your property photos need to be ‘the business’.  They should make your home look its absolute best, as well as selling a lifestyle.  The home stager will make your home look incredible, which means your photos will be incredible too.  Not only will they advise on large items such as furniture and pictures, they will also suggest lighting, soft furnishings etc.

They will show off good features and hide any flaws

A good professional home stager will know exactly what to do to improve the ‘feel’ of your home.  They will take attention away from any areas which may put people off, for example a dated fireplace, and draw the eye towards the ‘wow’ features of the property. They know exactly how to improve your home and to maximise your profit.

They will turn weird or slightly quirky spaces into usable space

If you have an area or a room that has no particular purpose, the home stager will give it a purpose, for example, maybe there is an empty area under a stairwell which could be turned into useful storage, or even a computer workstation.  Every part of the house should be maximised and given a use.

They are able to create a certain mood and atmosphere

Let’s face it, some houses have no soul whatsoever.  They are merely ‘lived in’ properties with busy people and busy lives.  Not many people have the time to keep their homes looking like a show-home.  A professional home stager can turn a house into a home.  They know exactly what lighting to use and where. They will add the perfect soft furnishings, rugs and accessories to elevate your home to another level of comfort and style.

A good home stager will give you a good return on your investment

Providing you do your homework and choose a home stager that comes with excellent recommendations, this service can give you a good return for your money.  It can also speed up the time it takes to sell your home.  The correct home stager can add value to your home, potentially increasing the sale price by 5-10%.

So, as you can see, home staging can be a worthwhile investment.

What does home staging cost?

This very much depends on the size of your home and the experience of the home stager.  They may charge a set fee per square meterage, or they may charge by the hour.  Either way, you should check how much the final bill is likely to be.  We would recommend, as a guideline, that you don’t spend any more than around 1-2% of the potential sale price of your home.   Also, be sure to check the contract so you don’t get stung by additional fees such as furniture rental.

What are your thoughts about home staging?  Have you ever used one?  How did it turn out?  Did you get a quick sale for the price you wanted?  We would love to hear your stories.

Send us an email at enquiries@alisongeorge.com or give us a call on 01639 631706

We are always happy to help.