"Home Staging is using limited funds, practical creativity and extraordinary expertise to professionally prepare a home to sell so that it becomes infinitely more attractive to potential buyers, sells quickly and for more money while in turn becoming a small investment of the home seller in the near future greater home sale earnings it retrieves." 

Home Staging is the preparation of a home to sell by a professional who specializes in this form of decorating.  Many definitions you have seen no doubt stop after the word “sell” and that is part of the big misconception and devaluation of home staging. Professional home stagers or staging companies have the time and can objectively view the home as a product and highlight its assets while downplaying its flaws. The home seller usually cannot view their home objectively, while many successful Realtors do not have the time or resources needed when staging a home for sale.

For many home sellers, home builders and Real Estate Agents the concept of "professional home staging" is being increasingly recognized and used to effectively package and market a home in the marketplace. Many successful Realtors and Home Builders already have a full time professional stager on staff or have special training this field.

Some Realtors, Home Builders and home sellers will say that they have already “staged” their homes only to find that they will be lowering their price within the month. There is a vast difference between a home that was simply de-cluttered and cleaned and one that was professionally staged! Creating the “model home” look is not easily achieved without the help of someone who does this everyday for a living.
 

Who is a “Professional Home Stager”?

At this point in the industry, we would define it as anyone who has a business with some form of design training and performs these home staging services for some monetary value. The reality is there are not nearly enough good, professional home stagers out there and that is why it is still a relatively unknown practice.

Home Staging FAQ'S

My house isn’t worth being “professionally staged”…

Even spending a mere $500 for an initial consultation should net you thousands in return and speed of sale based upon statistical data. In the previous statistics, unless the house is under 50K this argument is invalid.

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 6%+ more. If your home sold for 400K unstaged it probably would have sold for 425K staged.

Why can’t I just stage my own home?

Home sellers are usually incapable of successfully staging their own home. Why? Because our homes are like our children, we don’t always see all of its flaws. We’ve gotten used to the way it looks and in fact it is difficult emotionally to change it. If you can’t view something objectively then you are unable to market and package it effectively. Not to mention most home sellers don't "stage" homes everyday for a living.  That’s what professionals are for and that is where the greatest returns come in.

Can’t homebuyers use their imagination and look past the décor?

Only a mere 10% of homebuyers can actually visualize the potential of a home. This is why having a vacant home professionally staged is so important. Buyers cannot visualize size and scale so furniture helps to give them a frame of reference.