When selling your house, first impressions are everything. A house that is cluttered, outdated, or dirty will turn a buyer off very quickly. Unfortunately, in this buyer’s market, they can simply find another home to purchase. Additionally, many buyers do not have vision to se past all of your clutter and envision what their furniture will look like in your home.
If you are motivated to sell you home, you should consider using a home stager. Most home owners sell their home every 5-7 years. These are individuals that prep houses for sale for a living. They have their finger on the pulse of the market and are not emotional about your stuff or your house. They are there to take an objective view of everything and set your home up to sell as quickly as possible.
There are many stagers of varying experience and cost out there, but how do you find a good stager? Here are 4 questions that you can ask before you hire one:
- What is your training, background, and/or certifications? Because there is no barrier to entry into the home staging business it is important to understand if this prospective stager has been trained or has any certifications. Additionally, do they have the experience to stage this home? Do they understand the conditions of the market?
- Do you specialize in any particular type of property such as condo, townhouse, starter home, or luxury homes? Have they stage homes in this price range? Many stagers will supply furniture and so do they have appropriate furniture for the size property? Staging a $2 million Lake Minnetonka Home for sale is much different than staging $200,000 Eden Prairie Houses.
- Can I see your portfolio? Do the pictures in their portfolio make you want to buy that house? Are these stager’s tastes compatible with your tastes and the current decor of your home? When they disagree with the you on how to organize something, do they take a tactful way to present their argument?
- What other marketing ideas can you bring to the table? You are trying to sell your biggest asset. You can use all the help you can get. Just moving around furniture and de-cluttering your home is not enough if you also have other things that your real estate agent has neglected to tell you.
Using a stager to get your home ready to show is an ideal way to put your home in the best light possible for that first impression. Choosing the right stager can make all the difference.