Expert Contributor
To Stage or Not to Stage By Linda Kralik Berkshire Hathaway/Drysdale Properties, Resident since 1984
Y
es, staging is the question on the mind of every home seller. Shall l stage my home? Who do I trust? What are the costs? What are the benefits? How do I prepare my home? Who will pay? And what if, when all is said and done, my home doesn’t sell? What now?
Let’s take these questions one at a time. 1. What are the costs?
The cost of staging can be likened to an “a la carte” menu or a “prixe fixe” menu.” You can opt for any number of staged rooms or just an overhaul of each of the special rooms. For instance, there are stagers that just use the owner’s personal property but re-arrange a room to look more “model perfect.” Other stagers will bring in their own furniture and object d’art to accent an individual room, or sometimes all of the impact rooms; Living room, Dining Room, Master Bath, Kitchen, and sometimes the secondary baths. All of these options contribute to the overall
costs. The more rooms staged, the higher the costs.
2. What are the Benefits? Staging your home has some direct benefits and some indirect benefits. The direct benefits are the impression of a wellmaintained home; neat, orderly, clean. It often times give the home a larger feel and gives each room a purpose, all of which helps the buyer see themselves in the home. One positive indirect benefit is getting a head start on packing. Getting personal photos and nick-nacks packed and ready to move. Decluttering and de-personalizing your home helps buyers see what they are actually buying. But the most important reason for staging is to increase the likelihood of selling more quickly and at a greater value than an un-staged home.
3. Who do I trust? Trust your Realtor, first and foremost. Choose one that has been in the industry long enough to know the vendors necessary in
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OCTOBER 2019
