Should You Stage Your Home?

The answer is almost always, “Yes, definitely stage!” Why is this so important? A few reasons:

1. If a home is vacant, every ding, scratch and imperfection is more prominently displayed. There is no perfect home (although I’ve seen a few that come pretty darn close), but a vacant home looks even more imperfect. It can also appear as if the home has been “abandoned.” Not literally, only that the sellers are no longer caring for the home as they would if they lived there.
2. A room actually looks smaller without furniture. Very few homes show better without furniture.
3. Most buyers have a very difficult time visualizing where to place their furniture or how to use a room. If there is a multi-purpose room (like a sunroom) a buyer may think it is wasted space. The space could be used as a playroom, family room, office etc. but buyers sometimes have a difficult time getting on board with using a room in a certain way if there is no furniture.
4. Professional stagers have appropiate styles of furniture to match the architecture. If you have very contemporary furniture but a traditional house, in the end it may be better to have traditional furniture that matches the house.

There are several great professional staging companies in St. Louis. Every stager has a different pricing model, but on average it has been my experience that the average cost for staging a 2,800 square foot house in the Central Western Corridor is $2,500 - $3,000. As an end result, I believe a beautifully staged home returns the cost of staging and then some in the sales price.

Professional stagers are also very useful for helping sellers get ready for the market. They can select paint colors & carpet. They will also work with sellers to re-arrange their existing furniture for the greatest showing potential, help sellers decide what should go to storage, and are also a great overall resource for getting things done.

Whoa! And there is no comparison in photos when a home is professionally staged or thoughtfully presented. Take a look at these examples.

If you have questions about a particular area, neighborhood or property, please feel free to contact Sabrina Robb for additional information. 314-283-7590  srobb@robbpartners.com

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About this Column: The market data is pulled from the Mid America Regional Information System. All information is deemed reliable but not guaranteed.