Professional Staging Shows Your Property In Its Best Light
(CAPE COD) "Staging" is a relatively new sales technique on Cape Cod, though widely used on the West Coast. Simply put, it is decorating your house to sell — a very different approach than decorating your home to live.
The goal of staging is to make your house appealing to buyers by creating a powerful, positive, first impression, conveying a sense of space, order, comfort and light.
The typical home buyer makes up their mind about a home within 10 seconds. In a competitive market it is critical to have your home stand out from other houses the buyer may see.
Brokers say buyers need to be able to picture themselves living in the home. They recommend you 'depersonalize' your home, removing clutter, loud colors or personal items such as family photographs. If a house looks tired, cluttered, or in disrepair, potential buyers immediately start making deductions from the listing price or move on.
HOW TO FIND A STAGING PROFESSIONAL Google 'home staging Cape Cod'- there aren't a lot of them. Or try 'home staging' and your town or village. Staging is all about appearance - how does their website look?Ask a REALTOR® - a Realtor® sees the work of professional stagers when they show houses. They can tell you who is good in your area - someone who may not even have a website! Ask at an Open House - while you're looking to sell, it makes sense to look at what's for sale and go to Open Houses. When you see one that looks great, ask who staged it. That's the best referral you can get! We've seen some - we saw the work of "Fresh Cape Designs" of Dennis at King's Way - it was superb. KEEP IN MIND - There is no legal definition of a 'home stager', no Federal or State licensing and no national credentialing organization like National Association of Realtors (for real estate agents) or American Society of Interior Designers (for interior designers). |
WHAT DO 'HOME STAGERS' DO?
The professional stager takes the advice of the real estate broker to the extreme. A staged house contains furniture and accessories, but it exists in an air of fantasy. The fully staged house is a vision of a home, a page from a Pottery Barn, Williams Sonoma or Victoria's Secret catalog.
It has been generally accepted in the real estate business that an empty house sells faster than an occupied house, based on real houses filled with real furniture and the normal clutter of day to day living. The staged house reflects the ideal of what life could be if only ...
Generally, the home stager views the property, consults with the potential client and makes a proposal to provide a range of services at various prices.
These services range from a simple list of recommendations using existing furnitures and accessories through a full blown staging with new paint, refinished floors, landscaping, rented furniture and accessories.
In some respects, the stager acts as a general contractor, coordinating the work of various tradesmen to complete unfinished jobs, repair defects and upgrade where needed.
DO YOU NEED TO PAY SOMEONE FOR THIS?
According to professional house staging trade groups, on average a staged house sells for approximately 10-15% more and within 40 days, versus 135 days for unstaged homes. They claim that for every $100 invested in staging, you can expect to receive at least five times that amount in an offer.
These figures don't differentiate staging by a professional versus the average homeowner, so the question is whether you need to hire a professional to stage your house.
Selling your home, or Mom's house on the Cape, can be stressful. Where possible, it makes sense to use the time and energy of someone else to take care of things for you.
We think there are three very good reasons to use the services of a professional stager;
- Another person can see your house with fresh eyes and an open mind,
- Many stagers have professional training and experience in interior design,
- Most have access to rent new, clean "Pottery Barn" furniture and accessories.
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