Frequently Asked Question:
Do I need to do everything on the stager’s list?
When we help our clients list and sell their homes, we include the services of our trusted stagers (shout-out to Room Remedy!) to advise on preparing their home for sale. Most commonly, this comes in the form of a staging consultation, where the stager walks the home together with the homeowner to create a list of recommended touch-ups and fixes to show the home at its best. Other times, we may bring in appropriate furniture or decoration to complete an underused space.
Sometimes the “to do” list from the stager’s visit can be quite extensive. Our clients often ask whether everything from the list needs to be done, or whether some items can be prioritized and others ignored.
Our most frequently asked
In this feature, Nick responds to a real, commonly-asked question from our clients.
Nick's Response
The Brief Answer
No, if you are selling a home, you are absolutely not required to do everything on the stager’s list. In the end, this is the sale of your home and my team and I are here to advise, not command you.
The Longer Answer
I’m a big believer in trusting the experts in their fields. Stagers are the experts in their fields. Statistics seem to back it up (some of those at the bottom of this article), and I’ve seen first-hand how Cailin (my trusted stager) can transform the look and appeal of a home with her advice and her work. I’ve heard the comments from buyers and even the homeowners. Staging as a whole works to sell homes faster and for more money.
That said, every tip has a different degree of impact, and our team’s clients have full and busy lives. Sometimes Cailin’s list of recommendations can be pretty long, or the home needs to be listed pretty soon. In these cases it’s wise to triage the list into must-do’s, should-do’s and “I’ll get around to it if I have time.” I generally let Cailin make her list, and then the clients and I meet to go over it and prioritize.
My goal as a Realtor is to help you sell your home quickly and for the best price, but also in a way that respects your lifestyle and causes as little stress as is reasonable. Together, we’ll make the preparation of your home manageable.
3 Statistics on Home Staging
1
National Association of Realtors (NAR): According to the NAR’s 2021 Profile of Home Staging, 82% of buyers’ agents said staging made it easier for a buyer to visualize the property as a future home. The report also noted that staging a home could affect its time on the market, with many agents observing that staged homes sell faster than those that are not staged.
2
Real Estate Staging Association (RESA): RESA conducted a study that showed homes that were staged before listing spent 73% less time on the market than their non-staged counterparts. This study underscores the potential of staging to accelerate the sale process.
3
Coldwell Banker Real Estate Corporation: According to a study by Coldwell Banker, staged homes can sell in half the time of non-staged homes. This further supports the idea that staging can significantly reduce the time a home spends on the market.
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