There’s no question - a staged home sells faster and for more money.  It’s a given. All you have to do is go to a builder's model home site and take a look.  All of their homes are beautifully staged, right from the kids’ names on the the bedroom walls to the main floor office with not a hint of a loose piece of paper in sight. They’ve done their research and analytics and have determined that the money invested in staging produces higher returns above and beyond the cost of the staging itself.

However... staging has become a bit of a buzz word and a tool for agents to get their "foot in the door".  Nowadays, it’s not unusual to see an agents’ flyer or bus shelter ad offering “free home staging”. But is it really “free”?  Staging a home to look like a model home is actually a very involved process. It requires a stager to come in and do an evaluation and make recommendations.  Once that’s complete, the stager has to source the furniture and accessories and then make arrangements for everything to be delivered to the home. Once delivered, it has to be set up and organized.  Furniture requires a moving truck and movers to deliver and to pick up when the sale is complete. All this comes at a cost and it is a significant one. Staging can be upwards of 3, 4 or even $5000 dollars - and that’s per month for the rental and delivery!  If your home is on the market for multiple months the bill can skyrocket. A staging consult is generally free. This is when the stager comes in and gives you staging suggestions to help increase the value. Most agents will factor in the staging consult and the actual staging itself into their commission structure.  When the home is completely staged from top to bottom, the commission will be higher - it has to be, in order to cover the costs. Keep this in mind: if you list your home and have it completely staged by your agent and for whatever reason the home doesn’t sell (usually the price is too high), your agent is on the hook for the staging costs.  It can definitely be a big risk for the agent.

So, when you see something that’s too good to be true, chances are it is!

But do I suggest staging your home? Absolutely!

(I have a fantastic local stager that I use - Debbie Burton from Burton Interiors.  Even if you don’t hire me as your agent, I suggest you hire her!)