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Why consider home staging? |
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| Home staging originated in Seattle, Washington and is better known on the west coast...sellers are getting up to 20% OVER asking price by utilizing home staging. But we live in the Midwest, so why would staging your house in Minnesota be beneficial? Consider these facts: |
- Staged homes typically sell faster and/or for more money than similar homes which have not been professionally prepared for sale.
- Pictures of Staged Homes look better than other homes, and more buyers are likely to ask to see your home in person.
- Buyers feel more comfortable inside a Staged home, and they stay longer. The longer the buyer is inside your home, the better your chances of getting an offer.
- Appraisers are more likely to appraise Staged homes at their full value.
- Realtors like to show Staged homes, so they will show it more often.
- Buyers view a Staged home as “well cared forand may be more lenient about negotiating repairs.
- Staged homes will compete more aggressively with new construction homes because they appear like newer model homes.
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"Staging speeds up sales in a sluggish market,and can bump up prices 2% to 10% in a moderate market. The biggest advantage occurs with luxury homes or in a market with bidding wars over properties, where effective staging can boost prices by 30% to 50%. " Wall Street Journal, April 30, 2003
Home staging” is not a new term, but for many homeowners and real estate agents the concept of “professional home staging” is shedding new light on how to promote a home in the real estate marketplace. In past years, homeowners were left to their own discretion as far as preparing for home showings. Though they could occasionally rely on an agent for instructions, more often than not real estate agents were just as perplexed at working out the details as the homeowner. While agents are experts in the field of selling and closing, many are not design savvy. Agents usually know exactly what factors can help sell a home. It’s just not always easy to get a home into selling condition in a timely manner without some sort of experienced assistance.
Professional home stagers are practiced in the art of preparing a home for resale. They work with the “flow” of a home, eliminate clutter, edit and arrange furniture, and even assist in enhancing curb-appeal. With the aid of a professional home stager, your house can make a notable first impression on potential home buyers." RealEstateABC.com |
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Improvement |
Typical Cost |
Increase in Sale Price |
Average return |
Agents recommend |
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Home Staging |
$212-$1,089 |
$2,275-$2,841 |
169% |
76% |
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Paint& Lighting |
$86-$110 |
$768-$935 |
769% |
84% |
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Clean, Declutter |
$305-$339 |
$2,093-$2,378 |
594% |
91% |
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Fix plumbing, electrical |
$338-$381 |
$922-$1,208 |
196% |
63% |
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Landscape & Trim |
$432-$506 |
$1,594-$1839 |
266% |
72% |
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Kitchen/Bath upgrade |
$1,546-$2,120 |
$3,823-$4,885 |
138% |
83% |
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Floor Repairs |
$1,531-$1,714 |
$2,267-$2,589 |
50% |
62% |
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Paint Exterior |
$2,188-$2,381 |
$2,907-$3,233 |
34% |
57% |
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Replace Carpeting |
$2,602-$2,765 |
$3,585-$3,900 |
39% |
65% |
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All amounts are in US dollars.
*2003 HomeGain Survey of 2,000 real estate agents nationwide found that moderately priced home improvements, ranging from $80-2,800, made in preparation for sale actually yield the highest returns when a house is sold. Increases for 2006-2007 are anticipated to be even higher.
Frequently Asked Questions and Answers |
Q. When should I stage my home?
Ideally, a home should be staged before it is listed on the market. NewHomeStoreRealty feels that the most critical time for home selling is the first two weeks on the market. This is when you have the most amount of interest in your home. You want to make sure your home looks its very best from the start so that buyers and their Realtors can SEE- not just imagine- your home’s potential. |
Q. My home was professionally decorated, so why should I have it staged?
The goal in decorating a home is to make it conducive to your lifestyle, and a specific reflection of the homeowner’s personality. The goal in staging a home is the opposite… we want to create a neutral environment that appears spacious, thereby appealing to the broadest market. While your home may be beautifully decorated, it would still be beneficial to have an expert come in to make recommendations on how you could de-personalize the home and appear to a larger pool of potential buyers. |
Q. I know my house has a few things that need to be repaired, should I fix them or sell "AS IS"?
As part of our initial consultation, we will work with you to target the items that will make a substantial difference in the sale of your home. Remember, you won’t always have to paint and begin a lot of home improvement projects to make your house more attractive. In many circumstances, we are able to create the right look by simply editing the furnishings and/or bringing in some greenery and accessories.
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Q. How long does it take to stage a home?
Depending on the size of your home and how many rooms we will be staging, the process can take as little as 1 to 3 days. Larger projects may take several weeks, depending on the work list and budget. |
Q. Can you use my existing furnishings?
Yes. As professional home stagers, we will use your existing furnishings in ways you may have never imagined. If additional items are required to complete the staging process, these will be mentioned in the completed initial consultation |
Q. Why should I invest money in a home I plan to sell?
Staging your home reduces the home’s time on the market. Homes for sale will be viewed most during the first two to four weeks. Making a great first impression during this critical time will help you sell quickly, thereby saving you mortgage payments, utility payments, association fees, etc. Investing in your home prior to putting it on the market will not only increase your properties marketability, but oftentimes, the initial investment will always be less than your first price reduction! |
Q. When is payment due?
NewHomeStoreRealty.com recognizes the importance of staging in today’s competitive selling market. Our success selling homes enables our team access to an exclusive professional stager/designer who we offer as part of our full service package at no cost to our clients. The only costs our sellers will incur will be material costs like paint or lighting or storage costs to de-clutter their home. |
Q. Can I do some of the staging myself?
Yes, we encourage your help when it comes to packing any collectibles, valuables, and other items of extreme importance. These are items you don't want to leave out anyway when your home is on the market for sale. There may be certain repairs that might need to be done, so we encourage that you either hire those tasks out or possibly repair them yourselves. Any critical repairs will be addressed in your initial consultation.
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Q. My home is vacant, does it need staging?
Definitely. It’s a proven fact that homes that are furnished sell faster! Buyers need visual cues to envision the potential of a space. We have our own rental inventory of furniture and accessories, and we also have arrangements with local vendors that allow us to provide you with furnishings on a rental basis |
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