Staging an Empty house... worth it?

[PrincessMommy]

We're considering having our empty house staged for the market. It sounds like it will be about $2000 for 3 months. We don't get any money back if we sell it in less that time though.

 

Is it worth it to do?

[Teachin'Mine]

If they'll make it look awesome, I would do it. It sounds like it's a good market now, so put your best foot forward and hope for a quick sale. I would let potential buyers know that it is an immediate availability property so they don't think you'll need a lot of time to move out and all. Your realtor should know how to word this the right way.

 

Then again, some houses look big and beautiful when they're empty, but others are much more appealing when staged. Ask a realtor or two what they think - assuming they don't have a vested interest in whether you get it staged or not. :tongue_smilie:

[Mom in High Heels]

Can you stage it yourself instead of paying someone or are they providing the furniture? Staging is not hard if you have a few pieces of furniture. Can you borrow a few pieces from friends or family? You can find inexpensive solution to do it on your own for far less than $2K. Get a cheap card table and drape it with a sheet in the dining area and set it with dishes (dinner for 2 is popular). Take two folding chairs, drape some material around them and tie a bow with ribbon to catch the fabric and set them at the table. Take a blow up mattress and make it up with linens and a pretty blanket or comforter and toss a ton of fluffy and decorative pillows on it. If it's an elevated bed you're fine, but if it's a low mattress, set it up on some boxes or something else to give it height. Place some knick-knacks around, but not many. Just enough to make it look not so empty. Buy cheap LR chairs and/or a sofa at a thrift shop. If it's in bad shape, get a cover for it at WM or Target. Put a low table downFor $2K you can really furnish the house with inexpensive pieces from a big box store. Most stagers don't fill the house. They bring in a few pieces per room so it's not like it's a completely furnished house anyway. I'd much rather do it myself than pay someone. If the house doesn't sell, you can keep the stuff in longer.

 

I was a certified stager. I did not keep my certification up because I worked as a Realtor and used it to help clients rather than as a business.

 

To answer your question though, staging a home is a great thing to do and can help it sell quicker, but is not guarantee. I will say that the houses I convinced the owners to stage sold much quicker than those that didn't. Buyers have NO imagination. Can you afford the $2K? Can you afford to keep paying the mortgage if you don't stage it? Can you afford to keep paying the mortgage if you pay for staging and it doesn't sell? Does the stager offer a percentage back if the house doesn't sell within the staging period? These are things to think about.

 

Good luck.

[Alte Veste Academy]

Based on this thread, I don't think I would unless your house looks significantly better or the layout makes more sense when it is furnished. Our house just went on the market and it is beautifully staged. The pictures are taken and up for all to see (as suggested by a poster in that thread--thanks! :D), but in a month it will be empty and I think that's going to be fine too.

[elfgivas]

maybe it depends? my dear aunt's house was staged beautifully and sold as a result.

 

before the staging, it looked as it had since she moved into it in the 60's, with beautiful antique furniture, avocado green kitchen appliances, etc.... it felt like an old person's house, because it was.

 

but the buyers in the area were young families with kids, and this house and yard had a lot to offer a family like that; its why my aunt had bought it all those years ago. so my cousins removed all her furniture, the stager changed it into a thirty-something with kids house, and it sold in two weeks for more than the asking price. for them, it was so worth it.

 

i was surprised by the thread that a previous poster linked to, but then realized we are all homeschoolers; by definition, we have imagination. but most buyers really don't.

 

fwiw,

ann

[PrincessMommy]

maybe it depends? my dear aunt's house was staged beautifully and sold as a result.

 

before the staging, it looked as it had since she moved into it in the 60's, with beautiful antique furniture, avocado green kitchen appliances, etc.... it felt like an old person's house, because it was.

 

but the buyers in the area were young families with kids, and this house and yard had a lot to offer a family like that; its why my aunt had bought it all those years ago. so my cousins removed all her furniture, the stager changed it into a thirty-something with kids house, and it sold in two weeks for more than the asking price. for them, it was so worth it.

 

i was surprised by the thread that a previous poster linked to, but then realized we are all homeschoolers; by definition, we have imagination. but most buyers really don't.

 

fwiw,

ann

 

LOL.

[PrincessMommy]

Can you stage it yourself instead of paying someone or are they providing the furniture? Staging is not hard if you have a few pieces of furniture. Can you borrow a few pieces from friends or family? You can find inexpensive solution to do it on your own for far less than $2K. Get a cheap card table and drape it with a sheet in the dining area and set it with dishes (dinner for 2 is popular). Take two folding chairs, drape some material around them and tie a bow with ribbon to catch the fabric and set them at the table. Take a blow up mattress and make it up with linens and a pretty blanket or comforter and toss a ton of fluffy and decorative pillows on it. If it's an elevated bed you're fine, but if it's a low mattress, set it up on some boxes or something else to give it height. Place some knick-knacks around, but not many. Just enough to make it look not so empty. Buy cheap LR chairs and/or a sofa at a thrift shop. If it's in bad shape, get a cover for it at WM or Target. Put a low table downFor $2K you can really furnish the house with inexpensive pieces from a big box store. Most stagers don't fill the house. They bring in a few pieces per room so it's not like it's a completely furnished house anyway. I'd much rather do it myself than pay someone. If the house doesn't sell, you can keep the stuff in longer.

 

I was a certified stager. I did not keep my certification up because I worked as a Realtor and used it to help clients rather than as a business.

 

To answer your question though, staging a home is a great thing to do and can help it sell quicker, but is not guarantee. I will say that the houses I convinced the owners to stage sold much quicker than those that didn't. Buyers have NO imagination. Can you afford the $2K? Can you afford to keep paying the mortgage if you don't stage it? Can you afford to keep paying the mortgage if you pay for staging and it doesn't sell? Does the stager offer a percentage back if the house doesn't sell within the staging period? These are things to think about.

 

Good luck.

 

This was helpful. I just talked to the stager. I told her we did have some items we could use, she wants pictures. Our MB is already set up because we left our bed behind with a nightstand. I was thinking of only staging the family room (because the paint in there is so-so) and the dining room. Knowing that it could be nearly $2000 is helpful. We have several thrift shops around here I can find cheap furniture to cover, especially ugly dining room tables! LOL.

 

We own the house outright since we were there for nearly 20yrs.. But my husband is anxious to get it sold. So anxious, in fact, that I'm worried he'll take a low-ball offer just to be done with it.