Home Staging - Cost versus Benefit
The price of Home Staging....is it worth it? That is always a question on the minds of home owners especially if their home is vacant.
It isn't cheap to bring in furniture and have it staged. There is of course the rental fee for furniture but it is also all the labor. The movers, the truck, the staging time to pack everything, stage the home and then come back and pack it all up when it sells.
So is it really worth it?
I recently staged a 1904 three story home that sat vacant for many months. Let's look at the cost versus the benefit of Home Staging for this architectural jewel in a classic neighborhood of St. Paul, MN
Cost...
1) The old cliché is true....Home Staging almost always costs less than the first price reduction.
2) In addition, Home Staging is usually less than the carrying costs for one month. Let's look at the costs involved in maintaining a vacant home:
Mortgage, interest, real estate taxes, insurance, water, heat, air conditioning, electricity, shoveling or lawn maintenance services, cleaning services, and maintenance upkeep.
Benefits.....well, a picture is worth a thousand words so let's count up the dollars in the following pictures by tracking the buyers reactions before and after Home Staging of this 1904 Three Story Upper End Home: Buyer before: "They want how much for this old house?"
Buyer Before: "What the heck am I going to do with this small room right off the Living Room?"
Buyer After: "What a great room for the kids to watch TV!"
Buyer Before: "This is kind of dark and dreary."
Buyer After: "Look at this stunning wood and original lead glass windows. And that built-in hutch that is 109 years old - Incredible!"
Buyer Before: "The kitchen is nice."
Buyer After: "I want this kitchen! The kids will love this bench for eating breakfast every morning."
Buyer Before: "Huff...ah, ah...after climbing three flights of stairs it better be worth it. This is it?"
Buyer After: "I can't wait to run up those stairs to get up here every night. I am heading off to soak in the tub and then curl up with a book on that window seat by the fire."
"Oh....that's right, give me the papers to sign and make it snappy."
So...which statements are your buyers saying? What is their reaction worth?
If the difference is getting your home sold in days versus months, may the benefits of Home Staging outweigh the costs?
Shar Sitter, owner Rooms With Style Home Staging and Redesign Minneapolis MN.
CHSE and APSD Home Stager Pro Trainer
If you would like to discuss the cost versus benefits of Home Staging for your property, please give us a call at 952-567-1124 or visit our website at www.RoomsWithStyle.com.
