What are the True Costs of Home Staging? (And Why it can be Worth it)

One of the biggest pieces of advice that San Diego sellers hear is to stage their home before they sell it.  But what does home staging entail? 

At its core, home staging is investing in the right décor and furniture to present the house to buyers in the best light.  But spending money to sell a house is often off-putting for many homeowners.  

However, staged homes are off the market more than eighty percent faster and bring in offers twenty percent higher than homes that have not been staged within the same market.

The Bottom Line

The costs of home staging from a professional will depend greatly on how much the home is worth.  A larger, more expensive home is going to need more areas staged.  

Most staging agencies will charge a consultation price that can range from three hundred to six hundred dollars.  Once they decide what they are staging they may charge five to six hundred dollars per room to keep it staged for one month.

To save the agency the hassle of a home selling within a few days and clients deciding they do not need the services for one month, the agency will have a minimal staging contract.  This means that even if the home sells in a few days the San Diego seller is responsible for paying for the entire month. 

Staging is especially important for sellers who have already moved into another property. But they should keep in mind that it is hard to imagine living in a home when it is empty.  

Buyers love to walk through a home that is well put together.  Spending money to stage is worth it when buyers make higher offers quickly.  

Added Expenses

Trying to estimate expenses without talking to a home staging agency can be difficult.  Most agencies will try to use the existing décor and furniture in the home before they make any new purchases.  A home that has already been well cared for and neatly decorated may need less work than the empty property that has no furniture left inside.  The more items the agency needs to stage the home the higher the cost.

Some home staging agencies need extra help when moving large items.  If there are many heavy items to rearrange around the home they may hire outside help to move these pieces.  This of course adds another cost to the staging process.

Cutting the Costs

Home staging can cost thousands of dollars.  Even though that money could be made back once the sale is complete there are homeowners who do not have that kind of money available to shell out.  Even though a professional staging agency makes the process easier there is no rule that they have to stage the entire house.

Choose the rooms that need the most help or the ones that buyers are going to focus on.  Buyers are often most interested in the living room, kitchen or dining area, and the master bedroom.  Also be aware that the first impression a buyer gets from a house is the front entryway and that should be staged, as well.  

There is another option to get staging help from a company.  Some companies will do a consultation where they provide hints and tricks to the homeowner to stage their home.  But ultimately once the staging agency leaves it is up to the homeowner to execute these tips. Most agencies will charge a little over one hundred dollars for this type of consultation.  

Deciding to stage a home is an investment in getting more money from the sale and to closing sooner.  This is a big investment and it is understandable not all homeowners want to spend that money. Take steps to reduce the costs of staging or simply ask a staging company for their advice.  Whether staging with a company or without it is sure to help once buyers start walking through the home.