Can you afford not to stage?

Hi there… back again to talk about home staging. In the current real estate environment it is becoming more of a “must do” than a “nice to do”.

Staging is an investment in getting your home sold that will help you get your house sold more quickly and for a higher price than you might get otherwise. Remember, staging is always going to be cheaper than a price reduction.

As far as we can determine, Homebodies Realty is the only selling agent team in the Charlotte area that includes staging as an option when listing your home. We simply add 1% to the commission and handle the rest. Also, with other stagers you pay the cost of staging up front. With The Homebodies Team you only pay for the staging at the time of closing and do not pay for staging at all if your home does not sell. This really gives us, as your agents, a “vested” interest in the sale of your home. We give free staging advice to sellers whose home is still occupied and only provide full staging services in vacant homes.

If you watch the shows on HGTV or other cable channels you can pick up some helpful hints on getting your home ready to sell. However, sellers cannot always be objective about a house they have lived in and really need 3rd party advice to insure the most effective staging project.

According to the Association of Home Staging Professionals, HSP staged homes sell, on average, in 35 days and in this market it can save sellers lots of time & money.

A recent study by HomeGain.com shows that a $230 - $370 investment in paint and lightening and brightening a home will bring on average a 355% return, clean & de-clutter, a 587% return and professional staging can bring as much as 343% return on investment.

There are many people getting into home staging these days. Beware! Make sure your stager has references, photos of their work, great resources for labor such as cleaners, window washers, painters etc. and understands the real estate market.

Hope you are enjoying the tips we are sending along. I welcome your feedback.