Staging Q & A's
Jennifer of Caledon Asks: "How much would it cost to stage my home, and is it worth it?"
Christina: If you have been attentive to your home and maintaining the structural issues as they come up, the preparation involved may be minimal, but still important. Most homeowners may need to invest as much as 1 - 2% of the value of their home to prepare it for sale. The National Association of Realtors surveyed staged homes in 2007 and found that if a home was staged the average cost to repair and touch up was about $1,000. To add some 'wow factor' could cost an additional $1,500 - $2,000 to really get the attention of the buyers.
Now the return on that investment makes it quite worth it. In a hot market the value may attract a possible multiple offer situation, which always puts the seller in the driver's seat. In a slower market, it may be the eye-popping effect that gets the attention of that one buyer out there looking for a home in your price range.
Statistics put together by the National Association of Realtors suggests that sellers who stage their houses could receive as much as a 7 - 11% increase and sell in half the time than those who don’t. Here is a chart that shows what that could mean:
| Unstaged | Staged | Return on Investment |
| $200,000 | $214,000 to $222,000 | $14K to $22K |
| $300,000 | $321,000 to $333,000 | $21K to $33K |
| $400,000 | $428,000 to $444,000 | $28K to $44K |
| $500,000 | $535,000 to $555,000 | $35K to $55K |
Of course there are no guarantees on the sale of every home, but it is safe to assume it will sell for more if you take the effort to prepare it. A five percent gain is achievable. Not bad for possibly a few weeks of hard labour. To make it even easier, ask me about my complimentary "Decorator for a Day" programme, which I offer to my listed clientele. This includes a staging consultation and a painter/tradesman for a day to take care of all the details required to professionally prepare your home for sale. My team also includes a real estate stager that can provide fabulous decorating details if you really want to impress your buyers! Check out this short video that shows how important it is to stage and prepare your home for sale.