Can I Afford a Home Stager?

Ever dream of your home looking like it came out of an interior design magazine? A home stager can give your house that special touch. When selling your home, hiring a home stager can transform your house from its blah everyday appearance into a showcase.

What is a home stager?
For some, a home stager may be a relatively new idea. Most home sellers know about listing agents, mortgage brokers, even the attorney needed for closing, but home stagers? A home stager can be a valuable resource when you’re getting your house ready to sell by making it more universally appealing.

A home stager does this in a few ways. First, using interior design, the home stager can create an eye-catching look by rearranging your own furniture. For a price, she can even decorate with rented furniture. Also, the home stager may help cleanse your house of clutter and create a sense of flow in the house, making it all work together. Your home shouldn’t be just a collection of nice rooms, but almost a work of art that draws you from one room to the next.

What does a home stager cost?
Hiring a home stager does cost money, from a few hundred dollars to several thousand depending on the level of service you choose. The least expensive option is to hire a home stager to walk through your home and offer advice on what to change. You can then make those recommended improvements yourself. Or, for a larger fee, you can hire your home stager to rearrange the furniture and décor that you already own. If the home stager brings in rented furniture and has you hire professional painters, then the price can quickly escalate.

The cost of using a home stager depends on a few basic factors.

• The size of your home: A 2500 square foot house won’t cost as much to spruce up as a 5,000 square foot home.
• The condition of your home: If your home shows the wear and tear of its age, it requires a bit more elbow grease to properly stage it for sale.
• How much clutter you have: If you live a Spartan existence devoid of clutter, the home stager may have an easier time sprucing up your place.
• How willing are you to make improvements yourself: If the home stager recommends that you repaint a few rooms, you’ll save money by knocking that out yourself in one weekend.

No matter the cost, a home stager can help your home stand out in a slow market and keep you from having to drop the price. Even in a hot market, using a home stager can make your home stand out from the rest and open it up to multiple offers.