The Best Home Staging Companies

Frequently Asked Questions

Introduction

Home staging can make a huge difference when you're selling your home. A NARS survey found that, on average, a staged home sells for 6% more than one that isn't staged.




If you're going to invest in professional home staging, you want to make sure you hire someone who's qualified and experienced. Keep reading to get answers to the most frequently asked questions about home staging before you make a hiring decision.



What is home staging?

Home staging is the process of professionally arranging and decorating a house, so it's appealing to buyers. The process typically includes adding decorations, rearranging furniture, and removing or adding furniture. Staging typically removes personalization from the home so prospective buyers can envision themselves living there.


How much does home staging cost?

Home staging includes an initial design consultation fee and then a charge per month per staged room. On average, the consultation costs $300-$600, and the monthly charge is $500-$600 per room. The price will vary depending on the size of your home, how long it requires staging, how much staging it needs, and the company you hire.


What does home staging include?

What you get with home staging depends on the type of package you order. However, a typical home staging includes:


• A deep cleaning
• Purging of personalized items around the home
• Reorganizing of everything
• Adding furniture and taking out furniture
• Sometimes, minor renovations and landscaping

Does home staging really help sell a house?

Yes, the data shows that home staging can help sell a house faster and for more money. For someone to be interested in your home, they have to be able to see themselves living in it. A home stager understands this and gets rid of any personal items that remind prospective buyers that others live there.


Should you set the table when staging a home?

Home stagers may have different perspectives on this, but generally, it's not recommended to set the table when staging a home. First, a set table makes the room seem more cluttered. Secondly, seeing a set table makes people focus on the items in the room rather than the room itself.


How do you find home staging clients?

One way to find home staging clients is through realtors. Real estate professionals can recommend your services to clients who are trying to sell a home that could use a “facelift.”




Another option is to browse local real estate listings. Find homes that have been on the market for a while or seem poorly decorated, and offer your services.


How do you do a virtual home staging?

Virtual home staging uses graphic design to alter the pictures of a home. There are staging apps and visual design platforms that make adjusting the images easy. Typically, virtual home staging is used with empty homes, so the owners don't have to rent an entire household's worth of furniture.


What is the best home staging certification?

The best, and most recognizable, home staging certifications in the United States are:


• Accredited Staging Professional (ASP) offered by Staged Homes.
• Certified Staging Professional (CSP)’s Staging Training certificate.

Additionally, you can consider joining The Real Estate Staging Association (RESA) and attending their home staging conferences.


What is the cost of staging a home?

The average cost of staging a room is $550 per month. It's important to note that you may not need to stage every room in the house. Let's say you decide to stage your kitchen, living room, dining room, and patio. If the house takes two months to sell, you'll pay around $4,400.



Where can you find furniture for home staging?

Home stagers typically have connections where they can rent out furniture for home staging. These may be event rental companies, local furniture stores, or other home stagers with a furniture inventory. You can try to rent furniture independently, but home stagers typically have access to industry discounts they can get on your behalf.


Can furniture be rented for home staging?

Yes, you can rent furniture for home staging, and this is the route most home sellers take. You don't want to invest in purchasing items when you plan to move out of the house, and the items may not fit your new home. Many vendors specialize in renting out furniture for home staging.


Is staging your home tax deductible?

The IRS states that home staging is a reasonable selling expense for both primary and secondary homes. However, if a home is staged and then taken off the market without being sold, the staging costs are no longer tax deductible.


Who pays for home staging, the seller or the agent?

According to a 2017 report by the National Association of Realtors, its usually the seller who pays home staging costs. However, a realtor may pay this expense when selling a luxury home. Additionally, you could negotiate that the agent pays for home staging before you list with them.


Can you buy home staging furniture?

Yes, you can buy home staging furniture versus renting it. Usually, sellers only do this if they think the furniture will work in their next home. Home stagers sometimes choose to buy home staging furniture, so they have an inventory for future clients.


What are some of the do’s and don’ts of home staging?

Some of the top home staging do’s and don’ts are:
Do:


• Focus on curb appeal
• Take professional photos after staging
• Declutter and reorganize
• Focus on spacing and light
• Complete a deep cleaning
• Consider painting and replacing rugs

Don’t:


• Invest in major renovations
• Stage with dated furniture

Can you rent appliances for home staging?

It's rare to be able to rent appliances for home staging. Appliances come in many shapes and sizes, so a vendor would need to have an incredibly expansive inventory.





If your appliances are out-of-date, try to clean them so they shine. Otherwise, it may be worth upgrading the appliances, as old appliances can really bring down the sale price.


Are there businesses that do antique home staging?

Yes, there are businesses that specialize in antique home staging. If you opt for antique furniture, make sure it matches your home. For example, antique furniture makes sense in a heritage home, but it may look out of place in a modern home.