.jpg)
FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS
“You can’t list a house without staging it, unless it’s going to be a teardown.”
Fiona Dogan with Sotheby’s International Realty, N.Y.
WHAT IS HOME STAGING?
Home staging is a proven and effective sales technique that integrates decorating with marketing to create an experience for home buyers. It’s the visual presentation of a property, clearly defining each space to sell a lifestyle. The process focuses on eliminating all distractions, or negatives, within your home to draw the focus to the best-selling features of your home, to maximize your property’s potential in the eyes of potential buyers.
“Love is blind. Once a buyer falls in love, forget logic. Suddenly the “must haves” on their real estate list don’t seem so necessary." Debra Gould, The Staging Diva
WHY DOES HOME STAGING WORK?
Home staging works because it creates an emotional connection with buyers. Buyers need to “see” themselves living in the space and most buyers cannot visual that. And thanks to HGTV, Pinterest, Houzz, etc, buyers now expect more. They want to be wowed.
“Buyers stay in a vacant home an average of 5 minutes but will linger in a furnished home an average of 40 minutes. And the longer a buyer remains in a home, the more likely they are to buy.” National Association of Realtors
WHAT IS YOUR STAGING PROCESS?
Our staging is carefully planned based on the price point of the home, square footage, the demographic of the likely buyers, the beauty and functionality of each room, the photography and traffic flow at open houses.
“God is in the details,” Ludwig Mies van der Rohe, Architect
WHO ARE SOME OF YOUR CLIENTS?
We work with many different types of clients involved in home sales or even home rental. We work with realtors, homeowners, investors and rehabbers.
HOW DO YOU DETERMINE PRICING?
Home Sweet Home evaluates each project individually. Our stages are cultivated and our process is organic not cookie cutter. Just like no two properties are alike, no two stages are alike. Our pricing is all-inclusive of design, delivery, installation, furniture, art, accessories and deinstallation once the home sells. Our agreements are for 60-days, which we feel better serves our clients because the stage will stay through the appraisal process.
“Sellers who don’t stage a home before it’s listed risk losing out to comparable staged homes.” Christopher Barrow, Foundation Homes Property Management, California.
WHY CAN’T I LIST MY HOME, TEST THE MARKET AND THEN STAGE IF I HAVE TO?
Because there is only one first impression.
WHAT QUESTIONS SHOULD I ASK A HOME STAGER?
1. Can I see before-and-after photos of jobs you’ve handled?
2. Can you explain what you did and why?
3. Do you usually stage all the rooms in a house or condo, or just a few key rooms? Which ones?
4. Do you recommend taking down artwork and curtains and removing most accessories?
5. Do you have access to a staging inventory that you own or rent? If the furnishings will be rented, how long is the rental period?
6. Can any of my client’s furnishings be used for staging, and if so, which ones?
7. Do you recommend other improvements, such as painting, polishing floors, or resurfacing kitchen cabinets if you believe it’s required?
8. Do you offer expertise concerning the property’s exterior?
9. How will the seller be charged? Is it by the number of rooms, hours on the clock, or a flat fee for the entire project?
10. Can my client get the specifics of your staging proposal in writing?
HOW LONG DOES IT TAKE TO GET STAGED?
A typical timeline is 5-7 business days, from the time the contract is signed and full payment has been received.
DO I HAVE TO PAY UP FRONT?
Yes, all services must be paid at the time the agreement is signed. We do not accept payment at closing.
DO I HAVE ANY SAY ABOUT WHAT GOES INTO THE HOUSE? CAN I PICK OUT THE FURNITURE?
We ask that you trust our trained and experienced stagers on staff. We want to appeal to a broad demographic of buyers and not personal taste. Staging is marketing not interior design. We have completed our market research and are aware of what styles and decor best suit a listing and help a home stand out from competition.
DO YOU USE PROFESSIONAL PHOTOGRAPHY?
Absolutely. With 95% of buyers viewing homes online before viewing in person, we know how important great photography is. We partner with a professional photographer on all of our projects at our cost.
Phone: 609-389-8361