TIPS ON HIRING THE RIGHT HOME STAGER

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By Heather Chotard ISP                  www.edmontonhomestagers.com

The biggest mistake home sellers can make when hiring a stager is to look at the price only. This can mean the difference between simply having a stager plunk down furniture in a vacant home or having a home stylist determine the correct demographics to target for a property, design a scheme to appeal to that group of buyers, and select items that best highlight the home features.

In a less complicated language-- staging isn't about putting furniture into a home it is about creating focal points, traffic patterns, room scale, and room balance within a home. An untrained individual does not understand these 4 main factors that go into staging a property.

I see bad staging all the time- Yep I said it! This is something that has been gnawing at me for a long time now.  Staging is all about adding value to the property and to showcase its features. With less professional stagers wanting to earn a quick buck in this industry I see careless work that quite frankly DECREASES the value of the home. Instead of the home being the star of the show, the ridiculously poor staging has become the thing that buyers most remember.  

What should home sellers know when they are choosing a stager?

Questions to Ask:

·         Does the stager have photos of work they have actually done?

·         Does the stager have a business card, a web site, a brochure? How professional is it? The first impression they make is a good indication of their work.

·         Does the stager have business liability insurance? This is a business not a hobby.

·         Does the stager have testimonials from satisfied clients?

·         How quickly have the homes sold that the stager has staged?

·         What is their opinion of the current real estate market in your area- they should at least have an opinion since they are in the real estate industry!

·         Ask how many homes they have actually staged. If staging a vacant ask how many times they have worked with a rental company and how that process will work.

·         Ask how long the project will take to complete.

If selling a vacant home your Stager should inform you how many AREAS will be staged.

·         Their proposal and contract should include specific areas so you know what you are paying for.

If you are paying for rental of accessories and furnishings, ask what sort of items will be brought in.  

·         I have heard horror stories of stagers saying “I think a few bathroom accessories are all that is needed” but the very next day, pull up to the listing with a truckload of items that the homeowners now have to rent. You should have a up-front idea on what will be going on before it starts!

Make sure you know the stager's bottom line is really the bottom line!

·         Ask the stager if the quote includes office time, transportation, taxes, assistant fees, the de-staging. You never want an extra bill at the end of the project, for things the stager “added” on to the invoice. Professional home stagers, give you the bottom line BEFORE the job commences.

Training and Education

·         This is a big one, ask for credentials! In the Edmonton market ,there are a lot of hobbyist’s that do not have the proper training to know what it truly takes to speed up the sale time on a listing.

Selling a home is an important financial and emotional decision. Just like hiring the right Realtor to market your listing, hiring the right Stager can make a crucial difference in how buyers experience your home.

All contents of this article are copyright by Heather Chotard ISP. Producing any part of this article without written consent is prohibited. 

Comments, concerns or feedback can be directed to www.edmontonhomestagers.com