To Stage of Not to Stage?

Let's face it, empty homes are not easy to picture yourself in. Even for a real estate professional that has purchased investment properties I sometimes find it difficult to imagine how the "end result" will look without a touch of emotion that furnishings can bring. That is, if the home I'm viewing is owned by an interior designer who knows exactly the right mix of  furnishings and accessories!! And how often does THAT scenario exist? So should the home seller invest in the home staging because they've heard how quickly their house will sell when it's staged? Or, do they try to make do with what they already own & the guidance of HGTV?

There are pro's and con's to both scenarios. Some questions to ask yourself: are my furnishing stylish but not outrageous, and in good shape? If so, you might be able to do it yourself IF you have a plan for the extra 50% of the furnishings you are NOT going to need. Now is not the time to keep everything on display because it's a matched set or grandma gave it to you for your wedding - put it in storage!!  Most staging companies will be happy to work on an hourly rate to offer ideas and suggestions while using your own materials to keep the cost down.

If you are hopelessly challenged in the furnishings department, a stager that has access to rental furniture may be the better way to go. Again, what may appear to be the greatest living room set to you may not be in the best interest of the house you are trying to sell and sometimes an honest, un-biased opinion is needed.

The statistics don't lie - a staged home will sell faster and generally for more money than one that is not. And in any market, isn't that what we want?