This is a question that most people ask, and for obvious reasons. Whether you're an investor or a regular home owner, you always want to know what you're bottom line is going to be and how much marketing is going to eat into your equity/profit.

Generally I tell people "the investment is staging is far less than your first price reduction". This is true. A price reduction will generally start at $5,000 and go on up from there depending on the price of the home. Staging is not nearly that large of an investment and is definitely worth trying before you start lowering your prices. You will get an average of $3-$5 for every $1 you spend on staging and sometimes an even better return on your investment.

Depending on the size of the home, how much staging is done, and the quality of the furniture, you can plan to spend anywhere from $1000.00 to $3000.00 and sometimes more. Plus you will be paying a monthly furniture rental fee that will range generally between $300 and $500 per month, sometimes more. While to some people, this may seem steep, this is one thing you can spend your money on and KNOW you will get a return on your investment. It's just a proven statistic that staging works.

Now.. BEWARE of the home stagers that charge less than this, especially if it's dramatically less. Although from time to time, especially in the winter, home stagers may offer specials, etc you need to be cautious because this is one area where you generally will get what you pay for. If you get a bid from a reputable company for $1300.00 to stage your vacant home and another home stager offers the staging for $900.00 you may want to find out what all is being included and how many homes they've done. Not all home stagers are created equal. Get references, check out pictures and websites and ask for their statistics.

Last week we Staged this cute Taylorsville Condo. This was a stage we did for an investor. This was one they picked up, cleaned, and put back on the market. Staging was a must for this condo.



This is the Living Room/Dining Room area. Before we staged it, it was cold, uninviting and every flaw was noticeable. After it was warm and welcoming and showed off the space.

The Bathroom was outdated and sad. With the right accessories, it now has a "wow" factor. The countertop is less noticeable and not going to be the focus of the buyer's attention.

UPDATE: Under contract in just 12 days!!!

Before I went into home staging, I was a Realtor for several years. One of the biggest problems I faced when I showed a vacant home was that my buyer's always felt the home was very cold, and worse, the rooms felt smaller than they actually were. "Our furniture won't fit in this room" I heard over and over again even though I knew that wasn't true. Less than 10% of buyer's have the ability to "visualize". The space is what it is and they can't seem to see past that. Then I finally listed a beautiful vacant home that was in foreclosure and felt what it was like to be on the other side of that. My aunt from California suggested I hire a stager for the property, but when I began to search for one in Utah, I couldn't find one anywhere. I already had an interior decorating degree so it just made natural sense to combine it with my real estate background and start my own home staging company. It's just a simple fact that Staging will help your home (vacant or occupied) sell for at least 3-5% more and generally in 50% (or more) less time than if you left your home vacant or un-staged.

There is a true art form to real estate staging. There's certain things that help a buyer "mentally move in" and things that somehow turn a buyer away. Because of my experience in real estate, I know the things to do to help this process along. The placement of a sofa, the colors used, how much furniture is too much or too little... that's what I'm skilled in.