Selling fast and selling for top dollar takes a little work. Staging your house will help you, but is it easy? Well, it is not as easy as you think. HGTV can do it in 1/2 hour, but that is not the reality of what really happens.
It is not only the actual time a Professional visits you at your house and gives you the recommendations that will resonate with buyers. It also then involves many hours of planning so that when the physical staging occurs it goes as smoothly as possible.
Here is a general break down of time spent on a single staging job for a house that is around 2000 square feet. This is staging by a professional who knows the process.
To begin the process of staging
2.0 hours – Preview the house with the client
3.0 hours – to layout and choose furnishings and accessories to accomplish a presentation that will resonate with the buying market
2.0 hours – for administrative work, invoicing, follow-through, booking help, logistics
5.0 hours – picking and packing accessories and furnishing
1.0 hour – loading and packing for moving furnishings
6.0 hours – to stage
1.0 hours – unpacking, re-shelving any take-backs that were not used in staging.
Total up to staging a minimum of 20 hours have been spent and that is for a 2000 square foot home, larger does take longer.
If a client needs assistance with shopping for items that can add 2 to 5 hours also invested in the project. We at Design Solutions KGP like to take professional images also which can take about 2 hours.
Then there is the other end of de-staging a property
3.0 hours – packing up furnishing and accessories
2.0 hour – unload the car
2.0 hour – to re-shelf and unpack furnishing and accessories
3.0 hours – of administrative work coordinating pick up and communication throughout staging with client
From start to finish a total of 30 hours not including travel time is spent on a single house staged. These numbers are averaged for a 2000 sq. ft. house. If the house is larger it takes more time than shown here.
Some people may think staging is expensive. The cost of staging will be less than the first markdown that will be taken on your home if it lingers on the market. If you have a professional stage your house, the money invested will give you a return. Typically a 6 to 10% return is the industry average. The costs that a seller will incur to sell a house, on average 10 to 12% of the listing price. To invest in the staging that will give you a return on your investment, it makes sense to stage.
So there you have it. Is staging easy? Yes if you have a professional that is involved in the entire process! Thinking of selling your house? The investment you put into home staging is the only one your receive a return on in the selling process. The value you gain from a professional stager is huge! The majority of work is done behind the scenes. Therefore you are ensured that the product delivered will assist in a quicker than average profitable sale of your house.
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