As with any service, a watertight home staging contract protects you, as the homeowner or realtor, and us, as the staging provider. With that said, it’s crucial that you fully understand what’s included – or not – on the fine print before you sign the agreement.
In this post, we’ll discuss the importance of a staging contract and the key components of a home staging agreement template. Keep reading to see what’s missing on your current agreement and why it’s important!
Why do you need a staging contract in the first place?
Having a home staging contract can save you from a lot of troubles, especially when preparing a high-value property for selling. Here’s why you should always ask staging companies like ours to provide a written agreement:
- Setting expectations. With a home staging contract, you can clarify who’s responsible for what during the project. This includes the number of stagers, movers, and who the project manager will be, among other details. Through this, you can hold the home staging company accountable while preventing confusion.
- Defining the scope of work. Our staging services can be full or partial, vacant or occupied. We will always define this in the contract to ensure you and our team fully understand the deliverables. This is also to avoid ‘scope creep,’ where additional tasks may add up and inadvertently cost you more.
- Enjoying legal protection. Aside from practical reasons, having a well-defined home staging contract template will protect you during disputes. For example, you can go after the staging company if they fail to deliver what’s expected.
- Clarifying the costs and terms. Every home staging contract sample will have a clear payment section. Here, you should see the specific fees for the service, when payments are due, payment methods accepted, and a dispute clause. This way, you can plan your home selling budget easily and avoid any surprise fees.
Key components of a home staging agreement
Whether you’re drafting a custom agreement or using a sample home staging contract, make sure that you’re aware of the following components before signing the deal:
1. Parties involved
The first thing you’ll see on every home staging contract of agreement template are the names of the people involved in the project – and for very important reasons.
First of all, you have to know who the people you’re going to work with are when staging your property. This way, you’ll have a point of contact with the house staging company.
This includes your name, your designation, the name of the company’s representative, and your property address. Depending on the specific contract, this section may include more information.
2. Description of services
Another important component of a home staging contract is a complete list and description of the services you’re going to get.
For example, here at HolmeStage, we offer staging, luxury furniture rental, basic home repair, and so on. We always include a complete breakdown of the services on our client’s contract to avoid confusion as we work on the project.
And if you’ll request any furniture rental, we will also provide an inventory of the items we will deliver to your property together with the rental duration. At the end of the staging contract, we will be using this list to check if every item is intact and will return to our warehouse.
3. Scope of work
It’s also important that your staging contract indicates which are included and not on the service. It should also define the objectives of the staging, which could include your target audience and purpose.
Aside from that, the agreement should also state how the items will be delivered to your property, either through in-house deliver or pickup. Above all, make sure that there’s a section that indicates the company’s post-staging responsibilities, from picking up all the rented items to cleaning up the property in preparation for the closing.
4. Project timeline
Your contract should state when the staging will begin and when it will end. At the same time, you should check if there’s a renewal clause where you can extend the rental duration should your property fail to close within a specific timeline.
Aside from start and completion dates, a house staging company like ours will provide you with milestones or key points throughout the staging project. This includes the consultation dates, installation dates, due dates, and so on.
5. Payment terms
Finances are one of the most crucial parts of every business contract. For home staging, the agreement should include all applicable fees, the schedule of payments, and the payment installations if it applies to you.
Aside from that, there should be a clear explanation of additional fees, such as penalties for delayed payments or extra payments for future services. At the same time, this section should indicate what the payments don’t cover (say, packaging materials or delivery fees).
6. Photography and publicity release
For this part, the home staging company, like us, will clarify the terms of the professional photography that will be done after staging. This should clarify the inclusions of the photography services when the photos will be released, and who has the rights to the materials.
Aside from that, it should be clear that the photos, videos, and materials produced will be used for marketing purposes. It should also state the platforms where it can be posted and who will be liable in case disputes are raised over the materials.
7. Client consent
When you look at a staging contract sample, you might see a part that says “Client consent”. This is where you, as the homeowner or realtor, will agree to the terms of the contract.
For example, you agree to provide the staging company permission to enter the property during the project or you allow the company’s agents and contractors to have access to the place. It can also include a statement about permitting the stagers to rearrange the property interior or exterior upon their discretion.
8. Release and waiver
The release and waiver section is where you define who’s responsible for what, especially in terms of liabilities or assumption of risk.
This could be as simple as the home staging company being responsible to patch up holes on the walls after staging. On the other hand, it can also be a ‘hold harmless’ clause as well as limitation of liabilities.
At the same time, this is where we also indicate our insurance coverage and what we will be financially responsible for as a home staging company. With that said, you should hire stagers who have comprehensive insurance coverage, especially if it will be a huge and high-value project.
9. Dispute resolution
All property owners wish nothing but for the staging project to go smoothly so they can find a buyer ASAP. But in the event that something goes awry, you also want to know how to approach the problem.
This is where the dispute resolution clause on your staging contract comes in handy. Here, we will outline how we will resolve disputes, either through financial settlements or through arbitration. This way, we can prevent the issue from escalating into legal action.
10. Termination clause
The termination clause of your staging contract will outline the conditions or circumstances to which any party may terminate the agreement. This can apply unilaterally or bilaterally, so make sure you read the fine print closely.
At the same time, this part will include the other party will be informed together with the notice period necessary. Make sure that your staging company also indicates item returns or refund terms to avoid any complications.
Don’t hesitate to discuss this with your stagers, especially if you have a huge property to stage and you forecast a long stay in the market.
11. Signatures
The last, but definitely not the least important, part of every staging contract are the signatures of the involved parties. This should include the complete names, signatures, and dates of when the terms were accepted by both parties.
Take note that contract signatures can be deal-breakers, so make sure yours are all filled out!
Want to learn more about our home staging terms? Contact HolmeStage today!
If you want to learn more about home staging and its inclusions, feel free to reach out to us at HolmeStage! We are a full-service home staging provider serving Los Angeles and the Greater LA area.
Our team has 11+ years of real estate experience, and we can stage both occupied and vacant properties. We also offer flexible options where you can choose either partial or full staging, depending on your needs.
At HolmeStage, we can stage all home types and sizes. Our goal is to turn your property into a buyer’s magnet, even in a tough market like Los Angeles.
If you want to know more about home staging services, contact us today to schedule a consultation. We can also give you a free, no-obligation estimate! Let’s talk and see how our home staging in Los Angeles can help you sell your property fast and above the asking price!
