Every realtor and home seller wants one thing: to close on their property as fast as possible. If you’re also selling a property, there are many things you can DIY to make your home attractive to buyers. However, staging may not always be one of them.
In this post, we discussed 7 signs that it’s time for you to hire outside help to prep your home for selling. We also shared some red flags to watch out for when scouting for a house stager to ensure that your property is in good hands.
What is a stager?
A stager like us are professionals who prepares properties or homes for sale. Basically, our job focuses on uplifting the visual and functional appeal of your home, so it will be more attractive to buyers.
It’s our task to select and arrange furniture, decorations, artwork pieces, and other items that showcase your property’s best features. This way, potential buyers can picture their own belongings in your home instead of staring at an empty room or a place with too much “lived-in” atmosphere.
Still, knowing how to become a house stager is more than just putting furnishings together. It takes a team of interior designers, stagers, and movers to bring every room to life – something that can be overwhelming to do by yourself alone.
7 signs you need to hire a professional stager for your property
While there are many things you can DIY to improve your property’s appeal, staging may not be as easy as the others. Here are some tell-tale signs that you need the help of a professional stager:
1. You’re selling a vacant home.
If you’re selling a vacant home, whether it’s a new construction or previously occupied property, staging will boost its visual appeal.
Aside from that, staging a vacant property will help buyers visualize the potential of every room. It gives them an idea on how their own belongings will fit into the room while it also helps them visualize living in your property.
Staging will also prepare your home for professional photography. You can use these photographs to spruce up your online listing and attract more views from homebuyers.
If you’re still weighing the pros and cons of staging a house for sale, this very first sign might seal the deal for you.
2. Your real estate listing has been in the market for too long.
Is your online listing already gathering dust on the market? Or do you get very scarce views or showing requests? In that case, you should consider hiring a professional stager to breathe life into your old listing.
Stagers like our team at HolmeStage will give your property a fresh perspective to revive its market appeal. This will help present your home in a new light, which will make it stand out from other properties on the market.
Take note that many of the homes we staged were sold in just a few days. We have one that sold in just 5 days while others were closed in as little as 10, 12, or 18 days – much faster than the market average.
3. You’re selling a home in a competitive market.
In a competitive market such as Los Angeles and Greater LA, it can be challenging to sell your home fast. But with staging, you’ll have an added competitive edge over other home sellers.
Our home staging will also bring the latest trends to your home, so it will appeal to modern buyers. This will help you create a better impression on buyers and possibly close on your property faster as compared to the lack of staging.
4. Buyers always negotiate a lower price.
If you’re not getting your asking price, you should definitely hire someone to get your house ready to sell.
It’s possible that buyers have a lower perceived value of your home, which makes them negotiate a much lower price.
So, how can you make buyers see that your home is worth more? Well, the key is to guide their eyes through professional staging.
Upgrading the presentation of your home will have a massive impact on how buyers will see it. In fact, many of the properties we stage were sold thousands of dollars above the asking price. Some manage to get up to $75,000 by simply seeking our help.
When potential buyers can see the best features of your home, they can easily make an emotional connection
5. You’re too busy to rearrange your home.
Staging is not an easy task, and if you don’t have the time to rearrange your home, your best bet is a professional like us. We understand that there goes a lot more into selling than simply making your home look nice during showings.
So, instead of trying to haul everything on your own, you can call a team to handle everything so you can focus on marketing and entertaining interactions on your online listings.
Many of our clients tend to get overwhelmed by the thought of decluttering, picking new colors for the house, thinking about decorations, and the list goes on.
On top of that, the process gets even more complicated for occupied homes. It can be hard for homeowners to remove personal items, so they need another pair of eyes to ensure that there’s nothing to distract potential buyers.
6. You need minor repairs and additional items.
Do you need handyman repairs on your home? Or do you think your current furniture pieces are a bit underwhelming? You may be at a loss on where to start or how to get such items. But with a home staging service, you’ll have a one-stop provider for all these home improvements.
At HolmeStage, we provide minor repairs, painting services, and wallpaper installation. We also offer luxury furniture rental, so your home will have sophisticated-looking pieces that will boost the property’s perceived value.
Overall, if you want a total upgrade on your home’s appearance, partnering with a professional stager is your best bet.
7. You’re not sure what color suits your home.
Did you know that the wrong choice of paint color can cost you a sale? Instead of risking it with guesswork, you’ll benefit from the eye of our professional interior designer.
Our interior designers can pick the best color scheme for your home, ensuring that the colors of your furniture, walls, and accessories all tie up together.
Aside from that, we provide a consultation where we can walk you through the best color options for your home. This way, your property will appeal to a wide range of buyers, helping you sell fast at top dollar.
Red flags to watch out for when hiring a stager for homes
What is a home stager, and how do you hire one? Much has been said about what to look for in a stager, but we think it’s also necessary to warn you about some red flags that could sabotage your property.
Make sure you keep an eye on the following:
1. They hide problems, not help fix them.
While stagers are not home repair contractors, it’s still our job to advise home sellers about the right thing to do when their properties have damage.
So, if your preferred home stager uses sneaky tactics to hide signs of damage, you should look for another provider. This can spell trouble for you in the long run, not to mention that you’re inadvertently giving buyers the upper hand to negotiate a lower price.
In that case, look for a stager that advises you to prioritize repairs before staging. This is a sign that they truly want to help sell your home fast. It will also justify the home stager’s salary, especially if they charge quite a premium.
2. Lack of portfolio and references
Home staging is a very visual process, so if the stage you’re hiring can’t show a portfolio, it should immediately raise suspicions. This is often a sign of a lack of experience, which is not what you need when selling a home, especially a luxury one.
At the same time, ask the stager for references on their previous clients. If they can’t give any or if their past reviews are mostly negative, it may be best for you to look for another option.
3. Limited experience with your property type
Some stagers specialize in specific property types, like homes, commercial spaces, and so on. In that case, you should hire a stager with experience in staging the kind of property you have in LA.
For example, at HolmeStage, we are the trusted stager for all kinds of homes and luxury properties in Los Angeles. Our extensive portfolio speaks for our expertise and our experience in real estate.
Instead of inquiring how much does a home stager make and how much they will charge you, it’s best to focus on their experience. In the end, hiring professionals will give your home a much higher ROI.
Looking for a trusted professional home stager in Greater LA?
If you’re struggling with any of the situations we discussed above, feel free to contact our house staging company today! Our HolmeStage team can stage all home types and sizes – vacant or occupied. You can also choose to request full staging or partial service if you only wish to enhance certain areas of your home.
Why put your home selling to chance if you can have a strong competitive advantage? Call us today for a quick consultation to see how we can make it possible for your home!
