If you’re about to list your home to sell, you may have heard that staging is a good idea. What does this mean, exactly? How much does it cost to stage a house? More importantly, is the expense worth the investment?

Staging a house just means decorating the house to make it more appealing to potential homebuyers. While there is some staging you can do on your own, hiring a professional stager is a great way to make the process easier and more effective. Home stagers know what appeals to buyers in your area, and can help your home to sell more quickly, because they can decorate in a way that helps buyers see themselves living in your home.

Does home staging live up to the hype? Does it really make a big difference in selling a home? According to research from the National Association or Realtors (NAR) and the Real Estate Staging Association (RESA), it absolutely does. NAR reports that 82 percent of buyer’s agents say staging makes it easier for buyers to envision themselves in the home, and RESA’s information indicates that 73 percent of staged homes sold about $40k over the list price, on average. That’s a pretty impressive return on investment!

So what, exactly, is the investment involved? How much does it cost to stage a house? This largely depends on the house itself, but the average is about $1,500, with a range of about $600 to $4,000. Larger homes will cost more to stage, but there are other factors involved, too. Let’s break down what the cost entails.

  1. The initial consultation costs anywhere from $150 to $600. During this meeting, which takes about two hours, the stager will take you through the proposed staging and discuss how much the project should cost. The average project can range from $800 to $1,000, not including the cost of renting furniture.
  2. Staging a room costs between $500 and $600. Of course, when you’re doing room-by-room staging, more rooms mean a higher cost.
  3. Some stagers charge by hour. This hourly rate can range from $25 to $150.
  4. Furniture rental costs between $500 and $600 per room. Depending on the number of rooms you have staged, this could be about $2,000 per month while your home is listed.
  5. Sometimes, the stager can use your current furniture and décor. If this is the case, the cost will be significantly less, because it will just be for decluttering and rearranging your space. The cost for this is usually about $800, but if you’re willing to do your own decluttering, it can be less than that.
  6. You may need to do some home maintenance projects. The stager may notice things you haven’t considered, like cabinets that need to be refinished, light fixtures that need updating, or walls that should be painted in a neutral color. The cost for this will depend on what needs to be done.
  7. If your home is vacant, staging could cost more. This is because all of the furniture and décor will need to be rented. However, vacant homes that are staged spend much less time on the market.
  8. There may be a minimum staging contract. In some cases, the stager will require a three-month contract, which could mean unnecessary expense if your home sells quickly.

Of course, there are some ways to cut down on the cost of staging. You can choose to stage only a few rooms in your home, focusing on the rooms that will make the most impact. This could be because those rooms are stunning features of your house that you’d like to play up, but it could also be because they don’t show well and could use a boost from staging. If your belongings can be used in the staging, that can also reduce costs. Some stagers offer a consultation without providing staging services, if you would just like advice on how to do it yourself. There’s also “soft staging,” in which only décor is updated, not furniture, and “virtual staging,” which involves digitally inserting furniture into an empty house. Talk to your real estate agent about the best option for you.

Selling your home doesn’t have to be a stressful experience, especially when you partner with a company like  Vutech | Ruff, Corcoran Global Living. We provide outstanding service, assisting with just about every aspect of real estate while maintaining the highest level of professionalism. Our award-winning agents have years of experience selling homes Columbus, Ohio area. Call 614-706-0122 or contact us through our website so we can get to work for you!