About Home Staging

What Is Home Staging?

Home staging is the art and process of preparing a home going on the market to show off its best features and creating a positive first impression. Prospective homebuyers form impressions about your home within the first 10 seconds. Staging begins at the curb and extends throughout the entire house and beyond to the back yard. It includes de-cluttering, de-personalizing, rearranging, adding or taking away furnishings to showcase the space and features. Staging allows potential buyers to imagine your house as their own. The objective is to make a house look as good as possible to as many potential home buyers as possible, thus increasing its chances to sell quicker at the highest price. On average staged homes sell within 60 days and for 5-15% more than homes that are not staged.

Home ownership is an expensive investment. When you get ready to place a home on the market for sale it becomes a product. Just like all products it will have pluses and minuses. Your product will have competition. To gain an edge in your area real estate market you must be priced right and look better than the competition. You have to think like the buyer. This may be difficult to do because you may still have to live in the home until it is sold. A professional stager has an unbiased advantage and training to help you met your goals. When you sell your home, you're going to have to pack up and move. When executing two the most important principals of staging "de-cluttering" and "de-personalizing", you will get a jump start on your packing. It's a lot of work but you're going to have to do it anyway and well worth it when you're preparing your home to go on the market. It's staged to sell.

Staging FAQ's

Why should I hire someone to stage my home?
Buying and selling a home is an emotional process. As the seller-you have to switch gears to do whatever is necessary to make your home appealing to potential homebuyers. Most prospective buyers have a list of "must haves" for their new home. However, when they enter a house that feels like "home" it affects them emotionally and they tend to automatically re-prioritize their list.

It may be difficult for some homeowners to view their home the way prospective buyers will see it. We tend to look past things we see every day that may not be appealing to potential home buyers. Realtors can and will offer advice but they need to focus on marketing your property and negotiating offers to purchase, not de-cluttering or rearranging furniture. Staging professionals are trained to recognize the changes that will put the focus on the homes best features and space.

When should I stage my home?
Industry experts will tell you that vacant homes do not sell as well as furnished spaces. It's best to stage a property before it is listed on the Multiple Listing Service or marketed to other realtors and buyers. Over 80% of potential home buyers are going to the web to shop for houses before ever contacting a realtor to actually walk through the house. Staged properties look better in the MLS photos and the photos selected to be placed on the website are very important to entice the potential home buyer to want to see more and actually walk through your home.

Just because your home may already be on the market and it has not been staged doesn't mean it's too late. It's better to do something now rather than later. Remember-to gain an edge in your area real estate market you must be priced right and look better than the competition. The decision is "How serious am I about selling and how fast do I want to sell?"

What will it cost?
The costs will vary based upon the amount of work that is required and how much you choose to complete on your own. The basic verbal consultation fee is $75.00 per hour with a 2 hour minimum.

Remember that professional staging costs less than the first price reduction.

We've already moved and the house we're selling is vacant. How can you help me?
Vacant homes do not show well. Empty rooms look smaller than furnished rooms. It's difficult for a potential home buyer to visualize their furniture in the space. Empty rooms also confuse buyers. What is the space used for-a bedroom, office or den? If you do not have access to furniture and accessories then Lifestyles can offer options for the purchase or rental of furniture and accessories.

What is Interior Redesign?
Interior Redesign is using existing furnishings and accessories to transform rooms to suit you and your family that fits your lifestyle. We can add a fabulous facelift to your home using what you have and what you love by rearranging furniture and accessories as well as changing the purpose and functionality of the space. This is an affordable way to update and refresh the look of a room or an entire home. The cost varies based on the size of the rooms and starts at $250.00.

Can you help me pull my rooms together? I want a change but don't know what to do or what to buy.
Lifestyles can schedule a consultation to do a walk-through of the room or rooms. We will discuss your needs, budget, the functionality of the room and what you want to use and what you want to replace. Using the same principals as home staging it may be that all that is needed is to de-clutter, rearrange furniture and accessories, repurpose furniture and add color that will add the "WOW" factor to the space. After the consultation we will present you with the interior redesign plan. Prices vary based on the size of the interior redesign project, if we do the work or if you are a do it yourselfer.

I have no time to shop. Can you help me?
We offer a personal shopping service. Let us search for the ideal furniture or accessories for your home. We will work with you to put the finishing touch on your home. We also do Personal Shopping for Home Staging as needed.

Lifestyles Redesign & Home Staging
Ph: (540) 520-0912
Email Lifestyles Redesign & Home Staging
Serving Smith Mountain Lake, Roanoke, Lynchburg & the Surrounding Areas in Virginia