The Answer Is Both!

Now that you have decided to sell your home it is important to think about your house as a piece of merchandise that needs to be marketed to its full potential. More and more realtors and home sellers are realizing the benefit that staging a home can have on the outcome of the sale.  In the past home sellers were told to clean up, mow the grass, and maybe do a few repairs.  Today’s competitive real estate market requires a more aggressive approach and that is where home staging can help.

By definition interior design is the planning and execution of the layout and furnishings of an architectural interior.  Interior Designers are really artists with a visual eye for how to arrange furnishings and accessories to enhance the flow and welcoming feel of a room.  Interior Redesign is a term used to describe what home staging professionals do.  Home stagers are much like interior designers in that they are artists with a sense of how to arrange a room in the most appealing way.  The difference is that a home staging expert will design with an eye on marketing your home to have the broadest appeal to potential buyers.

This is where the science of home staging overlaps.  There is psychology involved in making people feel that a house could be their home.  The personal items that make your house feel like home can make a potential buyer feel out of place.  Home stagers work to neutralize this negative emotion which results in more prospective buyers feeling that they could live in this beautifully decorated  home.  As Elle MacKenna notes in her article “Is Home Staging Worth It?” “Home staging removes the need for buyers to look for potential because it showcases a property in its best light.”   The artistry of Interior Design combines with the psychology of human behavior resulting in a faster, more profitable home sale.

Whether it is art or science, statistics show that staging works.  If you are a home seller or realtor in the Indianapolis, Fishers, Carmel, Noblesville, or Westfield areas and you have real estate property to sell then a call to Stage2amaze should be on your list for getting your home market ready.  We know the Indy area real estate market and we can help you prepare your home to sell for top dollar.  So don’t wait, call today.

As home staging becomes more commonplace in real estate markets across the country, it is important to know some important facts about the staging industry and what to look for when hiring a home staging professional.

At this time, the home staging industry is unregulated. There is not an independent national organization (like ASID for Interior Designers) that certifies home stagers or real estate stagers, furthermore, there is no government oversight or licensing  requirements in most areas. This can make selecting the right home stager a tricky proposition. However, by remembering a few tips, you can be assured you’re choosing the right home staging professional for the job.

Not All Home Stagers are Created Equal

As the old adage goes, “you get what you pay for,” and this is no different when considering a home staging pro. Remember, you are selling your most valuable asset – your home. Look for the staging professional with the greatest competency, experience and professionalism, rather than the lowest cost. Sometimes cheaper stagers can have less experience and less access to the furniture and accessories required for large staging projects.

Stylistic Approach & Portfolio

A good rule of thumb is to always review the online (or hard copy) portfolio of any home staging professional you are considering. Make sure the stager uses furniture, artwork and accessories that add value to the home and increase its potential to sell more quickly. Be sure to verify that all photos represent the stager’s own work and are not stock photos. Also, look for the RESA logo on the stager’s website. This logo indicates the stager conforms to the Real Estate Staging Association’s code of ethic to only show the stager’s own work.

Check References

Having great design taste is one thing, but having good customer service is another. Because a stager’s dedication to their customers can’t be captured in pictures or a pretty website, it’s recommended to always ask for past references. Contact these references to inquire about their experience with the staging professional being considered.

Choosing the right home stager can be the difference between a home being on the market for a matter of days or a matter of months. Remember, you are selling your most valuable asset, and therefore the home staging process should not be taken lightly.