Home sellers are getting savvier
about staging, local experts say.
Home staging is the process of setting a scene in a home – one
that's intended to make the house inviting to the broadest range
of potential buyers.
It might involve a streamlining or reorganization of belongings,
a simultaneous reduction and introduction of accessories, plants
or lamps, and a host of other face-lift activities.
Today, thanks to increased news media attention and the
popularity of HGTV decorating shows, more homeowners are looking
to reap the wisdom of stagers as much as a year before putting
their home on the market.
"I think staging is an excellent way to prepare certain homes
for sale," said Jim Haisler, association executive for the
McHenry County Association of Realtors.
"I do think we're seeing more of it. Five years ago, I didn't
know what staging was."
Home stagers often pitch their service to home sellers as an
alternative to dropping the asking price when their home isn't
selling – a more common occurrence over the past year.
While the median sale price for homes in Illinois was up in 2006
over the previous year, total home sales dropped 8.9 percent
from the record high in 2005, the Illinois Association of
Realtors reported.
With homebuyers increasingly turning to the Internet to scout
for homes before they shop in person, staging is key to
presenting an impressive image online, said Mary McDonald, owner
of Re-Creating Interiors and a Broker at Re/Max Unlimited
Northwest in Cary.
McDonald often blends staging into the services she provides as
a Real Estate Broker. "The way we live in a home, and the way we sell a
home, are completely different," she said.
What's the cost?
Home stagers generally charge by the room or by the hour, but
services can range the gamut.
Stagers' hourly rates vary from about $100 to $300. Furniture
rental, if available, generally costs extra.
Cary-based stager and Broker Mary McDonald said a project
typically takes her a couple of hours.
