Frequently Asked Questions
How much does real estate staging cost?
The cost of staging depends on the level of staging you choose. If you choose for me to do all the staging for you, costs vary depending on the size of the home, the amount of our furniture/accessories placed in your home, and the number of rooms that require staging. An accurate estimate can be provided after a brief FREE in-home consultation. That estimate will include the staging fee, your first month's furniture/accessory rental fee (if needed), and the delivery and pick up fee. It will also give you a brief description of the work to be done. Keep in mind, statistics show that staged homes almost always sell faster and for more money than un-staged homes. It truly is worth the cost! See my success stories here and then contact me today to set up your consultation!
DIY Consultation: If you go with the DIY consultation, the fee is a very reasonable $175. The consultation lasts up to 2 hours at your home during which I'll explain to you how to best prepare your home for sale. We'll discuss furniture arrangement, paint, flooring, accessories, window treatments and easy upgrades etc. I do my best to focus on the "must dos" and try to keep the changes as budget friendly as possible with suggestions that keep costs down but still give the wow effect. To help you "Envision" what I have suggested during our consultation, I will follow up our meeting with an email with information that we discussed such as pictures of ideas I recommended, paint colors, possible contractors etc. From there you can choose to make the changes on your own or hire me to do the staging work for you. You can also choose to do some of the work yourself and just hire me to help with certain elements such as furniture arrangement or drapery hanging etc.
Is there a rental fee if Envision Design & Staging LLC needs to add furniture and accessories to my home when it is staged?
Yes, however the first month's rental fee can be included in the initial payment along with the cost to move the furniture etc into and out of your home. The fee is kept VERY reasonable in comparison to renting furniture from a rental company. The rental fee is charged monthly and is not prorated. The rental rate varies depending on what items are placed in your home. Also, keep in mind that most of my staged listings sell in under 1 month. I highly recommend keeping the staging in place until after the home has been appraised.
Can I help choose what furniture/accessories are used in my home?
Sure, IF I am designing the space for you or decorating your space for the season! However, when staging your home for sale, the answer is no. In this case, I am not designing a living space for you. I am staging or neutralizing your home to appeal to multiple buyers. I help buyers "Envision" themselves happily living in your home. I have experience with choosing items that achieve this goal so I will make the choices of what items come into your home. You of course can designate the amount of items by the cost that you feel comfortable with. I work with you to make sure that we stay within your budget, however, this can limit the amount of items I bring to your home and in turn, the overall effect of the staging.
How long does the process take?
There is always an initial in-home consultation. Following the consultation I will provide you with a written proposal for the cost within 2 business days. Once you agree, we will decide on a date and 1/2 of the total cost will be collected at contract signing via a credit card or cash. I can typically begin staging within 5 days after the agreement is signed and the deposit is made. The staging will take approximately 2-8 hours depending on the size of the home. At times, I will return to bring an additional item which will only require a brief visit. As a licensed Realtor, I do have a lock box key so if your home is listed by a Realtor, I can take care of things without you needing to be home to let me in. The final half of the staging fee is due upon completion of the staging. After that a monthly rental fee is charged IF your house doesn't sell in that first month. Typically the homes that I stage sell within the first month!
What payments do you accept?
I accept cash, check, or credit for the initial payment. I will give you a payment date detail on our staging agreement. Prior to staging, 1/2 of the initial charge is due at contract signing. The balance is due the day of staging. If I placed furniture or accessories in your home, a rental fee is charged every 30 days until the furniture is removed. The first month's rental fee is included in the initial payment.
Do you stage occupied homes? What if items are damaged?
Yes I do stage occupied homes however, I will not place any "soft" items that are owned by Envision Design & Staging LLC in occupied homes due to wear and tear that can easily occur to these types of items when people/pets are living in a home with them. If you'd like, I will make suggestions on purchases of soft items like slip covers, bedding or throw pillows but they will be yours to keep and you will purchase them. I can shop for you for an hourly fee on top of the cost of the items purchased. I would of course stay within your allocated budget. Any damage to accessories etc will be addressed per item and severity of damage. I ask that you take care with items that I place in your home BUT I completely understand that accidents do happen.
Do you own your own furniture and accessories or do you use a rental company?
To keep your costs down and to remove the frustration of dealing with a rental company, I use my own inventory. As my company grows, I will continually reinvest in it by purchasing more furniture and accessory inventory.