Home Staging – How to Choose a Stager
Home staging is considered the best way to prepare your house before it is listed for sale. But finding a professional stager may be a confusing process. Do a little homework to find just the right stager for your house, and it will be effort well spent.
1) Look for credentials. With the explosion of staging shows on HGTV, many people have left their day jobs thinking they are professional stagers. Unfortunately, watching a marathon of “Sell This House” does not qualify as professional training. Top quality home stagers are professionally trained in the art of home preparation by using proven staging techniques, design principles, and marketing strategies. There are no legal requirements for someone to call themselves a stager, so it is important that you check out staging credentials.
2) Ask about experience. Unfortunately, credentials are not enough. Look for a stager that has experience. Most experienced stagers will have a website with an online gallery for you to view. You may want to ask how many years have they been staging and what kind of projects have they worked on. A stager with many completed projects are able to bring hands-on work experience that will benefit you.
3) Check out references. A good stager will generate a good reputation. Contact a stager’s references to see what kind of experience they had working with the stager. Ask Realtors in your area which stagers they have worked with in the past.
4) Conduct an interview. Meet with a stager face to face to determine if you will be able to work with their personality and policies. Examine the terms of the Staging Agreement, and ask them to explain how you will benefit from staging. During this time, many stagers will give you a free estimate for their services.
INTERVIEW QUESTIONS:
What kind of staging training have you received?
How long have you been staging?
Do you have any references that I can check out?
Do you have a website and/or a photo gallery of projects that you have personally worked on?
What agents have you worked with?
What services do you offer?
How will I benefit from having my house staged?
Can I see the terms of your Staging Agreement?