To Stage or Not to Stage - That is the Question

February 27, 2013
To stage or not to stage is a question that sellers who watch the TV home selling programs often ask their agents. Many of these TV programs show examples of how a property that has been on the market for a period of time will quickly sell once the professional "stagers" have "staged" it. As active as the market is now, should the seller take the time and spend the money to "stage" the property?
I have noticed that houses that are vacant do benefit from having furniture brought in and aranged in an appealing manner. The house becomes more of a "home". In fact, the majority of these "staged" properties do sell more quickly and often for a higher price.
How, then, does an agent answer a seller's query: "To stage or not to stage?"
As always, it depends. Are the sellers willing to spend approximately $1000-$2000? Sometimes, it is not obvious where the furniture would fit (against a wall or in the middle of a space). There is a reason new home builders have model houses.
If a seller has a limited amount funds, it may be more cost effective to do some updating to the property rather than staging. To stage or not to stage is a serious question and requires going over the pros and cons.