Done in a Day

What is Home Staging?

Home Staging is the process of designing a vacant home to sell quickly for top dollar. A professional stager will highlight the positives of the property and deflect the buyer's eyes from the negative aspects of the property through design.

Effective staging involves an overall design plan created for each property, room by room. The outside of the home is considered just as important as the inside. The design plan created ensures that the colors chosen and furniture and accessories used will appeal to the largest cross section of buyers for the property. For instance, creating an attractive focal point at the front door makes a positive first impression. Visual appeal is especially important as the National Association of Realtors reports that 77% of today's buyers first view their new homes through virtual tours on the Internet. Online pictures of empty rooms express little about the home.

Why does Home Staging work?

Vacant homes can raise many questions -- usually negative ones -- in buyers' minds. These questions can make buyers uneasy about the house and uncertain about making an offer. They may wonder, for instance, How will I fill the space with furniture? Why is the house vacant? Did the owner have a problem? Also, a vacant home leads the eye to whatever remains in the home such as the state of the paint or the age of the kitchen and bathrooms.

Home staging helps remove uncertainties. It lets buyers visualize the house looking its best, clean, clutter-free and attractively furnished down to details such as books and silk flowers.

A staged home shows well. It will be memorable to agents and buyers alike. Agents therefore will be more likely to make the home one of the top five they show their clients, increasing the chances of a quick and profitable sale.

Research by the National Association of Realtors in 2006 confirms that staged homes sell 50% faster and at substantially higher prices than unstaged homes.

When should I stage my property?

Ideally, staging occurs before the property goes on the market. This way the house makes an excellent impression from the very beginning. That impression gives the home its best possible presentation on the Internet, on marketing flyers created by agents, and at open houses for agents or the public. Furthermore, Done in a Day has proven again and again that the cost of staging will be far less than each reduction in price needed to sell a vacant home that remains on the market.

How can a Home Stager help me sell my property for more money?

All staging projects begin with a consultation. At the consultation, the stager will walk the property inside and out. The stager assesses each room in detail and points out exactly what needs to be done to get the home market-ready. The stager gives the seller ideas for fast and inexpensive changes that need to be made to "update" the property-- changes that will add directly to the bottom line sales price. These changes may include adding more lighting, new throw pillows, and updated towels and shower curtains. Other ideas may include interior or exterior painting, landscaping changes or handyman repairs.

How do I find a Home Stager in my area?

The Internet is most often the source of listings of local home stagers. It is also important to ask for referrals from friends and realtors. Once you locate a company that stages homes, ask for references from agents and sellers who have actually used the service. Ask to see the stager's portfolio of before-and-after pictures. Confirm that the photos are the stager's own rather than stock photos that she my have bought or have been given to launch her own website. Always get a contract in writing from the stager as well. Make sure it clearly spells out the details of what is included and excluded.

What does it cost?

Done in a Day's services may range from a few thousand dollars to tens of thousands, depending on the property size. The company believes the dollars spent in rapidly achieving a market-ready look will be a wise investment toward a profitable sale. We have also structured our business to work more quickly and cost-effectively than other stagers, using furnishings we already own. Savvy sellers and real estate agents know the bottom-line importance of selling a home quickly.

What can I expect to be done?

A stager will supply furniture, accessories, lighting, rugs, artwork, plant material, draperies and more. At Done in a Day, these items come from our warehouse with thousands of choices, all ready to use immediately. This allows us to work fast and economically compared to other stagers who buy or rent new items for each home. Our process typically requires

1½ days for a 1-bedroom condo
2 ½ days for a 3-4 bedroom house
4-6 days or more for a 5+ bedroom house (depending on size)

What are some fast and inexpensive ways I can design my own house to sell?

Make a modest investment in new items such as draperies, throw pillows, lamps, basswood blinds for the bedrooms, and color coordinated towels for the bathrooms. Many home stores such as Homegoods, TJ Maxx and Marshalls offer these items at prices below retail.

Done in a Day's market-ready checklist (available at www.doneinaday.com), includes others steps, such as cleaning the entire home, removing odors, repairing peeling paint or wallpaper, clearing out clutter, and removing excess furniture so a room appears larger.