Last spring I worked with Becca from Grey Duck Staging & Design to sell a home that had previously sat vacant. Touching every room in the house, she completely transformed its spacious, bare rooms into cozy, livable spaces. It was a remarkable change worth sharing — check out the BEFORE & AFTER pictures below!

Whole-house transformation of a vacant home is just one end of the staging spectrum. Stagers offer a range of service levels depending on your budget and existing decor and can work wonders with homes of willing sellers starting with a simple consultation. To share more about these services and benefits, I turned to Becca for answers to commonly asked questions about staging to sell:

Q: Is staging different from decorating?

A: Staging is meant to be less taste-specific than decorating. We work with the space that’s available and chose size-appropriate furniture. I also choose inventory that is appropriate for the era of the home — textiles and fabrics — keeping the design relevant. We're trying to think about marketing to as many different buyers as possible. I’m staging for the masses and trying to think about the demographics of the neighborhood and who the buyer is going to be, whereas decorating is more about personal taste.

Bedroom & office

Q: Which rooms are most important to stage? 

A: You never get the second chance at a first impression so right when you walk in, those rooms are high impact and most important because they are going to set the tone for the rest of the showing. Some of the most important rooms are the highlights of the home — if there’s a second living space, if there’s a beautiful master and en suite — those are the things we really want to highlight. It’s also important, on the other side of the coin, to stage areas that might be flex spaces or spaces that a buyer might not know what to do with. Say there’s a home with a built-in office and bookshelves already, and there’s also a flex space, maybe that room would be better as a craft room or a play area. We can imply what people could do with that because a lot of times, especially in larger homes, people are wondering and asking themselves what they’re going to do with these spaces.

Foyer, living & dining rooms, sunroom

Q: If a home seller has furniture of their own, what's the best approach to staging and working with that client?

A: That’s called owner-occupied staging and it's become a big part of my business, especially in this market. I bring in my movers and we rearrange their furniture. A lot of times what people are missing are some of the softer finishes like throw pillows and blankets, lamps on side tables, the kinds of things that balance and bring symmetry to a design. I have done a lot of personal shopping and can bring in those types of fillers for sellers. It’s a less invasive thing to do. It’s someone’s home and it’s so personal.

Q: How do homeowners respond to your work? Do they see the value?

A: I’ve had sellers who have been extremely receptive and like, “Oh my gosh! Maybe we should stay! I never thought about putting the couch over there." You kind of get stuck in one particular layout. How many times do you rearrange the furniture in your own house? It’s not something people do a lot so it’s a fun way to kind of shake off the dust. The other huge part is that it helps them dissociate themselves from the home. When we start to take down family photos, maybe remove curtains to let more light in, or paint a few different rooms it helps to start that mental process.

Master Bedroom

Q: What is your process when taking on a new client? 

A: I really like to meet with a new client in the space if it’s possible and ask them questions about how long they've been there, what are some of the challenges that they've had with furniture layout and what are some of the other challenges this home has given them. The more I understand them the easier my suggestions are. I can have a plan A, B and C based on how willing they’re going be. Staging is such a spatial job, I really need to be in the home to get a better understanding of the layout. Then I send them a follow-up email to recap everything we’ve discussed. I send them examples of some of the work I’ve done. It’s about numbers too so we also talk about pricing.

I’ve had a lot of success with motivated sellers who give me the creative control to get their home ready. But it’s important to have that consultation first to get a plan. Understanding how long a seller has been in the home, their reason for moving — if there was a death in the family and maybe it’s the children selling their parents’ place and it’s still furnished. There are a lot of things to consider when doing that initial consultation.

Dining room & Kitchen

Small Bedroom

Q: Do you think staging affects the final sale price?

A: Yes, I absolutely do. Statistically (from the National Board of Realtors) staged homes can sell up to 3-8% more than a vacant listing. The staging will pay for itself and also net the seller more than it would have otherwise. And with the way I stage, it’s not a churned out look. I think when people are hyper aware that the home is staged and vacant it might change their offer or negotiation because they know the sellers are in a different position than a normal seller. When someone sees a home that’s vacant, they might think, “Oh, they’re carrying two mortgages, they’re in a financial pitch” so that may affect their offer.

 large Bedroom

The positive effects staging has on a listed properties are many — help them visually stand out, sell faster for higher prices, get more shares in social media, and allow buyers to imagine the space as their own. If you are thinking about moving and would like to talk about the steps to get ready to list and sell, including staging, let's talk! I can walk you through the entire process, and connect you to other trusted service professionals.

Heidi Swanson is a Realtor® based in St. Paul, Minnesota. She writes a blog to share information on a variety of real estate related topics including buying and selling, market conditions, homeownership trends and more. Reach her at heidi@lyndenrealty.com or 651-503-1540.