Hiring a Home Stager? 10 Questions You Need to Ask

Home staging has become a vital part of the home selling process. It can significantly increase the appeal of your property, leading to a quicker sale and higher offers. But to get the results you want, you’ve got to surround yourself with the right team of professionals — a savvy real estate agent, a thorough home inspector, a reliable moving company…and a professional home stager.

Before you make a decision, it’s important to ask the right questions. Three Bears Home Staging has put together a guide to help you understand what to expect from a home stager, why hiring a professional stager is beneficial, and how to prepare for home staging.

What Sellers and Realtors Need to Understand Before Hiring a Home Stager: How to Prepare for Home Staging

There Are Many Types of Home Staging: Be Clear About What You Need

When it comes to staging a home, it helps to understand a bit of industry jargon. What you need will probably depend on several factors, like your goals, budget, timeline, and the condition of the property:

• Vacant Staging: This involves furnishing and decorating an empty home to make it more appealing. It also helps potential buyers visualize the space. For this type of staging, the space must be thoroughly cleaned with all repairs completely finished before a stager can move in furniture and accessories.
• Soft Staging or Accessories-Only Staging for Vacant Homes: Soft staging typically involves adding decorative elements such as pillows, throws, artwork, and other accessories to enhance the visual appeal of an empty home. There’s are mixed opinions within the home staging industry about the effectiveness of this type of staging.
• Occupied Staging: Staging a home that is still being lived in involves rearranging furniture, decluttering, and adding decorative touches to enhance the existing space. In these instances, a home stager may work with what you already have. They may also bring in additional decor to complete the look. Typically, this does not include “soft items” or textiles (i.e., pillows, towels, curtains, etc.)
• Virtual Staging: Virtual staging uses digital technology to enhance listing photos and showcase potential furniture arrangements without physically staging the home. While this type of staging is economical, studies have shown that it is often met with mixed results from buyers. (Think of it as being similar to online dating. Sometimes there’s a bit of a letdown when they see an empty house in person after viewing the photos online.)
• Luxury Staging: For high-end properties, luxury staging uses upscale furniture, art, and accessories to create a luxurious and aspirational atmosphere.
• Consultation Staging: Some stagers offer consultation services where they provide advice and recommendations to homeowners on how to stage their own home effectively. Three Bears Home Staging is a leading provider of online home staging consultations for home sellers all across the United States. Learn more about our online home staging consultation process.

Understand the Difference Between Decorating and Staging: What to Expect From a Home Stager

It’s essential to understand the difference between decorating and staging when preparing to sell your home. Decorating is a personal expression of your taste and style. Staging, on the other hand, is a strategic marketing technique designed to appeal to the widest range of potential buyers. Professional home staging transforms your home into a marketable product. It emphasizes space, light, and functionality, making the property more attractive to potential buyers. Stagers use their expertise to create a setting that feels fresh and welcoming, encouraging buyers to form an emotional connection with the home. This strategic approach can lead to more showings, higher offers, and a faster sale.

A home stager’s job is not catering to your (or your Realtor’s) personal style preferences. A stager’s job is to strategically market the home to appeal to the widest range of potential buyers. Choose your stager wisely, then step back and let them do their job.

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Important Questions to Ask Your Home Stager

1. Are You Professionally Certified and Insured?

This is important and should be the first thing you ask any stager you’re considering hiring. Here’s why: Home staging is an unregulated industry. In other words, anyone can call themselves a home stager. That means making sure your home stager is professionally certified and insured is crucial. Third-party certification demonstrates that the stager has received formal training and adheres to industry standards. Insurance protects you from liability in case of accidents or damages during the staging process. 

Why does it matter? Because…things can happen! Even with the best of intentions and proper planning accidents can happen. Part of being a professional is looking ahead in order to better serve and protect a client’s interests. Regardless of which staging service Three Bears Home Staging provides, our clients can rest assured that we’ve got them covered…literally!

When I first started my home staging business, I was hanging artwork for a client who had just purchased a home in the beautiful, upscale Rice Military District in Houston. I remarked to the client how much I liked one framed piece in particular. As it turned out…it was a Rembrandt! Signed and everything! Wow…I can’t even begin to imagine how terrifying it would have been to hold this piece (let alone hang it) without insurance!

Even if you don’t have a Rembrandt hanging in your living room, you do have things that are valuable to you. By having insurance, we are demonstrating they are valuable to us as well! Remember, hiring a certified and insured stager ensures you are working with a reputable professional who is committed to high standards of practice.

2. What Are Your Qualifications and Experience?

Start with the home stager’s credentials. Ask about their qualifications, certifications, and experience in the field. A well-qualified home stager should have some background or training in design, real estate, or a related field, along with a relevant industry-recognized third-party certification. They may also be a member of one of our professional trade associations, such as the International Association of Home Staging Professionals (IAHSP) or the Real Estate Staging Association (RESA).

Experience matters because seasoned professionals have a proven track record and a portfolio that demonstrates their ability to transform homes effectively. Their expertise can provide insights into the latest staging trends and buyer preferences.

3. Can You Provide References or a Portfolio of Past Work?

One of the most critical questions to ask a home stager is about their past work. Request to see a portfolio of homes they have staged and ask for references from previous clients. This allows you to gauge their style, creativity, and the results they have achieved for other homeowners.

A professional stager should be proud to showcase their work and provide references. Contacting past clients can give you a better understanding of the stager’s reliability, professionalism, and the impact of their staging on the home sale process.

4. What Is Your Staging Process?

Understanding the home staging process is essential for setting your expectations and preparing your home. Ask the stager to explain their process from the initial consultation to the final staging. Typically, the process involves an initial assessment of your home, followed by a detailed plan that outlines the necessary changes and enhancements. This might include decluttering, rearranging furniture, adding decorative elements, and sometimes even minor renovations. Knowing these steps helps you understand the timeline and the level of involvement required from your side.

5. How Do You Determine the Cost of Your Services?

Cost is a significant factor when deciding to hire a home stager. Ask for a detailed breakdown of their pricing structure. Do they charge a flat fee, hourly rate, or based on the scope of work? When it comes to consultations, a home with more square footage will likely need a longer consultation time. Detailed written staging reports make take hours to prepare. When staging a vacant home, keep in mind furniture, accessories, transportation, and labor add up. Adjust your expectations accordingly. Remember, good staging isn’t cheap, and cheap staging isn’t good.

A reputable home stager will provide a clear and transparent pricing structure. They should also explain any additional costs that might arise during the staging process, (e.g., rental fees for furniture or accessories). Understanding the cost upfront helps you budget effectively and avoid any surprises.

6. How Do You Tailor Your Staging to Different Types of Properties?

Not all homes are the same, and a one-size-fits-all approach to staging is rarely effective. Ask the stager how they customize their services for different types of properties, whether it’s a luxury home, a family residence, or a small condo. A skilled home stager will take into account the unique features and target market of your property. They will adapt their staging techniques to highlight the best aspects of your home and appeal to the most likely buyers, ensuring that your property stands out in the market.

Once you’ve identified someone who’s style and process you trust, step back and let them work! Don’t try to micro-manage the process with your own taste and style preferences.

7. Can You Explain the Benefits of Professional Home Staging?

Understanding why you should hire a professional stager is crucial. Ask the stager to explain the benefits of their services. Discuss how they believe professional staging can impact the sale of your home.

8. What Should I Do to Prepare for Home Staging?

Knowing how to prepare for home staging can streamline the process and ensure the best results. Ask the stager what you need to do before they start their work. This might include decluttering, cleaning, or making minor repairs. This is especially true for vacant, occupied, or soft staging. (These issues are less important when it comes to consultation home staging and will likely be included in the stager’s feedback.) The stager might provide a checklist of tasks to complete before staging begins. Following their advice ensures that your home is in the best possible condition for staging. It also allows the stager to focus on enhancing appeal rather than addressing basic issues.

Special note: For vacant home staging, most stagers require the property to be in “stage-ready” condition. This means the home should be (professionally) cleaned and all repair work fully completed with no one occupying or working on the property. This is partly to make the stage run more effectively and partly to meet insurance requirements. If these conditions are not met, your vacant stager may postpone the stage and you may be charged a rescheduling fee. Review your staging contract carefully for details.

9. What Types of Furniture and Accessories Do You Use?

The furniture and accessories used in staging play a significant role in transforming your home. Ask the stager about the types of items they typically use. Do they provide these items, or do you need to rent them separately? High-quality, stylish furniture and accessories can make a big difference in the overall look of your home. A professional stager should have access to a wide range of items that suit different styles and budgets. They should also ensure that the chosen pieces complement your home’s architecture and design.

Leave the selection of furniture and accessories up to the stager. The seller and real estate agent should not be part of this process. Remember that staging is not the same thing as decorating. Staging is a strategic marketing technique. It involves neutralizing colors, furniture, and accessories that reflect your personal preferences. A stager’s goal is to create an inviting, universally appealing environment, a blank canvas that allows buyers to imagine themselves living in the space. 

10. What Happens If My Home Doesn’t Sell Quickly?

While staging can significantly enhance the appeal of your home, there are no guarantees in real estate. Ask the stager what their policy is if your home doesn’t sell as quickly as expected. Some stagers offer follow-up consultations or adjustments if the home doesn’t sell within a certain time frame. Understanding their policy helps you plan for different scenarios and ensures you have support throughout the selling process.

Transform Your With a Home Stager: Ask the Right Questions for a Successful Sale

Hiring a professional home stager can be a game-changer in the home-selling process. By asking these ten critical questions, you can ensure that you choose a stager who meets your needs and expectations. The benefits of hiring a professional stager are clear: a well-staged home attracts more buyers, sells faster, and often at a higher price. Take the time to find the right professional who can transform your home and help you achieve a successful sale. Need help? Get in touch with Three Bears Home Staging or take a look below at some of our services!