How Much Does It Cost to Stage a Home?

If you are in the process of putting up your house for sale, you may have thought about staging it to attract potential buyers. Staging a home involves creating spaces that are furnished just enough that potential buyers can envision themselves (and their stuff!) living there. Home staging can reduce the time a listing spends on the market, increase the number of potential buyers, and yield higher offers. So, how much does it cost to stage a home? Here’s an estimated breakdown.

How Much Does it Cost to Stage a Home?

Initial Walk-Through Consultation: $150-$600 – In the initial consultation, a professional home stager will walk through your house with you and offer ideas on how to use your existing interior décor to stage the space and highlight notable features.

Initial Consultation and Organizing Existing Décor: $800 – For a bit extra, your hired professional stager will organize the existing décor in your home, advise what to put in storage, and make an action plan with you for the next steps. 

Initial Consultation, Organizing and Redesign: $1,500 –You can expect the home stager to give you a detailed plan that includes descriptions and images of the furniture arrangement plan once any rented furniture is delivered. They can also paint your kitchen cabinets to give them a fresher look.

Colour Design Consultation Services: $300 – If your house requires painting, the consultation will include a colour plan.

Furniture Arrangement: $250 per room – When your furniture rentals are delivered, a professional home stager will organize each room for you.

Decluttering, Packing and Organizing: $650 – The home stager will help you declutter your belongings, pack them into storage, and reorganize anything that remains behind to help stage your home. This price does not include any packing materials.

Monthly Décor and Furniture Rental: $500-$600 per room – You can rent just about anything to help stage different spaces in your home. In addition to furniture, you can rent lamps, mirrors, plants, and other decorative items. The price will vary depending on how much of your personal belongings can help stage the home, but you can expect to pay between $500 and $600 per room per month.

Monthly Staging Fee: varies – Each professional home staging company will have slightly different prices and policies. Some staging professionals have a minimum time frame that you must agree to, so if your home sells in the first week, you are still bound to pay that contract until it is over.

Where to Save Money on Staging Costs

Only stage the most important rooms. Every house will be different in terms of selling features, so take some time to identify which areas should be highlighted and others that can remain empty. Usually, the staged rooms include the living room, kitchen, dining room, and primary bedroom, and the rooms most often left alone are the basements, attics, and spare bedrooms. However, if you see potential in a room or space that should be highlighted, consult with your staging professional on the best course of action.

Try to use your existing furniture and accessories as much as possible. You will want to declutter and remove any excess belongings, but you can use some of your current furniture and décor to stage your home. However, make sure not to use personal items like family portraits and knick-knacks. With a bit of rearranging and freshening, you can make your home look welcoming to potential buyers.

Limit your rentals. If you must rent furniture and décor, try limiting it as much as possible. Invest in renting a few key pieces instead of many. For example, instead of a complete dining room set, you can opt for a small table with just a couple of chairs or one sofa instead of an entire living room set.

Consider virtual staging. Many homebuyers shop online nowadays, so virtual staging is a cost-effective way to stage your home without renting any furniture. If your house is empty, a professional virtual stager can insert digital images of furniture and décor into your home for buyers to see online. However, the house will remain empty when anyone tours it in person.

It can be costly to stage your home, depending on how many rooms are staged and how much needs to be rented, but it is absolutely worth the price. Talk to your real estate agent today for advice on home improvement and ideas for staging your home.

Still Have Questions?

Buying or selling real estate can be confusing, and there’s likely a lot you don’t know about the process. RE/MAX Canada hit the streets in a new video series to find out just how much (or how little!) the average person knows about the housing market, and to provide some answers in the process.

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