While looking for a Home Stager online you may come across two different types of stagers in your research: full service and consultant. The main difference between the two is that one has their own furniture and prop inventory, while the other one usually doesn’t.
Full Service Stagers keep their own inventory of furniture and props. However that often means that they use the same recycled style in all their clients’ homes and the furniture can be offered for a hefty mark-up. It also leaves open the possibility for Stagers to encourage furniture and prop rentals, where it might not be necessary, in order to make the staging worthwhile for the Stager - not necessarily the home owner.
A lot of these Stagers will offer a free consultation because they work on the basis of making money on renting their inventory. So they use the initial consulting time more to just giving a quote and less to pass on useful tips and an action plan.
Additionally, Full Service Stagers often have a team that will converge on your home to clean, scrub, paint, rearrange, declutter, place furniture, etc. to accomplish the staging in record time.
The Staging Consultant - a good Staging Consultant usually has the knowledge and expertise of a savvy property investor and wants to share it. Their mission is to help other home owners be as successful as they are in their own real estate experiences. A Staging Consultant will generally charge a flat rate for up to 2 hours of consulting on the home owner’s unique situation. A lot can be gained from that two hours making the money well spent… and it starts as soon is they come to the curb.
Like all Stagers, consultants start off by walking around the property, inside and out, to get an overall feel for condition and style of the home. They will assess the layout and current furnishings devising ways to mix and match what’s already in the house to create a more pleasing and spacious ambiance, even doing some of it on the spot. Perhaps repainting is in order and a consultant will suggest the best colors. A knowledgeable Staging Consultant will also look for and point out flaws that may show up on a home inspector’s report leaving open a potential scenario for the buyer to negotiate a lower price. This alone is an invaluable service that can save the home owner thousands of dollars.
A consultant can continue to give hands-on help in certain areas or pass on trusted trade referrals where needed so that the home owner can choose their own preferred contractor after getting a few quotes to do work such as; painting, cleaning, plumbing work, flooring, landscaping, etc. If the home owner wishes the consultant to be involved in this process they can expect to pay an hourly rate for their help.
Consultants may also recognize a need for furniture rentals and discuss a budget with the home owner, then act as a third party to arrange with the rental company to send a rental agreement directly to the home owner. Otherwise, any approved props and accessories that are purchased for the home can be kept by the home owner to be enjoyed in their new home. Some may even be returned to the store.
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Libby Telford is President of Style It Right, LLC which offers Home Staging, Interior Redesign, Color Consulting and Photography services for homeowners in the Raleigh and Greater Raleigh areas. Contact Libby at 919.435.7713 or visit www.StyleItRight.com for more information on preparing your home for sale.