Top 10 Home Staging Companies in Boston, MA
Frequently asked questions about home staging companies
The costs for home staging can vary greatly depending on region, home size, staging company, quality of materials, and more. A home stager typically charges an initial consultation fee of $150-$600, and the home staging itself can cost anywhere from $2,000-$6,000 depending on the home’s square footage.
As expected, home staging costs are usually commensurate with the value of a home and can go up in relation to a home’s asking price. This is due to the size of the home and the quality of furniture and accessories used by the home stager to make the home stand out and appeal to target buyers.
Before hiring a seller’s real estate agent, it’s worth it to ask if home staging is included in their overall services. You may be surprised that you won’t have to incur additional costs, plus the real estate agent will take care of all the details for you.
Home staging—the process of temporarily furnishing and decorating a vacant home to make it appeal to the most desirable potential buyers—is a popular selling tactic in competitive real estate markets. When done right, home staging can help a home sell faster for more money.
When you hire a home stager, you should expect to pay for an initial consultation fee, which will include an on-site walk-through to take measurements and evaluate the needs of the space. Then, the stager will determine what furniture and accessories will be best for the home and come up with a staging plan. They will arrange for all furniture and accessories to be delivered and set up prior to putting a home up for sale. Once the house has sold, the stager will also remove all items from the house before the sale closing date. When you sign a contract with a home stager, be sure all of these items, along with any extras you require (such as patio furniture, or a particular interior design style), are included.
While you may not want to spend the money on home staging, it’s usually worth it in the end. Staged homes typically sell faster and for an average of 6 percent to 17 percent more than vacant homes. Furthermore, a properly staged home will highlight a home’s strengths and minimize its weaknesses. This will help attract qualified buyers and help a home stand out, which is particularly important in a buyer’s market.
Typically, yes, staged homes can sell for more money than vacant or occupied homes. This can be due to the fact that the home is put in its best light and therefore more desirable; or, it could be that staged homes sell faster and help sellers avoid costly price reductions, particularly in weak or buyer’s markets.
So while a seller may not want to spend a few thousand dollars on home staging, they will likely recoup that money from a quick sale that is more likely to be at asking price than a vacant home.
Everything You Need to Know About Boston Home Staging Companies
Can I browse unscreened Home Staging Companies in Boston?
We do our best to screen all of our home staging companies. However, there are still some home staging company professionals in Boston that have not been pre-screened. This means that their licenses may not be up to date to operate in Boston or MA. Always be sure to pre-screen them yourself before hiring. Here are some unscreened professionals offering home staging services:
- South Shore Staging + Photography:
- Active/Verified License: No, current status is inactive
- Get It Sold Staging and Redesign:
- Active/Verified License: No, current status is inactive
- DA VINCI DESIGNER GALLERY:
- Services Offered: Home Stagers
- Active/Verified License: No, current status is inactive
How does invoicing/payment work for most Home Staging Company projects in Boston?
Every project differs, but you should ask any home staging company for an estimate, before they do any work. In fact, ask for their general payment terms before any home staging services work is done.
If the job is large and going to take longer than a day, it's common practice for home staging companies to request a down payment. Usually, this will be around 25% so they can commence work on your home staging company project.
If it's a quick job, you'll likely be given an invoice/bill when the job is complete. Then it's up to you and the home staging company to determine if you pay immediately or can send payment at a later date.
What should I check for once my Home Staging Company in Boston has finished working?
Every home staging services project is going to have different results, but here are a few things to check for once any home staging services company has told you they've finished the job:
- Obviously you want to do a visual inspection. Even if you're unfamiliar with home staging services work, this gives you the opportunity to ask questions (even basic ones like, what did you do?).
- Ask the home staging company to describe what they did. Whether your home staging services project was a repair job or a building job, have them run you through what was done.
- Compare the description provided on your home staging services project estimate to the work completed. Did the professional do what was promised?
- Request that the home staging company do a follow-up visit to check on the work. Most professionals are willing to do this, especially if you ask them.