Top Home Staging Companies in Washington, DC

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.