Things Your Potential Home Stager Wishes You Knew comes from an article on realtor.com with a similar title.

I added the word “potential” in there, because staging is not something that everyone is comfortable paying for, but the tips are important, nonetheless.

Staging can be very helpful in the sale of your Timonium home.

Staging can bring that neutral look that many buyers prefer to see — both online and in person.

Staging makes your home ready for the next buyer — which you need to remember is actually the end result you want when you decide to sell your home.

That being said, it doesn’t make it any easier, when you are emotionally connected to your home, to hear what a stager may have to say to you in order to change your home to make it more appealing for a potential buyer.

The realtor.com article had six tips, most of which are below, but I have split some of them up, combined a few, and added my take on each from my real estate professional prospective, while the article is from the stager’s prospective.

Please Don’t Take What the Stager Says Personally. Your decorating may be very tasteful — very lovely, in fact. The stager’s job is to make your home more marketable to the general public. Those two can be very different things. The likelihood is that a stager, or your real estate agent, will make recommendations to neutralize your home. Remember, buyers need to imagine THEMSELVES living in and making your house THEIR home. Taking your personal touches out may help a buyer visualize themselves there.

Throw Stuff Out. Honestly, a lot of “stuff” doesn’t need to make the move. If it doesn’t, throw it out. When we moved, we had a dumpster, and a number of trips to Goodwill were made. I had to be honest with myself that there were some clothes that were never going to fit again, and/or SHOULD never wear again.

Move Out. This is a hard one, because there aren’t many people that can do this. But if you can, move out while the house is on the market. If you can’t, try as hard as you can to keep your home staged while it is on the market. This means every day putting everything away, doing dishes, straightening up, making the beds, and getting your pets out of the house.

Stay Out of the Pictures. I find it is actually best/easier if a seller is not there when photos are taken. The less people there, the better. Less distractions, and we can focus on getting the best shots possible to make your home shine online!

Staging Isn’t Cheap – But Often Worth It. Please know that staging is an expense, but one that often gives a larger return on investment than you may imagine. The realtor.com article quotes starting prices at about $1,250, depending on square footage, and furniture rental. Please remember that is a starting price. That being said, staged homes often sell more quickly than competing homes, and can get more money for you than if you hadn’t staged. Part of a stager’s goal is to get you more for your home than it would without their help.

Give It Time. The other thing to realize is that stagers need time to get your home ready. Painting may need to be done. Furniture may need to be rented and delivered. These require outside contractors, so it may take time coordinating these tasks.

Don’t Procrastinate on Tasks. If the stager has given you tasks to do, do them in a timely manner. (Declutter, fixing items, etc.) Often, the stager can’t order his or her contractors to move on to the next step if you haven’t done yours!

Staging can be a wonderful way to present your Towson home for sale. If you are considering selling a home in Towson, Timonium, or the surrounding Baltimore area, please contact me. I would be pleased to be of assistance!