How Much Does Home Staging Cost?

Getting ready to sell your home? You have heard about the benefits of home staging prior to putting a home on the market, but you have no idea how much home staging will cost. This blog will answer all of your questions – giving you the average cost of home staging and how to save money.

How much should you expect to pay a stager?

The cost of staging a house will be linked to the size, price, and condition of your home. Larger homes that require large-scale furniture, and more of it, will be more expensive to stage. Luxury homes, where higher-end furnishings are expected, will also require a higher staging investment.

The amount of time that will go into the project will also have an impact on the cost. For example, the more clutter to sift through, the more staging hours that will go into it.

On the other hand, some costs may differ very little from one home to another. For example, an initial consultation – typically 2 hours – usually comes at a fairly standard rate (keep reading for average rates).

The best answer to the question of how much you should expect to pay a stager is that staging is much less expensive and much more effective than your first price reduction.

How much does a home staging consultation cost?

At a home staging consultation, often called a ‘walk-and-talk,’ the stager walks through the property with the homeowner or real estate agent and verbally makes recommendations on how to prepare the home for sale. A home staging consultation is usually conducted in occupied homes that do not need additional furniture and decor. (See below for the cost of vacant staging.)

The Real Estate Staging Association, RESA, recently conducted a survey where professional home stagers were asked what their consultation fee is for a one to two-hour home staging consultation.

The survey results for the professional real estate stagers in the United States ranged from $200 to $800, depending on the home’s square footage and geographic location. The stagers reported that the agent pays for this consultation 89% of the time.

In Canada, the reported charge for a walk-and-talk home staging consultation started at $200 for a condo and went up to $250 for a luxury home, and the agent pays for this 88% of the time.

Reports may include checklists for things such as common repairs, cleaning, curb appeal, and decluttering advice. In addition, the report may include information on furniture placement, paint color changes, accessories, art, and lighting.

RESA members’ reported charges for written reports in the US ranged from $225 to $1,500 depending on the square footage, and $240 to $325 in Canada, with the agent paying for the written consultation 79% of the time.

How much does it cost to stage a vacant home?

Vacant home staging is described as a stage in which the stager supplies all the furniture, artwork, and accessories for an unoccupied home.

The RESA member-reported staging investment for staging an empty house in the US ranged from $1,995 minimum for 1,000 sq ft. or less, to $8,500 for up to 5,500 sq ft. In Canada, it was from $1,250 for a condo, up to $10,000+ for a luxury home.

Staging fees shown above reflect the initial staging investment and the average monthly rental fee. Additional month(s) of rental may be required and those fees were not reflected here.

A very small percentage of luxury properties may require an advanced level of staging advice and higher-end furnishings, and the cost of providing these staging services may be higher than stated in this survey.

Do I really need to professionally stage my home?

Hiring a professional home stager may seem unnecessary and expensive. However, with an average investment of 1%, approximately 75% of sellers saw an ROI of 5-15% over asking price, according to RESA.

It may be that with the current hot sellers’ market, where homes are selling quickly, you do not expect to have to reduce the price if you don’t stage. That is great! But are you leaving money on the table? How much more could you be getting if your home was staged?

How do I find the best home stager near me?

A budget stager will likely get you less-than-stellar results. Look for a Staging Design Professional® who holds a certification from an accredited provider, like Staging Studio, who will bring more value.

If you get proposals from multiple home stagers, be sure that you are comparing apples to apples:

• Are they using the same quality level and amount of furnishings?
• Do they offer the same level of customer service?
• While professional stagers will probably not show you the exact pieces they will use in the project, you can get a solid idea of their work by checking out their website’s gallery page.

To hire the best local home stager, visit our professional home stager directory.