Over the past few years, home staging has evolved significantly. Now, it plays a large role in the home selling process for both realtors and homeowners. Realtors rely on home stagers to help position their sellers’ homes in the best light possible to attract the most potential buyers; homeowners lean on home stagers to provide the expert advice they need to sell their homes quickly and for the most money possible. The evolution of home staging also means that there are several different types to choose from, so, how do you know which type of home staging is right for you?
When it comes to home staging, there are two primary categories you can choose from: occupied home staging and vacant home staging. Within occupied home staging, there are two subcategories: in-person home staging and online home staging. For vacant home staging, there are also two subcategories: in-person home staging and virtual home staging. Let’s take a look at each type of home staging and when you should use one versus the other!
Occupied Home Staging
Occupied home staging is staging your home to sell when you are living in the home at the time of sale. The goal of occupied home staging is to pre-pack personal items, make minimal repairs or updates, and use as much of your existing furniture and décor as possible to showcase the beauty of your home. Plus, this type of home staging is relatively cost effective, so you don’t have to break the bank in order to make a return on your investment. Let’s take a look at the different types of occupied home staging, the average pricing associated with each, as well as the pros and cons.
In-Person Occupied Home Staging
In-person occupied home staging refers to having a professional home stager visit your home, walk through each room, and provide suggestions for both the interior and exterior. These suggestions will typically include paint changes (if any), items to pre-pack, what to clean, furniture repositioning, and furniture or décor items to purchase (if any). The intention behind your stager’s recommendations is to help position your home in its best possible light for the listing photos, as well as to create a welcoming feeling for both private showings and open houses. Anyone who walks into your home should easily be able to picture themself living in the house.
What does in-person occupied home staging cost?
Depending on which region of the United States you live, in-person occupied home staging typically costs anywhere from $100 to $500. If you live on the East or West coast, in-person occupied home staging will fall on the higher end of the spectrum; whereas if you live in the Midwest or South, the costs will fall on the lower end of the spectrum.
Some professional home stagers will also offer different types of in-person occupied home staging ranging from single-room staging to entire-house staging. With this model, stagers may charge different prices based on each room of a house. For example, they may charge more money to stage a living room or dining room compared to an entryway or bathroom.
Another type of service some stagers offer within their in-person occupied home staging package is the ability to rent furniture or accessories directly through them. With this service offering, some stagers will also require that you rent the furniture or accessories for a minimum of one month, for example, to account for the time it takes to put together the rental estimate, transport the rented furniture or accessories to the home, stage these pieces, and collect them after the sale of the home.
Pros of In-Person Occupied Home Staging
When it comes to in-person occupied home staging, there are quite a few pros including the following:
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You have the ability to use your current furniture and décor items
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It’s cost-effective for you (it’s an investment, not an expense)
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It’s convenient for you
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Your home will stand out online (e.g. Realtor.com, Zillow, etc.)
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Your home will pop on the market and, potentially, sell faster
Cons of In-Person Occupied Home Staging
On the flip side, there are a few cons to in-person occupied home staging that you should be aware of including the following:
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You may have additional costs if you need to stage your entire home versus a few rooms (depending on your stager’s pricing model)
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You may have additional costs if you need to either purchase furniture or décor items, or rent furniture or accessories from your stager
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You will need to coordinate with your stager to find a time that works best for you both to conduct your in-person consultation
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If your stager is only providing you with suggestions, and you’re not planning to hire a cleaning company, you’ll need to account for the time it will take you to clean your home and apply all of your stager’s recommendations
Aside from these, in-person occupied home staging is a great solution if you’re living in your home during the selling process and your furniture is in relatively good condition. Next, let’s take a look at online occupied home staging.
Online Occupied Home Staging
Online occupied home staging is fairly similar to in-person occupied home staging; however, there are a few differences that ultimately make it the more cost-effective option of the two. With this type of home staging, you will typically take pictures from each corner of every room in your home, plus the exterior, and submit the photos to your home stager. Sounds easy, right? That’s because it is, and it’s a great option if you’re strapped for time and need expert advice, fast.
With this type of home staging, you’ll also receive the same, if not better, advice than in-person occupied home staging because your stager can provide you with detailed feedback and links to recommended furniture or décor items to purchase.
What does online occupied home staging cost?
For this type of home staging, you may run into a few different pricing models. The first model is based on the number of photos you upload. For example, $15 per photo or $30 per room. Some companies that offer online occupied home staging also offer volume discounts. Most home staging companies that offer this type of staging service typically range anywhere from $15 to $30 in price.
The second model is a flat rate model in which you only pay a certain dollar amount for the service, and it’s not dependent on the number of pictures you upload. Shameless plug, we use this type of model at Stagerie, meaning you only pay $180 for an online occupied home staging consultation. Once you start your project, you can upload unlimited photos of the exterior and interior of your home; after you submit your project, it’s immediately sent to one of our certified home stagers. Your selected stager will review your photos and share a detailed to-do list (broken down by room) with you within four days. Your printable to-do list will include everything from recommended paint colors and repairs to what furniture and décor to pre-pack or rearrange.
Pros of Online Occupied Home Staging
You will find that there are quite a few pros to online occupied home staging including the following:
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You don’t have to work around anyone’s schedule other than your own
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It’s cost-effective for you (it’s an investment, not an expense)
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You will receive expert advice
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You will receive a detailed to-do list of how to prepare your home for sale
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Your home will stand out online (e.g. Realtor.com, Zillow, etc.)
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Your home will pop on the market and, potentially, sell faster
Cons of Online Occupied Home Staging
Like all services, there are a few cons to online occupied home staging including the following:
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The staging advice you receive is only as good as the pictures you take
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You may have additional costs if you need to purchase furniture or décor items
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You’ll need to account for the time it will take you to clean your home and apply all of your stager’s recommendations
Vacant Home Staging
Opposite of occupied home staging, vacant home staging is staging your home to sell when you are not living in the home at the time of sale. Typically, vacant home staging is for homes that are completely empty of all furniture and décor. Vacant home staging also applies to new construction homes where the builder or developer wishes to stage the home before selling.
In-Person Vacant Home Staging
In-person vacant home staging is similar to in-person occupied home staging in that you will bring a professional home stager into the space to help determine how best to stage the space to sell. However, the only difference is that the stager truly starts from square one; the stager will bring everything into the space, from furniture and window treatments to lighting and décor items.
What does in-person vacant home staging cost?
Generally, in-person vacant home staging varies by stager. For example, some stagers will charge a fee for the initial walk through of the space as well as the cost to stage each room of the house, or the rooms that the seller wishes to stage. Some stagers will also factor in a rental fee for the furniture and décor items, and require that you rent the items for a minimum of one month. Again, it really depends on the stager.
Pros of In-Person Vacant Home Staging
With in-person vacant home staging, there are some benefits:
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It’s a great option for builders or developers who need to help potential buyers easily visualize themselves living in the space
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You don’t have to worry about what furniture or décor items to add, your stager will handle everything for you
Cons of In-Person Vacant Home Staging
Since in-person vacant home staging is literally starting from scratch, there are quite a few cons:
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It’s an expensive option, especially if you plan to stage an entire house
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You may need to pay rental fees for a minimum period of time (e.g. one month), depending on your stager’s pricing model
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You need to factor in more time for the initial walkthrough with your stager as well as the time to stage the home and remove the rented items after the home sells
Virtual Vacant Home Staging
Virtual vacant home staging is one of the most unique types of home staging in that you upload photos of your home to a virtual home staging software, like Virtual Staging Solutions or BoxBrownie, and leave it to the software to stage your home! Essentially, software solutions like these will digitally edit your photos by adding in furniture or décor items directly to your photos. Then, you can use these photos on websites like Zillow or Realtor.com.
What does virtual vacant home staging cost?
Like any service, virtual vacant home staging depends on the platform. For example, Virtual Staging Solutions charges $300+ for four photos and their price increases as your number of uploaded photos increases. While they do offer bulk discounts, this is definitely a more expensive virtual vacant home staging solution. BoxBrownie, on the other hand, charges around $20 to $25 per image, so it’s a much more cost-effective solution.
Pros of Virtual Vacant Home Staging
Virtual vacant home staging has a handful of pros, especially if you don’t need to physically show potential buyers your home:
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You don’t have to spend a fortune on renting furniture or décor items from a professional stager
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You don’t have to work around anyone’s schedule other than your own
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Your home will stand out online (e.g. Realtor.com, Zillow, etc.)
Cons of Virtual Vacant Home Staging
On the flip side, there are a few cons to virtual vacant home staging:
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Your home will be empty for any physical showings you have for prospective buyers
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Prices vary by virtual home staging platform, so make sure you find one that’s within your price range
Overall, there are quite a few types of home staging services to choose from, and it all boils down to your unique situation. When preparing your home for sale, make sure you take into account your budget, the timeframe in which you’d like to list your home on the market, and who will be staging your home to sell. If you consider these three elements, then you will be able to determine the right staging solution for you!
