What Questions to Ask

So, you decided to hire a professional home stager.  These are some questions to consider:

  • Are you accredited
  • What is your experience; do you have references
  • What are your statistics – (Days on the Market after staging)
  • What is the charge for an occupied staging and what is the process
  • What is the charge for a vacant staging and for how long is the furniture rental
  • Where can I see examples of your work
  • Do you have business insurance
Another Home Stager’s Work

I visited a model of a local builder recently.  While the house was very well done, I couldn’t help but compare my staging to this person’s choices.

Master Bedroom

Some changes I would make:  Patch the electrical holes;  replace lamps with taller ones;  choose a colorful bedspread and large colored pillows; eliminate the empty tray and throw.  I probably would use a rug to eliminate footprints on the carpet.

Bathroom Choice

This is a perfectly fine bathroom.  However, my preference would be to add some color.  A simple, yet sophisticated shower curtain and towels in a complementary color–orange, yellow, or green–might be a striking alternative to the brown monochromatic choice.

Office Changes

The scale is off.  The desk is much too small for this space.  Plus, the first thing one sees is the big black box–the TV–as the focal point. The two chairs are not comfortable enough for TV watching and are not close enough to the desk to have a conversation.

My choice would be to replace the small desk with a much larger one, move the TV to the opposite wall and put the shelving unit beneath the TV.  Then orient the chairs for TV viewing plus being able to have a conversation with the person sitting at the desk.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

These two secondary bedrooms are just fine.  However, I would have chosen a bedspread with some color in it for the double bed and hung larger pieces of wall art for both bedrooms.

Not All Stagers are Alike

When two or more designers, decorators, or stagers are together, you will always have differences of opinion.  That doesn’t make one absolutely right or absolutely wrong in most cases.  For example, one stager I know usually chooses more saturated paint colors than I do.  Or, perhaps one will choose a monochromatic scheme and another a more analogous color scheme for a particular space.

There are some “rules” to follow that all good stagers abide by.  For example, one needs to stay true to the architectural style, acknowledge the focal point, and choose the appropriate furniture placement.  But which accessories or wall art to use will differ.  A stager’s goal is to appeal to the most demographic ( left), whereas a decorator or designer appeals to one demographic (right).

Photo by Mary Cook – Browse living room ideas

Oh Beauty Interiors

The best choice is the stager who partners with your realtor to sell your house quickly and for more money.  If you choose Premiere Stagers & Realty, you get both for the same price.  It’s a winning combination.  608-345-9396.