Andy Dean Photography- stock.adobe.com
Home For Sale Sign in Front of New House.
When moving, the last thing anyone wants to worry about is selling their home. With the real estate market slowing, homes aren’t selling as quickly as they did a year ago. That’s why it’s crucial for sellers to make their homes as appealing as possible to buyers.
That’s where home staging comes in, helping to highlight a home’s strengths, minimize its flaws and attract the right buyers.
Photo by Savannah Schmidt
A look through the keyhole at Joe Falconer, a Realty South agent based in the Homewood area, stands in the living room of one of his listings on Jan. 22, 2025.
Joe Falconer, a top-selling real estate agent with RealtySouth for 24 years, shares his insights on how staging can impact home sales in the local market.
Q: What staging techniques work best to attract buyers in your market?
A: There are different kinds of staging. For a house that is currently occupied and needs to be staged, I ask the client to declutter and pack up as they go through everything. Then I go in, arrange, and make sure it is ready for pictures. This can be especially challenging if the client has been there for many years.
Q: What are the key differences between staged and unstaged homes in your market?
A: Not every home needs to be staged, but when it does, I work with my client to have a professional stager bring in their furniture, décor, and other elements. This is especially needed if the house is vacant, occupied but needs freshening up, or — as I have done many times — when I work with a flipper or builder to hire someone to incorporate the latest trends.
Q: Can you share a success story of a staged home that sold quickly in your market?
A: I’ve had houses here in Homewood — just recently — that were an as-is sale, had only two pictures, received 49 showings, and went under contract in two days with no staging. However, the ones I have had staged by a professional usually sell the quickest. They do a great job capturing the charm and character of each type of house. I highly recommend their services where needed.
HOME MAKEOVER
Stock photo
When staging a home, a seller should budget around $300 to $600 for an initial design consultation and $500 to $600 per month per staged room.
Home and Garden Television, more popularly known as HGTV, recommends taking steps such as freshening up curb appeal — pressure washing, painting, adding new lighting or a mailbox — giving the kitchen a facelift with paint or other minor updates, adding a functional office space, reorganizing furniture to show the potential uses of a room, and depersonalizing the home by removing family photos and other personal items.
If you’re looking to have your home professionally staged, Realtor.com recommends budgeting around $300 to $600 for an initial design consultation and $500 to $600 per month per staged room. The more expensive the home, the higher the potential staging costs can be.
While sellers will need to front the money for staging, the Real Estate Staging Association reports that several studies have shown that by investing 1.3% of a home’s value in staging, 73% of sellers saw a return of over 7.1%.
For more tips on staging, visit hgtv.com/lifestyle/real-estate.
