How Does Property Staging Work?
You might have considered using a stager for your properties before. Still, maybe you’re wondering how it works and whether it’s worthwhile.
We’re here to answer all your questions: How does it work? How much does it cost? What happens before the staging appears in your property? How soon to contact a staging company? Why should you use staging?
Why is Staging Important?
Staging is essential if you are looking at selling rooms to rent or homes on the market. It helps prospective buyers/tenants to imagine themselves living in the home. Not only that, but it removes any doubts people may have about furniture size and fall in love with the idea of living there.
Don’t believe us? Well, surveys show that staging increases the number of viewings, increases offers and reduces the time a property stays on the market. So, we believe staging is absolutely worth considering.
The Process of Staging
Let’s dive into how the staging process works from start to finish. We’ll also cover some FAQs at the end.
1) Initial Contact
When you contact a staging company, they will likely ask for details about the property’s size and the reason for staging. If you enquire with us (and we hope you do), we’ll have a quick chat via Zoom or over the phone to review the details and ensure we have all the information we need to best help you.
2) Recommendations/Advice
Once the details are gathered, recommendations can be made regarding how many rooms should be staged. For example, depending on your budget, it is sometimes sufficient to stage the main living spaces and 1-2 bedrooms. However, if you are staging a show home, you would benefit from staging the entire home. Again, the staging company should advise on what they think is best.
3) Quotation and Installation Dates
The next stage is to provide a full quotation and an idea of when an installation date can be arranged (this all depends on the timescales discussed upon initial contact). We like to include a comprehensive furniture list for each room so that you can see exactly what we plan to bring and what you are paying for.
4) Furniture Boards and Small Details
Once your quotation is agreed upon, and an installation date booked, we will create furniture boards demonstrating the furniture we plan to use. This helps you to see everything together ahead of the installation.
Here is where our Åben Guarantee comes into play. As with our design clients, we will go back and forth on your furniture boards as often as it takes until you are happy with them – at no extra cost!
5) Installation Day
The most exciting bit – installation day! On the day, our team will be on-site to bring and build all of the furniture we have agreed on. We will be there in person to add all of the accessories to make your property look beautiful and ready for viewing.
We’ll also bring along our photographer to take some photos to help get your property on the market as soon as possible.
6) The 4-6 Week Period
Depending on the company you are using, you’ll have between 4-6 weeks of rental agreed in the initial quotation. During that time, the furniture is all yours for you to conduct your viewings and Open House days.
7) Need Longer?
If you need longer than the initial period agreed, simply speak to your staging company, who can usually provide a weekly fee or a rolling contract. Just make sure you keep an open line of communication at all times.
8) Staging Removal
Once you finish the furniture (hopefully with a house or room sale under your belt), you can ask for the staging to be removed. Our team will return to your property to take everything back down and leave it neat and tidy- just as it was when we arrived.
9) Reviews and Recommendations
If you are happy with the service provided, a review and recommendation are always greatly appreciated – especially when working with small family businesses like ours!
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Hopefully, that gives you a much clearer idea of the staging process and what happens from start to finish. Now, let’s cover our most asked questions!
“Can we stage an HMO to sell rooms quicker?”
You can absolutely stage HMO rooms, and again we recommend you do! It helps prospective tenants to really imagine each room at its best. Not every staging company will have a product for HMO rooms but always worth an ask. It’s also something we can help with. It’s where our property career began, after all, so we know how to make your HMO rooms stand out!
“How much will it cost?”
A lot will change depending on the size of the property, the number of rooms that need staging and the distance from the staging company.
However, your initial fee (for that initial rental period, installation, removal and photography) is likely between £2,500-6,000, with a weekly fee of between £400-800 after that. HMO staging costs even less.
“How soon should I contact a staging company?”
As with anything, the earlier these things are started, the better. However, as a rule of thumb, once you have a finish date for your refurbishment that you are confident in, it’s time to start making those enquiries. A good month or two before is always ideal for making sure you get the first pick of furniture, but we can turn things around in 1-2 weeks as
long as we have availability.
“Anything to look out for in my staging quotations?”
It’s all about the extras; what is included in that initial fee? We’ve seen an extra charge for the removal of furniture and an additional charge for photography, as examples. Have a good read and check what is included in your fee. They also ensure you are happy with the ongoing weekly charge just in case you need to keep the kit longer than you originally planned!
“How ready does the property need to be?”
This is pretty crucial. Your property will need to be completely finished and clean with water running and electricity all working. We’ll be in with our steamers and hoovers and want to put lamps and lights on to get the best photos of your home. So when booking that installation date, make sure to allow some contingency time to get the place looking clean and ready for us.
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Are you ready to stage your next project? Then get in touch today, and let’s get you booked.
