job, check up on rates per room. If you’re willing to do some extra work and research, this can be a do-it-yourself (DIY) project. Often, a real estate agent can advise you. Staging is one of the most effective marketing tools to sell homes for more money. THE POWER OF STAGING Coldwell Banker and the NAR released these results of a survey: ; ; Staged homes spent 50% less time on the market than homes that weren’t staged. ; ; Staged homes sold for more than 6% above asking price. ; ; A staging investment of 1% to 3% of asking price generates an ROI of between 8% and 10%. ; ; Homes staged prior to listing sold 79% faster than homes staged after listing. START STAGINGWITHWHAT YOU ALREADY HAVE Often, the trick with staging is to take out, rather than bring in. At base, home staging is about creating more space by clearing clutter, unnecessary objects, or furniture, giving the rooms a fresh, neutral color, and making necessary (and cosmetic) repairs. Replacing carpets and floors is common. To avoid investing in new furniture and spending thousands of dollars on this project, your or your professional home stager’s first step is to do as much as possible with everything you already have in your house. The priciest items will probably be making updates and repairs inside and outside your house. The least costly bits are maximizing your space by moving objects around and cleaning/clearing your house out. Rearranging existing
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