One of the hottest trends to sell a home today is home staging, an interior decorating technique for making the most of your home's attributes and making it more attractive for a potential buyer. Home staging has been known to boost home sales prices, as well as quicken the amount of time the home stays on the market. But the question is: What is the pricing for home staging-and is it worth it?

Preparing Your Home for Sale

Most sellers realize the importance of cleaning up their home before putting it on the market. Things like fixing leaky sinks, mending cracks in the walls and completing other minor repairs are also pretty standard. Some people paint; others replace flooring. Some even freshen up the landscaping or add some new interior fixtures. These things are often good to do and, in many ways, are considered forms of "staging," or preparing your home for sale.

There are professionals, however, who will go above and beyond what most homeowners think of when they go to sell their house. For a fee, these individuals and companies will come into your home and furnish it with items that are neutral, attractive and sometimes high-end, in order to make your house as attractive as possible. Home staging costs often include moving around, removing or adding furniture and adding tasteful artwork or other decoration to make your home really shine.

Staging: Is It Worth It?

The main benefit of hiring a professional to stage your home is that they will look at your surroundings with an experienced, tasteful and objective eye. They won't be attached to grandmother's antique table, nor will they have the same affinity you may have for that pink bathroom. They will be able to come in and tell you which items should be removed, what should be added and how best to feature your home.

While home staging may seem like an unnecessary expense, there probably isn't a single house that couldn't benefit from a bit of carefully manipulated staging-even if it's a simple matter of re-organizing, freshening up and removing clutter. And often, suggestions and changes from professionals can amount to significant increases in the bottom line profit when selling your home.

Home staging pricing for a simple consultation run from $200 to $400, yet for extensive staging work on larger homes, be prepared for pricing to run up to $6,000. However, according to www.StagedHomes.com, a leader in home staging services, statistics show an average of a 3% minimum increase in final sales price on homes that had been staged, versus those who had not. On a $300,000 home, that's a $9,000 increase-and well worth the home staging fees.

For more information on how best to showcase your home for sale, visit a home staging professional or your local realtor. Many realtors will even offer home staging services as part of their listing package, so be sure to ask if that's something they offer, or if they can recommend someone in the industry. If you're willing to put out a bit of money up front, you just might find that the benefits from staging your home can greatly outweigh home staging costs.

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If you are not getting a free estimate at least then you are not doing it right. Home Stagers should be giving you a free estimate with a list of possible services they can do for you. You can do as much or as little as you desire, but in the end you want to be better than the competition around you! The more you put into it, the more you get out of it! You can totally re-design a lot of spaces in your home, but if you don't add the finishing touches you are missing out on BIG money when you go to sell your home! Home staging is VERY under-rated. Most people don't have the vision for what houses could be and will turn away from your home without blinking an eye because of a few little issues that don't make it "turn-key".

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Not all home stagers give free estimates, and there is a reason for this. Usually because they are either "new" and or "inexperienced". Home stagers can't be expected to drive an hour or two spend another hour or so, and not get anything for there time.

An experienced stager charges for a consultation and tells the homeowner then everything they need to know. Be leary of "the free consultation"! A/C people and plumber don't give free estimates, and if they do, they bill it in there quote to you anyway. Go with the stager that has the best portfolio, client referrals, website, and marketing savvy!

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There are a variety of ways that professional home stagers charge for their services. As far as consultations, you should rightly expect to get what you pay for. Ask up front if they charge for a consultation. Whether they do or not, ask what the consultation consists of, how long it will last, common sense questions.

If a stager does charge for a consultation, you should expect more. Such as a few immediate pointers, helpful handouts, possibly even a staging demonstration in a room of your house.

Even if other professionals offer free consultations(such as A/C contractors, electricians, or plumbers) you would not expect them to provide you with a detailed layout for no charge. Therefore if a stager does not charge for a consultation expect less as far as professional pointers, at least until you commit to a service.

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