If you’re trying to sell your home, you’ll be more likely to attract some serious potential buyers if your home is appealing to them. For this, you sometimes have to “stage” the house. This lets each room put its best face forward when potential buyers view the home. To get it staged right, you’ll need a professional home stager. He or she will help you emphasize the assets in the home and minimize the not-so-great parts.

 

Here’s some tips to consider from professional stager Virgie Vincent when you’re ready to hire a home stager:

 

1. Ask for referrals. Just like you do when you’re looking for a gardener or a mechanic, talk to your neighbors who have used the services of a stager before. Talk to your agent about the stagers he or she has worked with previously. This should save you both time and energy when searching for the right professional stager.

 

2. What do you ask a stager? When a stager comes to your home for a consultation the first time, you’ll walk through the home with the stager. He or she will give you feedback on what they observe and ideas for staging. You’ll want to ask if your existing furniture and décor items will be used. If not, ask if the stager will be bringing in the new furniture and décor for the staging. Ask how the stager’s charges are structured: by the room or by the level of detail? Ask for names and contact information on references you can check.

 

3. Your responsibilities. If you’re still living in the home, you’ll need to know what you’re expected to do to keep your home in the staged condition. This will mean work for you so be sure you’re clear on this up front.

 

4. Prepare for the stager. You can cut the cost for the staging by doing some serious cleaning and purging of your home before the stager comes. If the stager suggests painting, ask if you can do it yourself to bring down the staging cost.

 

5. Go through the steps with the stager. Clear communication between you and the stager is vital. Ask the stager to outline the process for you, going through the steps to be expected through the duration of the project. Rarely will one weekend be enough to land a buyer.

 

6. The whole package. A true professional home stager will be concerned with the marketing of your home in all its aspects, from exterior to the interior. Make sure you walk around the outside of your property. He or she should be able to formulate a strategy for optimizing your yard, the walkways, your entry way and the overall exterior of your home.

 

Selling your home is not something you want to drag on for months on end. By hiring a home stager, your home will be more likely to sell and you may command a higher price.