Home Staging: Five Questions To Ask Before Hiring A Home Stager

Compared to D-I-Y (Do It Yourself) home staging, hiring a professional guarantees a profitable and speedy sale. From upping the value of the property to taking the stress off the homeowner’s shoulders, more and more people are enlisting the help of these experts in beautifying their own residences. Finding the right partner takes time though. There are profiles and portfolios to check, recommendations and reputations to consider and questions to ask to ensure that they are certainly fit for the job.

What To Ask A Home Stager Before Hiring Him

Here are some of the top things you should know when you interview a potential home stager.

1.       What is his specialty? Stagers’ skills vary depending on the types of residential properties they are going to stage on. Can he relate to your family house or does his forte focus on condos instead? See his past works and weigh his expertise.

2.       Can he bring additional promotional ideas to the table? A good stager can go beyond the design and décor aspects. He should also be interested in the whole package, the marketing side of it included. Find out if he has additional promotional strategies to suggest that will capture and hold the interest of your target buyers.

3.       How well does he know the market? He should also be paying attention to the rise and fall of the industry. For instance, if you are selling a condo in the Philippines, how knowledgeable is he on the Philippine real estate market? Can he attain a high-end décor that requires minimum expenses yet make it affordable to prospective buyers? Can he give you a competitive edge so you can get the most offers? How well-adapt is he on the latest news and trends? For all you know, he tends to lean towards classic and traditional designs which may or may not be suitable to your preferences and public needs.

4.       How much time does he usually consume to complete a project? Ensure that both of you agree on the target time frame, and that your schedules will meet and deadlines are properly set.

5.       What are his rates? Make sure that it is reasonable given your location. Does he give discounts or extras and bonuses for first-time clients? What is the scope of his services? Sometimes, there are instances when some would charge per hour for consultation alone. Does his fee include reports and resources? Determine the payment method and scheme. Ask him what happens if you are not satisfied with his work. Does he have some sort of a guarantee clause in his contract?

Home Staging: Three (3) Basic Things To Look For In A Professional Home Stager

A professional home stager can offer huge help in completing a quick and successful house sale. He can turn your ordinary-looking residence into something incredibly appealing for the type of audience you are aiming to attract. He can point out everything that needs further improvement without so much difficulty and suggest ideas that can make your property stand out from the rest of the pack. The only question is, how do you locate him?

What To Look For In A Professional Home Stager

Find the right person who can make your dreams come true. Here are the basic qualities to look for.

1.       It’s all about skills.

·        Technical. Check his portfolio to assess his talents in design and decoration. Do you like his style? Is he creative for your taste? Gauge how passionate he is on his craft. Remember:

People rarely succeed unless they enjoy what they are doing. -Dale Carnegie

·        Quality. Is he detail-oriented? Take note of the little things that can give you clues on how much he values his work as well as his ability to perfect the concepts needed. Does he have an eye for excellence?

·        Can work well under pressure. Check the projects that he has handled in the past. Observe how close the completion dates are in between them to see if he can work under a very tight timeline. How much time did it take him to finish a project? Ask him if there were occasions when he delivered sooner than expected.

·        Organization. Is he organized? Staging a home is no easy task. He must have good organizational skills to be able to create order out of chaos.

·        Communication. He must be someone whom you can easily communicate with, knows how to listen and respectful of your opinions. Homeselling can be quite stressful so he must have the ability to deal with different types of people in various kinds of situation professionally. Also consider how comfortable you are with him. Keep in mind that you will be working together so there should not be awkward moments between you two.

2.       He’s interested in the industry. He must be knowledgeable about the latest news and trends and able to adapt based on his clients’ needs and preferences. For instance, if you are putting your house for sale in the Philippine market, he must be able to give you a highly competitive edge on a Philippine real estate setting so that your property will get the most offers.

3.       He carries himself well. The way he dresses, talks, moves should all speak of confidence. You would want someone whose experience makes him confident, wouldn’t you?