Staging home can help sellers in a buyer's market - The Indianapolis Star

by Amy Moshier

In today's competitive real estate market, sellers need every advantage. A thorough cleaning may not be enough to lure potential buyers. Now, a technique called home staging is gaining popularity and helping homeowners achieve a memorable edge during showings.

Home staging is part decorating, part marketing and part psychology, said Linda Barnett, who opened Home Matters, an Indianapolis-based home-staging firm, in 2004.

"It's a service that is designed to prepare your home for sale while maximizing its appeal to potential home buyers," Barnett said.

Two main services are the thrust of staging - a room by room list of suggested changes to improve each space's appeal, and the actual accomplishment of those changes. If homeowners wish to implement suggestions on their own, Barnett says they can do so for a consultation fee of approximately $200 to $350. However, if sellers want a professional's touch, they can have a stager perform the changes. Rates vary based on the number and types of suggestions, but Barnett says the price range at Home Matters averages $500 to $2,500.

Suggestions, Suggestions

One suggestion a stager might make is to position furniture differently in a room where the best features aren't properly displayed.

"Positioning certain items differently in a room can trigger what we call the "buying impulse," Barnett said.

Reflecting the lifestyle of the neighborhood also is important. For example, if the neighborhood is ideal for young families, the seller may want to place a child-size table with a checker game on top in a bedroom to communicate that the home is kid-friendly. Or, sellers can add an easel with a cookbook on it to spice up a gourmet kitchen.

Every room is equally important when it comes to marketing a home.

"First impressions are created with every step the buyer takes (into a room)," Barnett said.

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