Has anyone used a home stager to sale a house?

Not in today's market, at least in Louisville, Ky. Most houses sell within 10 days as long as it's in move in condition and priced right for the neighborhood. We just got $4000. Over asking price in 7 days.

Some realtors are good at helping you stage your house if you have a good one. They know what helps sell a house if they have been in the business for a while. Check with your realtor first to see if they can help, why spend extra if you don't have to.

I'm sure that 'stagers' are good, but you can do a lot yourself. Some fresh flowers, etc.

This sounds silly, but a lot of people really believe in it--- buy {from a store that sells religious things} a little statue of St. Joseph and bury him in your front yard. I got mine at a store that sells Catholic things and they had 'St Joseph kits'. with instructions. I was selling 'by owner' and house was not on the market very long -- just a few months. Maybe St. J. helped. good luck.

It all depends on the skills of your stager and your local market. If you opt for a stager, demand references and check out their work in advance.

Today's younger buyers are looking for more transitional styling (no heavily ornate cabinetry, no busy looking rooms with lots of knick knacks, more: hardwood flooring, crown moulding, chair rail detail, low maintenance landscapes, etc.), loads of closet and cabinet space, and in some areas, more open floor plans.

I worked for a realtor in the Austin area AND I assisted a friend who consulted with a stager (but sold it without a realtor) in selling her home ($450K) a couple years ago. Here is what they all do: They paint all the walls in the house a very light gray and paint all the trim white. They remove all gold and chrome light fixtures and replace them with brushed nickel (you could spray paint them). They clean up the yard (rake up every single leaf and trim the trees and make it look civilized) and put a couple of potted flowers near the front door and on the back patio. They pack up all clutter and excess stuff and put it in storage or a pod (off premises). If the kitchen cupboards are outdated or not in great condition, they pay to have someone R/R and Paint them a nice clean white color. They decorate very simply. Nothing on the countertops except bare minimum decor. Drawers & closets all cleaned out and minimal stuff in them. They get rid of carpet and replace with wood laminate or manufactured flooring. (carpets hold allergens and many folks these days are allergic or think they are and carpet is considered not-politically-correct now, especially for children). Keep it SUPER CLEAN for showings. Also, fix anything that would be caught in a home inspection so that is not an issue later on after you have an offer. You're competing with new houses and so you have to make your house look like new and not in need of work. Best wishes to you and your family.

As a former realtor some sellers, very few, used stagers while most did it themselves and I also would advise sellers what sells. Homes still sold either way. All depends on the market. What stagers do anybody can do.

Here are a few ideas on selling your house. You don't need a stager.

Great curb appeal (bright flowers and grass cut and trimmed, shrubs trimmed, garden weeded) is very important. If it looks bad from the outside, a lot of people won't waste their time walking inside. That makes everyone think that the home was not taken care of and underlying issues could be present. Clean the exterior and the doors and windows. Make sure your front door looks welcoming, maybe a fresh coat of paint, if it's a painted one. A new welcome mat is nice. Remove all personal things (pictures, stuff hanging on the refrigerator, etc). Also remove any furniture and stuff in closets not needed and any other kind of clutter (put it storage if you have to). Organize everything left into an orderly fashion. If the walls are dark, paint them a light color (it makes the rooms look bigger and brighter). Other than some paint (neutral colors), it really isn't necessary to do any updates as the new owners may have different tastes and could possibly change it anyhow. Only fix what needs to be fixed (you don't want it to look like you didn't take care of the home). Keep everything clean so you're not running around before a showing, making sure windows are clean.. Make the beds when you get up. Before a showing, open all window coverings and let the sunshine in. Turn on all lights even on a bright sunny day, the more light, the better. Be careful burning candles, a scent you like may not smell so good to someone else . The smell of a strong scented candle could also trigger an asthma attack or appear to be covering something up. Flowers could also trigger allergies or asthma. The smell of clean or some freshly baked goods is much more enticing. And if necessary, spray an air neutralizer. When your home is being shown, remove all animals and put away their paraphernalia if at all possible. Good luck.

I wouldn't spend the money on that...I would use it to store as much furniture and accessories as possible to create more space and to "depersonalize" it of photos and knick knacks. And spend a little more on a professional cleaning. Clean and spacious sells homes more than staging.

I am a professional stager, but I only do consultations, and my services are provided by the realtor. My fee is paid for by the realtor out of their commission, not yours. The suggestions above are excellent. I've done all kinds of staging, and found a niche where I only stage for houses people are living in while it's for sale. Sellers have very sentimental attachments to things that a new home owner doesn't not need to be distracted with. You don't want them commenting on the beautiful quilt your grandmother made that is hanging in the den. They might not notice crown molding or high ceilings.....so less is more.

The place to start will be your exterior photo. Keep in mind, the real estate photographers (the good ones) are busy and when they photograph your house, you may not get a second chance for better pictures. Do NOT let your realtor put up pictures before your house is show ready. Many will do this, and you have to think from the buyers POV that they are looking online making a list of houses they want to see. That is where you HAVE to make your best impression....the FIRST impression of their potential new home.

The minute you call a realtor to list your house is when you need to think in the terms of it no longer belonging to you. Start packing boxes early with things in over stuffed closets or family photos that will stare back at them. Find a place between too cluttered and sterile. : )

I would love to share more you could do....but there are too many details for this forum. Good luck.