- Help clients do their staging homework. First, find out what comparable homes look like and whether they’re staged. Then interview potential stagers with these questions.
- Can I see before-and-after photos of jobs you’ve handled? Can you explain what you did and why?
- Do you usually stage all the rooms in a house or condo, or just a few key rooms? Which ones?
- Do you recommend taking down artwork and curtains and removing most accessories?
- Do you have access to a staging inventory that you own or rent? If the furnishings will be rented, how long is the rental period?
- Can any of my client’s furnishings be used for staging, and if so, which ones?
- Do you recommend other improvements, such as painting, polishing floors, or resurfacing kitchen cabinets if you believe it’s required?
- Do you offer expertise concerning the property’s exterior?
- How will the seller will be charged? Is it by the number of rooms, hours on the clock, or a flat fee for the entire project?
- What’s your average return on investment? How much might my seller might realize if the home is staged versus not staged?
- Can my client get the specifics of your staging proposal in writing?
