The Importance of Professional Home Staging Over DIY for Successful Property Sales
- sensationalhomesta
- 4 days ago
- 5 min read
Selling a property in a competitive real estate market requires more than just listing a house online. The way a home looks when potential buyers walk through the door can make or break a sale. While some sellers try to save money by staging their homes themselves or hiring hobbyists, professional home staging offers clear advantages that can lead to faster sales and higher offers. This post explains why choosing a professional stager over DIY or amateur efforts is crucial to properly prepare a house for sale.
Who you use for Staging matters. A LOT.
Why Home Staging Matters in Real Estate
Home staging is the process of arranging furniture, decor, and accessories to highlight a property’s best features and appeal to the target buyer. A vacant or poorly furnished home often feels cold and uninviting. Buyers struggle to imagine themselves living there, which can slow down the sale or reduce the price offers. Virtual staging is regarded as deceptive marketing, and dupes the Buyer who ends up disappointed and discouraged when they walk into a property that does not look or feel like it did online.
Professional staging transforms a property into a welcoming space that resonates with buyers’ tastes and lifestyle expectations. In Colorado, where styles and buyer preferences can vary widely—from rustic mountain cabins to sleek urban condos—stagers tailor the look to fit the market. This targeted approach helps homes stand out in listings and open houses.
The Limits of DIY and Hobbyist Staging
Many sellers attempt DIY staging to cut costs. They might rearrange existing furniture, add a few decorative items, or borrow pieces from friends. Hobbyists may offer staging services at lower rates but often lack the experience and resources of professionals.
These approaches have several drawbacks:
Limited inventory: DIY and hobbyists usually work with what’s available, which may not match current trends or the style that appeals to the target buyer.
Lack of design expertise: Professional stagers understand color theory, lighting, and spatial flow. DIY efforts can result in cluttered or mismatched rooms that confuse buyers.
Missed marketing opportunities: Stagers know how to highlight a property’s unique selling points, such as architectural details or views, which amateurs might overlook.
Inconsistent quality: Without professional standards, staging can look amateurish, reducing buyer confidence in the property’s overall condition.
How Professional Stagers Add Value
Professional home staging companies in Colorado bring a range of benefits that directly impact the sale outcome:
Access to Trendy Furnishings and Colors
Stagers maintain extensive inventories of furniture and decor in styles and colors that appeal to current buyers. For example, if the target market prefers modern minimalism, the stager will select sleek, neutral pieces that create a clean, spacious feel. For mountain homes, warm textures and natural materials might be emphasized.
Customized Staging Plans
A professional stager evaluates the property and the local market to create a tailored plan. This includes deciding which rooms to stage, how to arrange furniture for optimal flow, and what accessories to add for visual interest. This strategic approach ensures every detail supports the goal of selling the property quickly and at a good price.
Expertise in Highlighting Property Strengths
Professional Stagers know how to draw attention to features like large windows, fireplaces, or open floor plans. They use lighting, mirrors, and furniture placement to make rooms feel larger and brighter. This expertise helps buyers see the full potential of the home.
Handling Vacant Properties
Vacant homes can feel empty and uninviting. Professional staging fills these spaces with appropriate furnishings that create warmth and help buyers imagine living there. This is especially important in Colorado’s diverse real estate market, where buyers expect a certain lifestyle feel.
Real Examples of Professional Staging Impact
In one Denver regional listing, a vacant home sat on the market for over 60 days with no offers. After hiring a professional stager, the home was furnished with modern, neutral pieces that appealed to young families. The property sold within two weeks at 5% above the asking price.
Another example comes from Denver, where a seller tried DIY staging using outdated furniture. The home lingered on the market for months. A professional stager replaced the furnishings with trendy, light-colored items and added fresh artwork. The home sold quickly after relisting.
Choosing the Right Stager:
When selecting a professional stager, look for:
Training and Accreditation - Education matters - ask where they were trained and if they belong to a professional trade association for accountability, ethics, education and excellence standards
Experience in your local market
Strong portfolio of staged homes
Access to a wide range of furnishings
Good communication and clear pricing
Awards and Recognition
Special Financing Programs and Preferred Partner Discounts
Sensational Home Staging has 24 years of experience and staged over 7,400 properties.
Owner, Jennie Norris, is an Accredited Staging Professional Master, the highest credential in the Home Staging industry. She has earned 13 industry credentials.
They have a 16,000 sq ft warehouse full of on trend items, and constantly refresh their furnishings, purchasing what is needed to properly stage properties of all styles, sizes and prices.
The Sensational Home Staging Team is responsive and efficient - you will always get a call, text or email when you reach out.
They are the most AWARDED and CREDENTIALED company in the world - no other staging company has received the dozens of awards for staging quality, leadership and client care, and no other company has the number of added credentials representing courses and education on market niches for home staging.
They offer a Pay at Closing Option through a partner company, and offer specials to help save $$ such as pro-rating the staging supply loan weekly for ongoing items in the property.
Jennie is a world-renown stager, trainer, educator and industry leader who is the Chairwoman of the largest global home staging association, the International Association of Home Staging Professionals® - IAHSP®. (www.iahsp.com). She has taught thousands of real estate agents and stagers around the world how to be successful and own a thriving business.
Ask the Following Questions:
How long have you been in business? Experience matters. An experienced Stager will know what works best in your property and their business process will be more efficient, saving you money on the fee for time.
Where do you source your items? A Stager with a warehouse with ample items in multiple styles is a better choice over one with limited inventory because they will not be able to CURATE a specific look for your property based on:
Target Buyer Demographic
Style of Property and Scale of Rooms
Price of the Property
Do you have liability insurance and insurance to cover your items? Make sure you ask about their policy - and make sure they are not making YOU responsible for loss of their items!
Do you have the right style and scale of furniture to stage my property? It is not about putting just any old furniture in a property. It is about using the RIGHT items that highlight the property, appeal to the buyer and enhance the experience online and in person!
A skilled stager will work closely with the client and listing agent to ensure the staging supports the overall sales strategy.
Final Thoughts on Professional Home Staging
Preparing a property for sale is an investment that pays off when done right. Professional home staging offers a clear advantage over DIY or hobbyist efforts by using the right furnishings, colors, and design expertise to attract buyers. In Colorado’s varied real estate market, this tailored approach helps homes sell faster and for better prices.
Work with Sensational Home Staging - Colorado's most Awarded and Credentialed staging company with over 7,400 properties staged since 2002! Give us a call at 888-WE-STAGE or 303-717-7918 and ask us for a complimentary quote for staging your property.
