Hi All, I'm considering selling my 1st investment house in east Austin, and would like some recommendation for a staging company. And how much should I expect to spend? The house is around 1000 sqft with 3b/1b, and I'm planning to only have the living/master/kitchen staged due to limited budget. I've contacted two companies. The first one asked for $1500/ first month + $800/ each month to renew. The 2nd one is recommended by a friend, and it's $1800/ first month + $200-$250/ month to renew, but the owner is not very responsive. Any help is appreciated!!

My question is why? You can easily use digital staging for the whole house for far less. But if you are selling it to an investor, staging doesn't matter. If you are located in an area where homes are selling very quickly, then you might not need to stage. I usually see whole house staging on much larger homes, around 2,000 sq. ft and above. So again, you need to ask yourself if it's really going to be worth it.

@Aristotle Kumpis , the house has been renovated, so my potential buyers will be people who will move in themselves. I thought staging may help attract more buyers hopefully, just like most people like model homes.

In my opinion, staging can make a big difference! I am newer to investing, but with our last flip, the house sat on the market for weeks with no interest. So I decided to stage it myself - using a few furniture pieces from our house and my mom's house, and bought some inexpensive table settings, decorations, and rugs to pull it all together. I think the very next couple to view it thought it was adorable and bought it. It was a hassle to do all that, but at the time, I couldn't fathom spending another $1,500 on the place.

Reach out to Martha Bowles she is an expert. 

@Shuang Wang

Hello Shuang,

Do you have a tight timeline on when you need the house sold? Before considering staging I would list first and see the turn out you get. If it's all been renovated you may not need it to be staged or your buyer may be an investor. Get some feedback on the propery before spending money to stage. You can also do digital staging when listing it online to attract people in the door, and at that point they already have an idea on how the space can be used at less cost to you.

Hope this helps!

I think the prices they quoted you are fair. Go with the one that responds quicker. If there's anything I've learned in the REI staging business is that I have to be accessible and flexible. You need a staging company that works with you and your schedule. If you're going to stage your investment, it's always best to take photos after staging. And, regarding DOM...staging shortens the DOM. A few extra days up front can save you weeks--or months--in the end. Don't focus so much on the day you list it, but the day you sell it. Staged homes sell faster and usually for more money.

P.S. Bad staging does the opposite of good staging, so be careful with DYI staging.

Thank you all for the help and great suggestions!