What if you cannot find a stager?

Optimally, you want a Stager who is a local. It is in your best interests to have your stager walk around your property and examine your house and yard "up close and personal". He or she will be able to see and enhance subtleties in your rooms. She or he will know the most about what colors and styles are popular in your area. So, when making tuning decisions, he or she will know how to truly maximize your marketing.

If you cannot find an independent stager, do interview Interior Designers and Realtors who also stage. Some of them do superior work.

If cannot find any local stagers, you have several choices:

• DIY staging
• Finding a stager who lives in another location and works from photographs
• Bringing a stager to your property from another location

This is a quick discussion of these choices.

DIY staging
As I discussed in an earlier blog, this is not an optimal solution. However, if it comes down to DIY or don't stage at all, go with the DIY option. Do some serious research before you start. Run an internet search on "DIY home staging". There are a lot of books on the subject. Check them out. Take a look at "The Science And Art Of Staging" on my website. Concentrate most of your efforts on the what I call the "Science" part of staging: depersonalize, neutralize, simplify, declutter, and clean clean clean.

Stagers who live in other locations and work from photographs
This can be done. I do it. Some stagers offer this service on their websites. Even if this service is not offered on their website, if you contact them, some stagers may be willing to work with you. You are going to need a digital camera because your stager is probably going to ask for very specific pictures. Then they are probably going to ask for more pictures as you go through the process to make sure the staging stays on track. Interview and select your potential long-distance stager the same way you interview local stagers (except the interview takes place over the phone).

Bring your stager to your property from another location
Frankly, this is going to involve travel and living expenses on top of the cost of staging. I only suggest you do this to protect a potentially very high profit. But, if your probable profit will cover the added expense (and still leave you with a very good profit) and DIY staging or staging long distance are not options, begin your search with family and friends who live away and can offer referrals. If needed, expand to an internet search for "home staging" in the nearest big city. Some stagers advertise their willingness to travel. Others will give you a quote when you contact them. Interview diligently and select using the same criteria you would use to find your local stager.