Frequently Asked Questions

Q. How much does staging cost?

We are unable to give exact costs over the phone or email, but will prepare a no-obligation staging estimate after viewing your property.

Q. What regional areas does Redesign Etc. serve?

Houston, League City, Clear Lake, Friendswood, Kemah, Seabrook, Pearland, Sugar Land, Missouri City, Spring, West University, River Oaks, Mid-Town, The Heights, Montrose, Texas Medical Center, The East End, Museum District, West Loop/Galleria/Memorial, Downtown, Bellaire, and surrounding areas. And all areas down to Galveston Island.

Q. How does Home Staging Work?

It first starts with an evaluation and consultation which includes a walkthrough of property, thoroughly evaluating each room with a buyer's eye. Photos of rooms will be taken at this time. The consultation includes both interior, and exterior, curb appeal and paint colors. We make recommendations based on areas that need to be addressed, on a personalized prioritized sellers to do list. The homeowner can do as much or as little on the list as they choose. Once this is done, the actual staging process begins. We will then perform hands on staging either using your existing furnishings or if vacant, using rental furnishings and accessories.

Q. Does the value of my home justify the cost of “professionally staging.”

Any home can benefit from a professional home staging. Remember, it’s the first impression that generally sells the home and a quick sale at top dollar is what you are looking for.

Q. When should I Stage my home?

Definitely, before the home is placed on the market it should be professionally staged. The first couple of weeks on the market is when interest is at its peak. It is newly listed and most of the realtors and brokers want to get a first hand look before they recommend the home to their potential buyers.

Q. Isn’t my house staged if I did a general “to-do” list?

Well, you’re certainly on the right track, and ahead of the game! But lists are just a general generic guideline, and aren’t specific for your home’s needs. Staging involves a very detailed personalized approach. No two situations are the same, and a lot of time, experience and preparation go into staging. We develop a plan specifically for your home to market and merchandise it to its fullest potential.

Q. My house is already on the market, isn’t it too late to Stage it?

Absolutely not! It’s not unusual for homes to be Staged after sitting on the market for a while.  After being on the market for a while, it becomes a stale property. Once staged, it becomes a “hot property” and agents will start showing it again.

Q. How long does it take to Stage a home?

Depending on the size of your home and how many rooms we will be staging, the process can take as little as 1 to 3 days.

Q. Can you use my existing furnishings?

As Home Staging professionals, we attempt to use your existing furnishings to minimize costs. We “shop” your home for items that can be used in a coordinated fashion to enhance overall marketability. If additional items are required to complete the staging process, these will be mentioned in the completed Property Assessment Report.

Q. Why should I invest money in a home I plan to sell?

Put simply, it increases the probability of optimizing the return on your investment? For most folks, their home is the biggest investment of a lifetime. If time on the market and final selling price is important to you then home staging makes good sense.  

Q. I have a real estate agent, will you work with him/her?

We would love to work with your Agent as part of your selling team! Your Agent’s job is to market your home to potential buyers and our job is to get it ready for that process. In many cases, we are introduced through Real Estate Agents because they know that Staging works.

Q. Why do I need to hire a home stager when I can do it myself?

Homeowners don't always see their home in an objective way as a buyer would. It is hard to emotionally detach from something we are used to seeing everyday. Professional stagers don't have the emotional attachment and are able to effectively view it as a buyer would.

Q. Can I do some of the Staging myself?

Yes, we encourage your help when it comes to picking any collectibles, valuables, and other items of extreme importance. These are items you don't want to leave out anyway when your home is on the market for sale. There may be certain repairs that might need to be done, so we encourage that you either farm those tasks out or possibly repair them yourselves. Any repairs will be addressed in your Property Assessment report.

Q. Would my vacant home show better if it had furniture in it?

When home buyers walk into an empty house 90% of them aren't able to visualize their own furniture in the empty space. Sometimes it's too overwhelming, especially if the space is awkward. That's where a little furniture and accessories can help. Items that are creatively placed in a room will help buyers to get a frame of reference for their own furnishings in a blank space.

Q. Do you provide furniture and accessories?

Yes, we offer a complete line of rental furniture and accessories, to complement any style or size of home. To keep up with the latest trends and styles, we prefer to use third-party sources for furniture and not stock a warehouse full of older outdated furnishings. Redesign Etc. offers it's own accessory and home decor rental program to keep costs down for the home seller. Furniture usually takes about 4 days from processing to in home delivery. Because each home is different, each piece of furniture and accessory items are hand selected specifically for your house. Sometimes, due to update changes in furniture inventory this process takes a few days to coordinate . We try to get your vacant home staged as soon as possible but occasionally, due to circumstances beyond our control, it takes a little longer. So please try and give us a lead time of at least a week.

Q. How do I know what to look for in a home stager?

Many home stagers are popping up all over the country as this industry grows. It's a little confusing choosing a home stager. Here are some things to look for:

• A true full service professional will have set up a legitimate Business within the states guidelines.
• They will be fully insured, having formed a Corporation, or LLC.
• Have a web site, without the use of stock photos or classroom group photos in their portfolios. A portfolio of not just after photos, but before photos as well.
• Offer credit card payment options.
• Have client referrals.
• Have viable sources for interior furnishings and accessories.
• Have hands-on experience in the decorating/design field.
• Be able to recommend painters and other craftsmen to do repair work.
• Have flexible working hours.
• Views their home staging business as a career not a part-time hobby.
• Have experience in marketing, merchandising and real estate which are 3 crucial elements to selling a house.
• Offer turnkey home staging with no hassles or stress for the home seller.
• Offer accessory staging, partial staging and complete home staging packages.
• Personal in-depth Consultations customized for each room of your home, giving you an unbiased honest opinion on what areas needs to be addressed inside and out. Not an impersonal check list of general items to do.

Q. How important are the listing photos?

According to the National Association of Realtors, 84% of the prospective buyers in 2007 began their search using the internet. As part of our home staging service, Redesign Etc. will provide you with “after” pictures for your marketing use.

Q. Do you just do home staging?

No, we offer a variety of home enhancement services listed on our service page. We are a full service home staging company utilizing our creative skills and designer tricks-of-the-trade to market and stage a property to its maximum potential.

Q. What’s the difference between Home Staging and Interior Redesign?

Home Staging is merchandising and marketing a product to sell and appeal to the widest range of buyers as possible. It’s depersonalizing, while still keeping it warm and inviting.

Interior Redesign is redecorating for a homeowner that plans on living in their home. It’s personalizing the home to suit the homeowner’s tastes and needs.

*Based upon Home Gain Statistics