In todays market, sellers are increasingly using sophisticated marketing techniques including virtual home tours and incentive-to-buy gifts in order to attract homebuyers. Some sellers even resign themselves to accepting less than their desired asking price because of the state of the market today. The good news is that there is one marketing technique that can help you sell your home faster and for more money than you might expect. That technique is called home staging.

Long used by real estate professionals, home staging services are now marketed to every property seller even those sellers who choose to offer their property as a For Sale by Owner (FSBO). A home stager is a professional who prepares your home for showings and for sale. Preparing your home for sale can involve removing clutter, adding rental furniture to your home, moving furniture around, painting and extensive redecorating.

A home staging professional can cost anywhere from a few hundred dollars to many thousands, depending on the state of your home and the size of your property. The costs can offer a great return on your investment, though, because a home stager can offer:

1) A home that sells faster at a higher price. A 2004 survey by Coldwell Banker Broker Joy Valentine found that homes that were staged sold in an average of 13.8 days (compared to an average 30.9 days for homes that were not staged). The same survey found that vacant homes sold 80% faster when staged with furniture and that staged homes made an average of 6.4% than the list price.

2) An unbiased and professional eye. A home stager generally has some design experience as well as home selling experience. He or she can enter your home and pinpoint those small but essential details that can be pushing buyers away.

3) A home that looks ready to move in. According to 2005 and 2006 Maritz Research staging polls, 63% of buyers polled said that they were willing to pay more for a house if it was move-in ready. A home stager can help make your home ready to move in with fresh paint, furniture and accessories. A home staging professional can transform the look of your home so that buyers can easily picture themselves moving in.