Professional home-staging more important in downturned market

In order to help deal with the recession's affects on the real estate market, some agents are turning to professional home-staging services to make the properties they are showing stand out, according to the Philadelphia Inquirer.

The added appeal of having interior designers decorate a home for a showing may extend beyond the general positive feelings a potential homebuyer may get from the homes appearance - it may also enable agents to sell the home for a higher price.

The method has caught on in the real estate industry. According to a 2009 nationwide survey of real estate agents by HomeGain, 82 percent reported having used professional stagers, paying between $300 and $400 on average, but having received between $1,500 and $2000 more for the sale price of the home.

When homebuyers can envision themselves moving into the property, the positive visual may help them feel more inclined to choose a particular house as their future home, the source suggests.

"At any price, unless you are dealing with a shell, it is important to have the house look inviting. Staging can make the difference between sale and no sale," said Joanne Davidow, vice president of Prudential Fox & Roach in Philadelphia.

Any improvements in the Philadelphia housing market would be beneficial, since the areas home sales suffered as a result of poor winter weather, according to the Federal Reserve's Beige Book.  

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