If You Want to Sell for Top Dollar:
Why Property Staging is A Must
Professional home staging in San Francisco isn’t just recommended—it’s fundamental to your selling success. With our extensive experience in home staging in San Francisco, we’ve seen repeatedly how thoughtful and strategic staging transforms properties, connecting emotionally with buyers, and resulting in quicker sales and higher offers. Here’s exactly why home staging in San Francisco is an investment worth making, and how our tailored approach ensures your property reaches its maximum market value.
Home staging can accelerate the sale process by 10% to 50%. Nearly a third of all buyers said their offers were higher because of staging.
(Data from the National Association of REALTORS and HomeLight)
Consider Your Property as a Product—It Needs to Be Prepared and Presented Accordingly.
A skilled stager’s artistry can captivate the best potential buyers visually, viscerally, and emotionally. While hiring a talented stager and designer to transform your vacant home might feel like a significant expense—after all, couldn’t you just buy a couch yourself?—the reality is that expert staging is crucial for a successful sale.
More than simply arranging furniture, a professional stager thoughtfully selects and places the perfect combination of furniture, rugs, bedding, artwork, and accessories, creating a welcoming environment that harmonizes and amplifies all our preparation efforts.
More than just placing furniture, a stager thoughtfully selects and arranges the ideal combination of furniture, rugs, bedding, art, and accessories to create an inviting environment that will harmonize and amplify all our preparation efforts to date.
Staged to Sell: How the Look, Touch and Feel of Home Staging in San Francisco is Fundamental to Your Selling Success
Staged to Sell: How the Look, Touch, and Feel of Home Staging in San Francisco is Fundamental to Your Selling Success
From our extensive experience, home staging in San Francisco isn’t just another step in the selling process—it’s the difference-maker. We’ve seen it repeatedly: buyers walk into a thoughtfully staged home and immediately connect on an emotional level, visualizing their lives unfolding there. When staging creates that kind of response, offers quickly follow—and they’re usually stronger, faster, and higher.
Once we’ve set the overall design direction and preparations are underway, we’ll reach out to our trusted staging partners—some of San Francisco’s absolute best—to gather estimates and reserve a spot on their busy calendars. Each stager brings a distinct style and perspective, and after carefully assessing your home, we’ll recommend the ideal fit, so the final choice aligns seamlessly with your property’s unique character and appeal.
Yes, staging can feel like a significant upfront investment, but trust us, it consistently pays dividends. Homes staged with care don’t just sell faster—they regularly achieve significantly higher prices. Sellers who genuinely don’t benefit from staging are exceedingly rare—and even in those exceptional cases, strategic editing or subtle refinements can still dramatically enhance the emotional impact.
Staging isn’t merely an expense—it’s an investment in your home’s full potential.
Once we’ve set the overall design direction and preparations are underway, we’ll reach out to our trusted staging partners—some of San Francisco’s absolute best—to gather estimates and reserve a spot on their busy calendars. Each stager brings a distinct style and perspective, and after carefully assessing your home, we’ll recommend the ideal fit, so the final choice aligns seamlessly with your property’s unique character and appeal.
Yes, staging can feel like a significant upfront investment, but trust us, it consistently pays dividends. Homes staged with care don’t just sell faster—they regularly achieve significantly higher prices. Sellers who genuinely don’t benefit from staging are exceedingly rare—and even in those exceptional cases, strategic editing or subtle refinements can still dramatically enhance the emotional impact.
Staging isn’t merely an expense—it’s an investment in your home’s full potential.
“We think of our homes as places of warmth, familarity and love; of shared stories and memories.... There is a timeless simplicity to the pull of home.”
— Queen Elizabeth, II
Staging is about creating a space buyers can imagine themselves living in—and aspire to own
And Raffi is a priceless element of our presentation.
THE PROCESS
How Staging Usually Works
Unless you’re among the rare few who can successfully self-stage (and yes, we’ve had clients who’ve done exactly that), you’ll likely benefit from hiring a professional stager. Here’s how the process typically unfolds:
1. Consult Us First:
Let’s discuss which stagers our clients have used successfully and find the perfect fit for your property.
2. Stager Site Visit:
We’ll arrange quick, convenient site visits (typically 10–30 minutes) for stagers to evaluate your home. We can coordinate this step entirely for you.
3. Review Estimates:
Once estimates are in, we strongly encourage viewing properties they’ve staged previously so you can see their work in action.
4. Make Your Choice:
After choosing your stager, you’ll sign their contract and submit a deposit (usually around 80%).
5. Prepare the Property:
Ensure the home is ready and vacant before staging begins. If additional cleaning, painting, or window washing is required, ask us—we have trusted vendors who can handle these tasks without the markup some stagers add.
6. Staging in Progress:
With keys, parking permits, and any necessary building permissions secured, the staging usually takes 1–3 days. Stagers carefully protect surfaces with moving paper and pad furniture as needed.
7. Staging Complete:
Once staging is done, your home is ready for professional photography and showings. The remaining balance of the staging fee is typically due now.
8. Maintenance During Showings:
After open houses begin, stagers return periodically to refresh flowers, water plants, and make subtle furniture adjustments if needed.
9. Breakdown:
Once the sale is certain, stagers will remove everything within 1–3 days, leaving the home in broom-clean condition.
10. Final Touches:
Stagers will patch holes left from hanging art, though paint touch-ups typically aren’t included unless specifically arranged. Keys are returned, and your home is officially ready for its new owners.
Important Notes About Home Staging and Preparation
1. Staging is Worth the Investment:
Think of staging as dressing your home for its big debut—it’s an investment that consistently leads to higher offers and quicker sales. We’ll expertly coordinate styling, staging, and marketing, significantly increasing your home’s appeal and your ROI.
2. Sellers Usually Handle Staging Fees:
Traditionally, sellers pay for staging—if left to agents, the choices might lean toward budget-friendly rather than impactful. Not because we’re cheap, but because this is a seller expense. Bonus: There are typically tax benefits to covering this cost yourself.
3. Staging Contracts and Deposits:
Most staging agreements require a 60-day minimum, with about 80% of the fee due upfront to secure your staging dates. The balance is paid once staging is complete. Booking well in advance (and paying promptly) helps us secure priority scheduling during busy seasons.
4. Additional Service Fees and Markups:
Stagers may add 10–30% markups if asked to coordinate extra services like cleaning or repairs. To save you money, we’re happy to refer trusted vendors who often offer more competitive pricing.
5. Furniture is for Display Only:
Stagers’ furniture is strictly for display purposes. It looks inviting, but it’s not suitable for everyday use (yes, that might even be an air mattress under the bedding!). Raffi gets special permission, of course!
6. Extensions (More Time Needed?):
Need to extend staging beyond the initial agreement? Extensions typically cost less than the original fee, but keep in mind: if your home sells quickly, pro-rated refunds are usually not offered.
7. Partial Staging—Possible, But Not Always Cost-Effective:
While using your furniture or partially staging your home can occasionally make sense, it’s rare. Often, you won’t save much in the long run due to additional moving costs once your home sells. It’s worth carefully considering before choosing this route.
8. Love What You See? You Can Sometimes Buy It:
Occasionally, staging items are available for purchase. If something catches your eye—furniture, art, or even fixtures—just ask. We’ve had clients frequently buy staged items, especially favorite lighting fixtures, for their new homes. Many vendors and stagers even extend exclusive client discounts for these purchases.
9. Tax-Friendly Bonus:
Staging fees are often classified as advertising expenses for tax purposes, potentially helping reduce your capital gains tax. Consult your CPA for specifics, or check out IRS Publication 523 online (just Google it!) for the latest guidelines on eligible sales expenses.
The Stagers We Use.
We partner with the best stagers because we understand the immense value that thoughtful design brings—and our results consistently reflect this commitment. Staging isn’t merely about placing furniture; it’s about creating an emotional connection with buyers. We take that a step further by personally styling each property after the initial staging is complete. Our meticulous approach includes thoughtful touches like fresh cut flowers, scented candles, and high-end accessories, ensuring every home feels uniquely special and inviting.
This uncompromising level of care ensures our listings consistently stand out, attract the strongest offers, and maximize market value. For us, cutting corners isn’t an option—we always present your home at its absolute best.
San Francisco has many talented staging companies—here are a few trusted favorites who’ve consistently helped our clients succeed.
Coy and Company
Sayde Mark Designs
Birch & Tailor
JV Staging
Avetex Staging/Furniture
Visual Cues: Accentuating the Positives, or Focusing on the Negatives?
Everyone has a critical eye to varying degrees. But with an empty space, a minor flaw can easily become a »concern« if there is nothing else to look at or that will contextualize. Contrasted to fully furnished, styled and aspirational living areas providing positive purchasing vibes. As a seller, which do you prefer?
People Will Focus on the Flaws if There is Nothing to Look at
Coy & Company
Luxury, high-end and in-demand, Coy & Company is the successor company to celebrated designer and stager Arthur McLaughlin who retired to Wine Country after helping so many agents and sellers with their properties. The quality is high, the outcomes are extraordinary. Being able to have a stager who can track the designs we help create without fuss or edits is worth its weight in gold. They are in demand, so if we want to use Coy and Co, we will need to book early!
Sayde Mark Designs
High-end and in-demand, Heather and Steve run Sayde Mark and they have been our go-to stagers for the past few years. The quality is high, the outcomes are strong. Being able to have a stager who can track the designs we help create is well worth the cost.
JV Staging
High-end, consistent, hard-working, friendly. Women-owned team of Valerie and Jane. has helped us prepare everything from lofts, single-family houses, Victorian flats, Mutli-unit buildings, SOMA studios, large houses and more.
Birch + Tailor
Luxury, high-end, edgy, chic, stylized, frenetic, fabulous and friendly. Chris Miniello and his team has helped us prepare properties from the start with a wide range of capabilities from houses, condos and more. Expect a curated/bespoke approach; word on the street is that the team has gone higher and higher these days
Avetex Staging/Furniture
Practical. Quality. Hard-working. Determined with better and better inventory. They are responsive and nice to work with. You can tell they have drive and determination as they have succeeded in this tough field.
The Right Look, Touch and Feel.
Setting The Stage for Success
Data About Staging
Multiple studies confirm home staging is a worthwhile investment that consistently delivers measurable returns:
• According to Bankrate.com, sellers who invested just 1% of their home’s value into staging saw returns ranging from 5% to 15%.
• Data from the Real Estate Staging Association (RESA) (2020) revealed that 85% of professionally staged homes received offers 5% to 23% above list price.
• Similarly, the National Association of Realtors (NAR) reported that 23% of buyers’ agents noted staging increased offer amounts by 1% to 5%.
• A 2021/22 report by SFGate confirms homes in San Francisco that are professionally staged consistently sell faster and for higher prices, especially in competitive urban markets.
• The adage “time is money” applies here as well. According to HomeAdvisor, professionally staged homes spend between 33% and 50% less time on the market—translating directly into savings and significantly less stress for sellers.
Tried and True: Harrowing Stories of Staging and Non-Staging
We are hand’s on agents for sure when it comes to property preparation and presentation as we are always looking out for our clients’ interests. Sometimes you can only do so much and sometimes what you do can mean so much
A REFORMED SELLER SEES THE LIGHT
“One thing I learned is that there is absolutely no value in using your own furniture to stage a property. I should have listened to you guys sooner.”
— Seller, who eventually sold his property after we advised him to stage in the beginning but didn't. If he had, he would have probably sold for more and done it sooner.
MIRANDA PRIESTLY WOULD BE PROUD — WHEN THE STAGERS NEED A REALITY CHECK, K+J ARE THERE
Even the best stagers can have an ‘off-day,‘ which is why we’re always there to make sure those moments are few and far between.
One of our most memorable sales, setting a high-water mark for Noe Valley, was nearly derailed when our trusted staging partners unexpectedly strayed from their typically chic, sophisticated aesthetic. We had just two days left in a meticulous two-month preparation process before Vanguard Properties' acclaimed photographer was scheduled for the crucial marketing shoot.
It was a firm deadline. No exceptions.
After handing over the keys on day one, we returned later to find something dramatically off-brand: the home had transformed into something resembling a ”New Mexico sunset pueblo jamboree,“ lacking both chairs and right angles. The staging wasn’t just unusual—it was unrecognizable and could have spelled disaster.
With polite yet firm urgency, we addressed the situation with our staging partners. There was no room for compromise; we had 24 hours to get things right before missing a critical weekend of open houses—one attended by the eventual buyers.
The sellers, initially inclined toward micromanaging, later admitted they would've panicked had they seen the staging after day one. However, they trusted us implicitly, knowing we would handle the situation—and handle it we did.
By the following morning, four large trucks and a dedicated crew of fifty were hard at work, swiftly restoring the property’s aesthetic brilliance. Within hours, the home had been utterly transformed into a breathtaking showcase. Aside from a single carefully chosen piece, the entire staging had been replaced. The result? Stunning.
Right on schedule, our photographer arrived, we layered in our signature finishing touches—fresh flowers, thoughtful accessories—and Raffi starred in the property's video walkthrough. We launched precisely as planned, greeted by a wildly successful weekend of open houses, with one seasoned agent remarking it was the "best he’d seen in 40 years."
And the sales results? Exceptional.
Seven competitive offers rolled in, with the winning bid surpassing the sellers' expectations by $300,000—and even topping a neighbor's pre-emptive offer by $200,000. Moreover, this extraordinary staging experience introduced us to four additional sets of buyers who subsequently became happy homeowners.
Because when staging gets complicated, we get results.
Clients Who Listened To Us, Saw An Over $700,000 gain in the Property in 2 years
“From the beginning stages of brainstorming ideas, to the execution and final sale, Kevin and Jonathan were with us every step of the way. They knew exactly what needed to be done and who to talk to, whether it be design, painting, hiring contractors or staging. They had a wealth of resources, all extremely skilled and competitively priced. I travel all over the country for work and Kevin and Jonathan will actively help you manage your property during the construction process. Kevin himself did work at our place (changing our shower head) and also met me at different stores to pick materials multiple times.”
— Sellers (twice) Lower Haight/Duboce
(And don’t forget the right smell, marketing, and overall ambiance)
