See How These Stagers Transformed a Chicago Townhouse (It Sold for $35K over Asking!)

If you’re getting ready to sell your home, you may have considered hiring a stager — before you got stopped by the price tag. It’s no secret that sometimes sellers see the price tag for staging services and think that it’s not worth the money. Projects can get even pricier when sellers decide to make upgrades or renovations before listing their home for sale.

But in the case of the sellers of one Lakeview, Chicago, townhome, a $45,000 investment meant they were able to get a return of close to $100,000 on the cost of the home — demonstrating that if a seller has the money on hand to spend on a renovation and staging, their profits could be well worth the work. 

During a renovation spearheaded by home stager Molly Marino, Jameson Sotheby’s agent Jennifer Cummings, and contractor Lorenzo León from Architype Design Construction, this townhome went from a dark and dated space to a bright and bold oasis with a bohemian modern vibe. 

“Upon my initial walkthrough, we discussed a list of projects that I recommended to be completed,” Cummings tells Apartment Therapy. “This included paint throughout, replacing carpet on the staircase, landings with natural stained oak hardwood floors, and refinishing the existing hardwood floors to match the new hardwood floors that were being installed.” 

But although these seemed like major changes, their analysis found that those changes would be the cheapest way to do an overhaul — and would lead to dramatic effect.

“We were not intending to go overboard with a rehab, but needed to lighten up the space and give some areas of focus and drama,” Marino says. “The most inexpensive way to accomplish that was through floor refinishing, paint selections, and some lighting changes.”

Cummings also wanted to transform the layout to allow for another room to be built, which would immediately increase the value of the property. The team ended up closing off what used to be an open den to create a private office. The walls in the living and dining area were given a more neutral look, black and rattan accents were added to the space, and staging allowed potential buyers to see how they could have a living space off the kitchen — which wasn’t there before. 

The entire project took just under eight weeks to complete, from the initial meeting between the sellers and Cummings, all the way through construction, staging, and photography. The renovations cost the seller about $40,000, while the staging and design consultation was $5,000.

But while that’s a big investment just to sell a home, it was one that paid off.

“Staging was integral to the success of this listing,” Cummings recalls. “Even with the updates that were made, this home wouldn’t have had the impact without staging. As with all townhomes, we were working within a vertical space and what can appear to have smaller rooms with a somewhat challenging layout. The scale and placement of the furnishings Molly used clearly defined each room.” 

Cummings ran some comps in the area, and noticed that a similar home within the same complex had recently sold for $765,000 just several months earlier. However, that unit was fully renovated. 

Cummings offered the seller two options at two different price points. A small update which would include some repairs, cleaning, painting, and staging, with an all-in budget of $12,000. This would have put their listing price at $685,000, and Cummings estimated that it would take some time to sell. 

Instead, the buyer went with the second choice — a more extensive remodel. With their $45,000 investment, they were able to list the home for $750,000. The seller received multiple offers, and a contract was signed just four days after going on the market. They sold over the asking price for $785,000 — making their time and money well worth it.

Are you buying a home or hoping to learn more about the current market? RSVP here for Apartment Therapy's free real estate webinar on Sept. 17, with insights from Egypt Sherrod, HGTV Host & CEO of Indigo Road Realty; Jose Prats, Director of Character Homes at Christie’s International; and Jason Saft, Founder of Staged To Sell Home.