Staging is a sizable expense for home sellers, who spend hundreds—even thousands— appointing their homes to web- and show-ready state. The National Association of REALTORS® reports the median spend on staging is $675, and according to StagedHomes.com, professional staging services average $3,000 to $5,000. Add remodeling expenditures to the tally, and the cost is considerable.
Enter pop-up staging, a new, inexpensive method that can eliminate the cost of not only hiring a stager, but also renting, transporting and storing décor and furniture. Flat-pack pieces made of lightweight materials like cardboard and corrugated plastic “pop up” in each room, effectively setting the scene as real housewares (and stage productions!) would.
One pop-up sets provider, Dandy Pack, purveys slip-covered cardboard furniture sturdy enough to withstand 1,000-plus pounds without collapsing. The company’s starter kit, which includes a full/queen bed, a sofa, an oversized chair and an ottoman, costs $1,031. The pieces, which ship in as few as two business days, can be assembled by the listing agent or the seller, further controlling costs.
Credit: Dandy Pack
inFormed Space, another pop-up staging vendor currently operating in New York City, supplies similar products made of plastic (assembled with hidden magnets), as well as set-up and break-down services. Two months of staging by the company starts at $1,899, and set-up can take just one afternoon.
Credit: The New York Times
Both products’ neutral finishes achieve the goal of conventional staging: de-personalization, minus the sparseness of a vacant space. Both render superbly in online listing images, drawing interest as traditionally staged homes do, and their clean lines read contemporary, but accessible.
Will pop-up staging become the new norm? With savings to be had, we won’t close the curtain on these prop pieces any time soon.
