I have a condo sitting at maybe 289k and she won't start until I commit to her minimum 8-week term, which is 2,240. Is that normal or is she just protecting herself on the slow ones?
Both, honestly. An 8-week minimum contract is common in staging, and the reason is straightforward: the stager owns the furniture sitting in your condo. If your property sells in week two, she still had to move the inventory in, move it out, and pass on other jobs while her pieces were tied up. The minimum term covers that exposure.
The math on your situation: $2,240 for 8 weeks works out to $280 per week. For a condo at roughly $289k, that is about 0.8% of your asking price. The staging guide on this strategy notes that staged properties tend to sell faster and for more than unstaged comparables, so many sellers treat the fee as part of their selling cost alongside agent commissions and closing costs.
One thing worth asking before you sign: what happens if it sells before 8 weeks? Some stagers keep the full minimum, some credit a portion toward a future project, and a few will negotiate a buyout clause. That answer should be in the contract, and if it is not, ask her to add it in writing before you commit.
Also check whether the $2,240 covers furniture delivery and pickup or whether those are billed separately. Move-in and move-out fees can add a few hundred dollars that do not show up in the weekly rate.
A real estate attorney in your state can tell you if there is anything unusual in the contract language before you sign. That is a one-time conversation worth having on a $2,240 commitment.
What does her contract say about early termination if you get an offer quickly?
The 2,240 for eight weeks sounds about right nationally but I have been quoted closer to 1,600 to 1,800 for a similar-sized unit in markets where condos are actually moving. The contract before listing is standard, she needs to know her furniture and accessories are safe in an occupied or vacant space regardless of how fast you sell. What I would push on is the exit clause, not the upfront commitment. Some stagers will write in a 30-day out if the unit goes under contract, so you are not paying for weeks five through eight on a place that already sold in week two.
She's protecting herself, yes, but that's also just standard practice. Stagers front the cost of furniture and can't pull it mid-project without losing money. What I'd push back on is whether 8 weeks is negotiable down to 4 with an extension option, because on a 289k condo in a decent market you should not be sitting that long.
