Hot Topic: Is Home Staging Really Worth It?

Authored by Debra Teal Real Estate Broker

Selling your home successfully starts with it’s appeal and ability to connect with buyers.

Image walking into a room you just rented at an upscale Marriott Hotel. They are usually nicely furnished and decorated with every item in its place. Heck, even the lobby is decorated and furnished nicely. Going on thousands of tours with buyers has taught me what they like, and dislike.

Some buyers can see beyond your personal items, although they can be a distraction. I have learned that homes for sale should be as close to tidy as the Marriott. For example, furnishings should be modernly trending. If your house smells like fresh paint, buyers instantly smile, even if they don’t dig the home itself. If your kitchen has a hint of fresh baked apple pie, that’s a cherry on top.

Staging is one of the best methods to improve the attractiveness of your property. Determining whether your home requires staging involves understanding specific indicators that show staging can improve your home’s appeal. This article discusses critical signs in how staging can enhance your home to stand out in a competitive market.

Let’s take a dive to see if your house fits the task in getting you top dollar.

  1.   Your Home is Vacant   

Buyers find it challenging to see how their items will fit when they tour an empty home. Vacant homes come off as cold. Yet, some occasions, vacant homes do okay. If done properly, staging enables buyers to experience a cozy and welcoming environment. They may get really excited almost picturing themselves in the very staging furniture in the home! By thoughtfully arranging furniture, decor and lighting, potential buyers understand your home’s layout while showing its space potential.

if done right, staging may even make smaller spaces feel larger. For smaller rooms or a wonky layout, use smaller designer furniture, and stylish mirrors. Ensure the paint is a light neutral color, to also mentally enlarge the room. Dark paint can inadvertently make a small room appear tinier than it really is. In addition, staging a vacant home helps prevent break-ins and squatters.

  2.   Outdated or Unattractive Decor   

Staging your space can update decor that appears outdated and unattractive to typical buyers. A modern aesthetic emerges when a space features fresh paint, alongside updated furnishings and neutral decor. Using staging techniques provides an opportunity to update your home’s appearance so it stands out better to potential buyers. Unless you’re purposely going for a vintage look to match your home’s character, stick to today’s modern trends. You can do this by hiring a pro, or using other homes for sale as a guide. Plus, today’s modern look actually has a hint of simplistic vintage.

  3.   Clutter and Personal Items   

Potential buyers find clutter in a home unappealing. Personal items like family photos and excessive decor distract potential buyers by diverting attention from the home’s features. Through staging you will remove excess items and personal effects which helps buyers visualize their own life in the property.

Some buyers have told me they can see beyond the clutter, but in most cases, the clutter distracts the buyers. Then they don’t concentrate on the home itself. They get caught up looking more at the clutter and less at the home’s details. Plus, if you have too much clutter, buyers have a hard time seeing its features and potential. Buyers also may ask their Realtor if the seller will have a difficult time moving out. This could prevent them from wanting to buy your property even if they can see the home’s potential. Yes, these conversations really happen, quite often.

  4.   Difficult Layouts   

Staging provides significant advantages for homes that have difficult architectural designs. The right arrangement of furniture aids in creating distinct spaces and enhances room flow. Staging helps showcase the unique characteristics of an unconventional home design to increase its appeal. Use staging as an opportunity to show your home’s potential even when having a challenging layout.

  5.   Low Market Demand   

In competitive real estate markets staging can provide you with a distinct advantage. Homes that remain unsold for extended periods in your market area might find increased buyer interest through effective staging. Home staging helps properties sell more quickly and fetch higher prices.

  6.   Photos for Online Listings   

Now that everyone uses the internet unless they live under a rock, buyers are previewing homes themselves, online! More buyers are finding the homes they end up buying through online apps. They will likely not see yours if the pictures don’t look good. On the flip side, don’t make the pictures too overly glamorous if the home isn’t even close. How can that even happen, you wonder? It’s a newer thing called Digital Staging. Most MLS’s require the agent to note whether ‘digital staging’ has been used. My opinon: Don’t digitally stage.

If you have the money for digital staging, instead, find a good yet inexpensive staging company. It’s practically the same price, just takes some searching. Ask if they have previous photos of the work they have previously done, or the theme they will use. The digital marketplace demands premium-quality photographs for buyers to really want to see it. When your home fails to capture good photographs it indicates that staging might be required.

Take this simple test. Use your smartphone to capture a picture of your rooms from the corner in a landscape angle. Then go online and look search “homes for sale near me.” If your pictures don’t even look close to what you will be competing with, stage your home. Don’t worry, it’s probably 90% of everyone that should use a professional stager. You can thank me for this article later! Remember, your hom will be on social media and just about every real estate company website.

  7.   Open Houses and Showings   

Staging is essential, especially for Open Houses. Your agent will be talking to a potential buyer, and then another visitor may walk in. They may even want to sit down for a moment to picture themselves living in the home.

An attractively staged home produces a very welcoming environment. This motivates buyers to explore longer. Plus, buyers establish an emotional bond with the property. It also gives the home some glitz and glam and helps bring buyers to a happy place. Staging transforms showings into impressive experiences. Remember, they may live there for the rest of their lives! Additionally, with the challenging rates, buyers are paying more right now. They want to have a good, exciting experience and feel great about the decision they are making. A staged home can actually make a difference in price. It also could be the difference in viewing the home altogether.

  8.   Feedback from Real Estate Agents   

Ask your real estate agent for their professional feedback about your property. Experienced agents offer useful insights about how staging could positively impact your property’s appeal to buyers. You should think about their advice when they suggest staging your home.

9. Use a Professional Staging Company

Take advantage of a professional staging company. This will fully unlock your property’s value. Studies show Sellers typically see an average increase in sale price between 2-4% as a result of great staging.

Real Life Example:

Let’s say your home is listed competitively at $500,000 and not above market value. You receive multiple offers because the home is staged and appealing.

The home sells for $515,000. That’s a 3% increase above asking price. If it costs $3,000 to stage, you’re winning by $12,000!

Or, let’s say you didn’t stage the home. You still received 2 offers, but one is a bit lower at $490,000. The other is at list price $500,000. You still take the higher offer $500,000. That leaves you at $497,000 minus the cost to sell.

There’s a $15,000 difference between $497,000 and $512,000 minus cost to sell. That is a 3% difference in price on a $500,000 listing!

So, how do you know if it was the staging that helped sell the home? There’s no perfect way to tell. Look at other very similar homes in your area that are not staged, and see what they sold for. Chances are, the staging brought the buyers, then it helped sell the home while the buyers toured your home. The bump in price is part of the process, ultimately because of the connection the buyers felt with your property.

Of course, that is an example. And, anything is possible. As long as your home doesn’t have serious defects, studies show that staging your home, is a winner!

Here’s My Conclusion

Properly staging your home can significantly transform how it sells. You can decide if staging your home is the avenue to take. I do know that it boosts its attractiveness. Staging your property helps it attract buyers through atmosphere enhancement, trending decor, and space optimization.

Besides, your home deserves to shine. Cherish your final memories with honoring the house you made a home. You’ll have those photos to cherish forever!

Visit me at: www.DebraTeal.com

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Debra Teal | SeattleRealEstate.link| Copyright 2025 All Rights Reserved
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