Homeowners

Home Staging: The Secret Weapon in Attracting More Buyers and Higher Offers

Are you ready to sell your home? If you’re among the growing wave of sellers entering the market, you may want to consider staging your property.

Home staging, the process of selecting and arranging furniture to showcase your home’s best attributes, helps your property stand out in online listing photos and in-person viewings. It typically involves clearing out clutter, hiding potentially polarizing items (like political or sports banners), and bringing in new furniture.  

It may sound like a lot of work (because it is,) but a well-staged home can help homeowners sell their properties faster and for higher prices, according to real estate experts.

“More and more sellers are realizing that staging is important,” in today’s market, said Washington, D.C.-based home stager Michael Fowler. “Having your home staged can really help people see themselves in it.”

Staging a home can result in a higher sales price

One of the biggest benefits of staging your home is (hopefully) getting higher offers.

About 20% of real estate agents reported that staging a home increased the amount offered on the property, according to a 2023 survey from the National Association of Realtors (NAR). Sellers who staged received between 1% and 5% more than those with similar homes that weren’t staged.

Plus, 27% of agents reported slight decreases in the time on the market when the home was staged, according to the NAR survey.

It can make a difference, particularly for homes that have been sitting on the market.

“I have seen many times where we come in and stage [a home] and it sells right away,” said stager Laura Zuckerman of wowed!, based in Washington, D.C.

How much does home staging cost?

Homeowners will have to drop some money on staging, though.   

Projects cost between $837 and $2,924, with an average cost of $1,844, in 2025, according to home improvement marketplace HomeAdvisor.

Costs can vary widely by region and property type. The size of your home and the number of rooms being staged will help determine the final bill. Plus, additional projects, your stager’s fee, and furniture rental charges, can also impact the total cost. 

If your budget is limited, ask about the option to stage a few key rooms, such as just the living room and primary bedroom, instead of the entire home.

What does the home staging process require?

There are two main approaches to staging: vacant and owner-occupied.

Vacant staging is used when the owners have already moved out of the home—and taken their furniture with them.

Stagers work with rental companies and other suppliers to bring in rented furnishings and décor to help buyers imagine themselves living in the property.  

Owner-occupied staging is for sellers who continue to live in the home while it’s on the market. This option generally costs less because sellers can use much of their existing furniture.

However, stagers may recommend renting specific pieces on an as-needed basis, such as replacing a worn armchair or upgrading a dated bed frame.

While the two processes look different, experts say the goal is the same: highlighting your home’s best attributes.  

Dos and don’ts of home staging

Since staging is intended to allow buyers to envision themselves in their new home, it’s important to avoid displaying anything political, polarizing, or overly personal, such as sports team memorabilia, religious objects, or even toiletries. 

Family photos should also be taken off the walls and mantels. The goal is for potential buyers to picture their families living within the walls of the homes.

“I always remind sellers that we’re selling the house, not their things,” Zuckerman said. “When we walk into a home, we want to show that it’s big, we want to show that it gets a lot of natural light, and we want to highlight any architectural features.” 

And the staging process doesn’t just start when you walk inside.

Stagers also recommend amping up curb appeal by freshening up the front porch and other outdoor spaces with tidy landscaping, flowers when possible, and inviting seating areas to entice buyers before they step through the door. 

Rooms should also be clean, well-maintained, and arranged with an eye towards anticipating the questions that buyers will walk in with, such as where to place a bed or television. 

This is also a good time to invest in small upgrades that can make a big difference, such as a fresh coat of paint.

But contrary to popular belief, home staging does not need to be strictly neutral or generic to be successful. Tasteful flourishes, such as a colorful work of art or an eye-catching piece of furniture, can give buyers something special to remember as they compare your home to others on the market.

“It helps to be memorable to get that house sold,” Fowler said.