Now that buyers have more choices, it's important to put a little extra thought into how your home shows. Staging can really help your house stand out and make a great first impression.

 

It’s not about making your home look like it’s straight out of a magazine. The goal is to make it feel warm, inviting, and move-in ready — so buyers can easily see themselves living there.

 

Staging doesn’t have to be all or nothing — it can be as simple or as detailed as you want, depending on your budget and what your home needs. But even small changes can go a long way and really help your home shine, especially in today’s market.

 

 

 

The best part? You probably don’t need to stage your entire home to make a big impact. According to NAR, these are the rooms buyers’ agents say have the most influence (check out the graph below):

 

 

As you can see, agents who work with buyers every day agree — it’s the spaces where people spend most of their time that matter most, like the living room, primary bedroom, and kitchen.

 

This gives you a good starting point for what’s likely worth the effort and what might not be — but nothing beats the advice of a local agent who knows your market.

 

Agents know exactly what buyers in your area are looking for — they hear it all the time during showings, tours, walkthroughs, and from other agents. They’ll use that insight to give you personalized advice on your home and point out where a little staging might help, like if you need to:

 

For many sellers, an agent’s advice is all the staging help they need. But if your home could use a bigger refresh — or if it’s sitting empty and might benefit from rented furniture — a good agent can help you decide if it’s worth bringing in a professional stager. Just keep in mind, that kind of service usually comes with a higher price tag. According to NAR: 

 

“The median dollar value spent when using a staging service was $1,500, compared to $500 when the sellers' agent personally staged the home.”

 

A local agent will help you figure out what makes the most sense based on your budget, timeline, and the condition of your home. They’ll also look at how fast similar homes are selling in your area and what buyers are expecting in your price range.

 

Staging doesn’t have to be fancy or cost a fortune — it just needs to help buyers picture themselves living there. A great agent can help you decide what kind of staging makes the most sense for your situation and goals.

Which room in your home do you think would wow a buyer the most?

Let’s take a walk through your home and talk about the simple things we can do to help it really shine.