How to Stage Your Home for Maximum Appeal

In today's video, I’m walking you through the essential steps for staging your home, and sharing expert tips to make your space super appealing to buyers.

Over the years, I’ve staged numerous homes for sale, all of which sold within days, often well above asking price. The secret? Carefully staging the home to highlight its features, making it welcoming and appealing to potential buyers.

Why Staging Matters

Studies show that staged homes sell faster and can fetch over 7% higher prices compared to unstaged homes. In my previous post, I shared the seven steps on how to prepare your home for sale. Today, I’ll focus on the essential steps for staging your home to make it more appealing to buyers. Let’s dive in!

Should You Hire a Staging Company?

One of the first questions that may come to mind is whether to hire a staging company. These companies handle everything from fixing up any issues to providing stylish furniture and accessories to elevate your home's appeal.

Professional staging costs vary based on location, home size, existing furniture, and whether the home is vacant.

Prices can range from $1,000 to $11,000, or 1 to 1.2% of the list price. Some companies even charge hourly rates between $75 and $300 per hour, depending on the project complexity.

If that’s not within your budget, consider DIY staging by using your own furniture and accessories. The key is to work with your home's style, its best features, and what you already have to make your space as appealing as possible.

1. Declutter and Simplify

When staging, the main objective is to help prospective buyers envision themselves living comfortably in the space. Start by decluttering and keeping only essential furniture to maximize the perceived space in each room.

Simplify furniture arrangements by removing bulky or unnecessary pieces.

This opens up the rooms and highlights their intended purpose.

Neutral colors on walls and larger furniture pieces provide a blank canvas that appeals to a wider audience.

Introduce subtle pops of color with accessories like throw pillows, rugs, or artwork to add warmth and character without overwhelming the space.

This allows potential buyers to imagine their own style and belongings in your home.

Thoughtful Accessorizing

While depersonalizing your space (removing family photos, excess decor, etc.), select a few well-chosen accessories that complement the room’s style and color palette.

Arrange decorative items on a coffee table or shelf in odd numbers—like three—to achieve a balanced, inviting look.

Utilize functional decor, like lamps, books, trays, or decorative bowls that serve a purpose while enhancing the room’s aesthetic appeal.

Limit wall hangings to a few selected pieces to avoid overcrowding, and consider mirrors, especially in smaller spaces, to create an illusion of depth and reflect natural light.

2. Maximize Natural Light

Maximizing natural light is key to making your home feel warm and inviting. Pull blinds all the way up, and draw curtains wide open to let sunlight flood the room.

If your window treatments are dark or outdated, consider replacing them with light-filtering options to enhance both the room’s natural light and overall appearance.

Complement natural light with artificial lighting, such as overhead lights, table lamps, and floor lamps.

Make sure all light bulbs have the same color temperature—3000K is a great option for a bright but warm and inviting glow.

Turn on all lights during showings to create a vibrant atmosphere that appeals to potential buyers.

3. Bring in Nature

Integrating nature into your decor can significantly boost your home’s appeal.

Add live or artificial plants to introduce interest and life into your space. ( Discover more about decorating with plants in my previous post here.)

Place large, leafy plants in living areas or smaller ones in bedrooms to add a calming presence. In living areas, consider large plants for corners to add a touch of greenery without overwhelming the space.

For bedrooms, smaller plants on nightstands or dressers offer a soft, calming touch.

4. Highlight Outdoor Living Spaces

Don’t forget to showcase outdoor areas like patios, balconies, or gardens. Even small outdoor spaces can be staged to show their potential for relaxation or entertainment.

Arrange furniture and decor to make these areas look inviting and usable.

For smaller spaces, use compact furniture, potted plants, or outdoor rugs to create a cozy ambiance.

If you have a garden, ensure it’s well-maintained with trimmed lawns and colorful flowers.

Highlight outdoor features like a fire pit, BBQ area, or garden seating to help buyers envision themselves enjoying the space.

5. Bring Attention to Key Home Features

Though your real estate agent will include key details in the MLS listing, it’s a great idea to highlight any special elements or improvements in your home during showings. Create a printed list of upgrades, enhancements, and designer touches, and display it prominently in your home, such as on the entry console or kitchen counter.

This small but effective step can set your home apart from others and help buyers see the added value.

6. Prepare for Showings

Finally, ensure your home is spotless and polished for showings.

Tidy up all rooms, wipe down surfaces, and clear kitchen counters of clutter.

Clean and polish appliances, sinks, and faucets.

Ensure the bathroom is sparkling, personal hygiene items are out of sight, and fresh towels are displayed.

Neatly organize stored items and boxes in the garage; this is often a spot that potential buyers wish to view.

Remove pet litter or other items that may have a smell.

Put all dirty laundry in a plastic bag and remove it from the property.

Before leaving for the showing, open the blinds, drapes, and turn on all lights to create a bright, inviting atmosphere. Don’t forget to take your pets and valuables with you!