Apr

20

2025

Staging a Home to Sell: Smart Strategy or Waste of Money?

Apr. 20. 2025

Staging Your Home To Sell–But Why?!

Let’s be real—you wouldn’t show up to a first date in wrinkled clothes, with bedhead, and hope to make a stellar impression, right? As someone who has been on waayyy to many first dates, I notice that when I am not dressed to impressed, late or rushed–I don’t usually score a second date–and I think it is mainly due to first impressions!

Selling your home is no different. Just as much as curb appeal matters when someone first pulls up–so does the interior of the home as someone tours.

Buyers are swiping left or right based on first impressions, and staging helps you put your best foot forward. Just like dressing for the occasion or prepping for a big presentation, staging creates a polished, inviting experience that allows buyers to envision themselves living in the space—not just walking through a stranger’s home.

One piece of advice I consistently give my clients is: The better your photos look–the more people visit your home, the more people who visit your home–the more likely you are to get an offer. HERE is a video on staging as well!

Photos of a property with no furniture vs furniture is a big difference! Patterns and color draw the eye and your goal as a home seller is to have your home pristine to keep the people swiping…and wanting a first date (aka a home tour)!

Whether it’s rearranging furniture, adding cozy textures, or making the home feel more spacious, staging is strategic marketing—not just decoration. HERE are some of my top 5 tips for staging your home.

Why Staging Works (and Pays Off)–First the stats (according to Chat GPT)

Here’s what the numbers say when I asked ChatGPT about home staging and why a seller should consider it–

  • Homes that are staged sell 73% faster than those that aren’t (NAR).
  • Staged homes sell for 1–10% more than non-staged homes—on average.
  • Over 80% of buyer’s agents say staging makes it easier for a buyer to visualize the property as their future home.
  • A staged home looks better in photos—and that’s where the buyer journey begins.

What Staging Helps With:

As a Realtor I have toured A LOT of homes. And here is what I have noticed when it comes to touring homes that are staged.

  • Highlights the functionality of each room
  • Makes spaces feel bigger, brighter, and more welcoming-this is important!!
  • Minimizes distractions (bye, clutter and personal photos!) Decluttering is super important, don’t distract people with your family vacation photos and maternity shoots-buyers need to focus on the home, the layout and how it is right for them
  • Helps your home stand out in a crowded market
  • Maximizes perceived value—making buyers fall in love faster
  • Creates a “lifestyle”
  • Helps those funky and awkward nooks and spaces seem more usable

Residential real estate, whether we would like to admit it or not is very emotional. And people tend to lack imagination. Many times I have had clients say “I don’t think my couch will fit in here” when there is a vacant home and honestly, homes that are empty feel smaller than those with well utilized staged spaces.

Note that staged homes are often vacant. I realize not every seller can make a move without first selling and needs to live in the property while their home is for sale (but prepping as an occupied home seller has its challenges and that is a separate blog topic)!

Mistakes People Make When Staging their Home:

  • Thinking empty is better (this is not the case, you do not want a sterile space with leftover furniture utilizing the space)
  • Not hiring a professional (professional designers have a great eye and the inventory needed to make your home stand out)
  • Only staging with small items (leaving fake plants on the countertops and little tchotchke items on the shelves)
  • Leaving home staged with cobwebs, dead bugs, and small items not properly addressed, looking worn.

What about Virtual Staging?

Virtual home staging is adding fake furniture, art, rugs, and curtains online to photos but not actually have furniture in the home when toured.

There are pros and cons for virtual staging and I have utilized virtual staging for different reasons.

Pros: 

  • Help photos stand out amongst competition
  • Help showcase how to utilize the space (online)
  • Way less trouble of organizing, booking and cost of actual staging

Cons:

  • The last thing you want to do as a seller is be deceiving. Often times virtually staged homes look amazing online, but are disappointing in person
  • Some virtual staging technologies are not quite up to par yet and do not look real, therefore making the home look worse online

At the end of the day, in this market pricing and first impressions are going to be key–especially in a buyer’s market!! These buyers have options and a seller should do everything in their power to have the home looking great. If you have seen some of my YouTube or instagram videos I constantly preach about: Pricing, Prep, Pre-Inspection and Presence–these are the keys to a successful home sale!

Pricing: Analyze what is happening in today’s CURRENT market, aggressive is better-as buyer’s know what they want. Pay attention at current competition and how to stand out against it.

Preparation: window washing, fresh mulch, staging-it is all apart of helping your home stand out–this is where staging comes in!

Pre-Inspection: Create leverage with an inspection report, get ahead of repair requests and issues by making a buyer feel more solid in their decision.

Presence: What is your Realtor’s marketing strategy? How are they marketing your beautiful home to sell?

Anyway if you’d like to chat more about what prepping your home for sale looks like–let’s get it on the calendar. Reach out today-Ashley.Brinkman@Compass.com or 512.710.7208.