15 Home Staging Tips to Sell a House Fast

Staging helps your listing make a great first impression, online and in person, allowing buyers to envision an easy, happy life in the home. A well-staged property makes agents stand out from the competition and sell faster (often for a higher price). In fact, according to research, nearly 3 in 10 agents say staging increased offers by 1% to 10%, and almost half say it cut days on market.

Use our practical, budget-smart tips below to get the biggest lift fast!

What is home staging & why clients need it

Home staging is a marketing strategy — layout, color, furniture, and décor arranged so buyers can picture themselves living well in the space. It matters because most first impressions happen on a phone before a showing. Staged rooms photograph cleaner, feel more spacious, and make the home’s best features obvious. To get the most impact, focus on the rooms buyers judge first: the living room, the primary bedroom, and the kitchen.

Cost of home staging

Budgets vary by market, size, and scope. Think in layers. Start with what shows in photos — paint, lighting, floors, and clean sightlines — then add texture with textiles, greenery, and a few high-impact accents. 

As far as pricing goes, current benchmarks are straightforward. According to the NAR Profile of Home Staging report, the median spend is about $500 when the listing agent handles staging tasks and about $1,500 when hiring a staging service. It can cost more if you’re installing furniture, so stage key rooms first to control costs. If timelines or budgets are tight, virtual staging can show alternate layouts and styles at a low per-image price. 

15 clever home staging tips

If you want to be a master stager, remember these house staging tips whenever you have a new listing due for an upgrade:

1. Start with the curb appeal

If the exterior doesn’t invite them in, the interior work won’t make the same impact. Keep the lawn crisp, edge walkways, and trim hedges and trees so lines look clean. Add a simple color near the entry and refresh the elements buyers touch — numbers, mailbox, door hardware, and the doormat.For more ideas that photograph well, check out our curb appeal ideas for every budget.

2. Make rooms feel larger

Add height to any room with window drapes and panels that extend from the ceiling to the floor, not just over the actual windows. Find some decorative curtain rods and hang them high, just below the ceiling, and add sheer or blackout drape panels that extend to the floor. This way, the room will feel more spacious as the eyes are drawn towards the ceiling.

3. Use mirrors or reflective art

Mirrors can add depth to a flat space. Hence, they can also be affordable statement pieces that transform a blank wall into a stylish one. Place one to reflect a window, greenery, or a tidy vignette. Over a mantle or leaned in a corner, a mirror expands a room in photos and guides the eye during tours.

4. Eliminate clutter, not the personality

Edit surfaces and storage overflow so rooms breathe. Remove multiples and minis; keep one statement object or a tight trio for balance. Leave signs of life — a textured throw, a plant, a neat tray — but avoid personal or polarizing items, like family photos or names. Take a test photo and edit again.

5. Invest in high-end accessories for the kitchen

A few high-end kitchen decor pieces can go a long way in helping build the fantasy that people with good taste (and lots of disposable income) would love in the home. Remember that they don’t have to be super high-quality and expensive — they only have to appear high-quality and costly. Grab some beautiful oil-and-vinegar decanters, a classy utensil holder from Le Creuset, or a Polish pottery dish for fresh fruit.

6. Use large potted plants to fill in empty spaces

Potted plants do more than clean the air. Greenery adds life, color, and scale. A tall plant balances a bare corner or fills space when furniture is light. Aim for two or three substantial plants across the main areas. Keep pots simple and consistent.

7. Paint the walls with muted colors & let the furniture pop

Paint with softer, muted colors to avoid bad real estate photos and let the furniture pop. Our team of agents loves recommending Sherwin-Williams’ Agreeable Gray, a warm, greige color. Think of your listing’s walls as a blank canvas for future homeowners. Treat accent walls the same way — keep the colors neutral and soft.

8. Use art & coffee table books to build the fantasy

There is an excellent reason why almost every high-end home on Zillow is staged with oversized art, fashion books, and incredible art pieces. They help create the fantasy that people envision for themselves when looking at the home. Find coffee table books at used bookstores or even your local thrift store. It doesn’t have to be expensive to look great in your staged home.

9. Repaint cabinets & replace drawer pulls in the kitchen

A paint refresh modernizes cabinets for a fraction of the cost of replacement. If hiring, ask for a sprayed finish and proper curing. If you go the DIY route, prep is everything: clean, sand, prime, then paint. Update hardware with simple, modern pulls in one finish. Match existing hole spacing to avoid patching.

10. Accessorize the bathroom

Clear counters read clean, but an empty bathroom feels cold. Accessories like plants, candles, or high-end soap bottles can quickly add warmth and life to a bathroom. Think of it as creating a mini oasis that feels cozy and relaxing. Don’t forget to wipe down fixtures before photos so everything gleams!

11. Go gender-neutral when staging children’s bedrooms

Whenever you stage a child’s bedroom, ensure the furniture and decor you choose are gender-neutral. You cannot know the gender of your buyer’s children, so creating a typical boy’s or girl’s room can kill their fantasy. Keep walls and bedding neutral, add a soft pattern, and display a few age-neutral toys or books.

12. Refinish damaged or heavily worn hardwood floors

Floors can really set the tone. Refinishing hardwood flooring or sprucing up luxury vinyl plank is an easy and affordable way to upgrade a home. You’ll be surprised at the instant makeover from a quick refinish of the floors. After all, your client could have the most beautiful furniture in the world, but the entire room will feel cheap if the floors are scuffed up and dirty.

13. Stage the home’s front entrance

Staging the front entrance is crucial since the front door will be the buyer’s first impression. You don’t have to go overboard here, either. The right lighting, a few potted plants, a chair, or a cafe table can make a front entrance much more inviting. Keep mats clean, hide extra shoes, and make sure the door swings freely.

14. Remove signs of pets

You can market “pet-friendly” without showing pet wear. Store bowls, beds, toys, and litter boxes during photos and tours. Neutralize odors with a deep clean and avoid heavy scents that read as cover-ups. Lint-roll textiles before you lock up.

15. Use virtual staging

Don’t underestimate the power of virtual staging. It’s a game-changer! With virtual staging, you can showcase multiple ways to use a room, swap out decor styles to reflect the latest trends, and give potential clients a feel of the space without buying furniture. Using Apply Design, you can virtually stage a room in minutes.

Things to avoid when home staging

While we’ve enumerated the best steps on how to stage your home for sale, here are some things to avoid if you want your property listing to capture potential buyers’ attention during showings:

• Don’t over-stage: Clear rooms of anything that doesn’t add value and keep the things that add interest without taking away from the house. Honestly, this comes with time and practice. You innately know what feels right. You’re a homebuyer, too, so you will know when the room feels good. And your clients will feel it, too.
• Don’t go overboard with repairs: Let your clients know when big renovation projects should be left for the new homeowner after the sale. Depending on the property, many new homeowners will want to make their homes their own. There may be no need to do anything more than spruce up before selling the house. The simple fixes in this article are more than enough to sell the home quickly. 
• Don’t go crazy with themes: Avoid extravagant bedroom themes when getting your listing show-ready. Let potential buyers see themselves in the room, not your seller client. If the wall is painted in multiple colors, it’s best to repaint it with a single solid color instead.

DIY home staging on a budget

Now that you’ve read our tips for home staging, knowing where to shop is crucial, whether you’re ready to hang your shingle as a stager or want a few decorative pieces to help your homeowner stage on their own. 

Nice furniture and decor are expensive, but they don’t have to be if you know where to shop. Here are some resources professional stagers and prop masters use to buy high-end (or high-end-looking) furniture and decor on a shoestring budget:

After staging: market the listing

You’ve got strong photos. Now decide where they’ll be the most effective. Ask two quick questions: Who needs to see these images first, and how fast do I need traction? If you need immediate online visibility, look into social posts you can publish today. 

If you want to catch the attention of nearby buyers, a simple print piece can spark curiosity and drive foot traffic. If the property deserves a premium presentation, give the photos a polished home on the web and direct potential buyers there. Choose one or two channels that fit your timeline and the listing’s goals!

AgentCrate

AgentCrate is a real estate template library for social posts, short videos, stories, postcards, and more. Turn your staged photos into polished social posts without starting from scratch. Use a ready-made carousel to showcase the best wide shots, and then add a short reel that moves from the living room to the kitchen to the primary suite.

Keep captions tight, list key features in plain language, and include a clear call to book a showing. Repurpose the same assets for Facebook and your Google Business Profile to gain extra reach with minimal extra work.

VISIT AGENTCRATE

ProspectsPLUS!

ProspectsPLUS! is a real-estate print and mailing platform where you can design postcards, door hangers, and flyers, and have printing and mailing handled in one place. It also supports Every Door Direct Mail (EDDM) for broad neighborhood delivery without the need to manage a list.

Reach nearby buyers with professional-looking print pieces. Create a just-listed postcard or a simple door hanger that features one strong photo, a short “features at a glance” list, and a QR code that links to the full gallery. Mailing and printing are handled in one place, so you can get pieces out quickly without coordinating multiple vendors.

VISIT PROSPECTSPLUS!

Luxury Presence

Luxury Presence builds premium real estate websites and single-property pages with fast galleries, clean templates, and built-in lead capture. Give your photos a premium home online by adding “features at a glance,” a short neighborhood snapshot, and a simple contact form near the top so interested buyers can request a tour without scrolling. When you share on social media or run ads, direct traffic to this page to maintain a consistent and on-brand experience.

VISIT LUXURY PRESENCE

Frequently asked questions (FAQs)

Bringing it all together

Like creating great real estate graphics, staging a home is vital for marketing and selling it quickly. Staging is the fastest way to help buyers feel at home and to help your photos stand out where the search begins. Use the tips above to prioritize what shows in pictures, then layer warmth and texture. When you’re ready to promote, build a plan for photos, reels, and neighborhood touchpoints so your refreshed listing gets the attention it deserves.

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 ¹NAR Report Reveals Home Staging Boosts Sale Prices and Reduces Time on Market