How Much Does It Cost to Stage a Home?

Home staging means preparing your home for potential buyers. Even if you don’t hire a staging company, you will likely spend hours before you list decluttering your home, deep cleaning each room, and making your space shine in its best light. 

Professional stagers can also help your house appeal to buyers and give people a clearer vision of what living in your home would be like. They can bring in furniture, organize rooms, and use their expertise to create a vision for your house. However, paying for staging can eat into your home sale profits. Costs vary depending on how much staging you need and how long your property stays on the market.  

This guide will provide a high-level view of home staging costs and then dive deeper into various levels and their price points. Use this information to decide whether home staging is a worthwhile investment.

Factors That Will Contribute to Your Home Staging Cost

It’s hard to give a concrete number on home staging costs because they can vary dramatically between one home to the next – and one region to the next. The first step is to understand your home and the potential costs that will come with staging it.

Here are a few factors that will contribute to your staging fees to help you decide whether these costs are worth it. 

• Home size: Larger homes require more furniture and decor. Not only will they have more rooms, driving up staging costs on a per-room basis, but larger rooms can require more pieces to make them feel full. 
• Vacant vs. occupied: Staging a vacant home costs more since all furnishings must be brought in. If you use some of your own furniture, the stagers might charge less. 
• Number of rooms staged: Staging just the living room and primary bedroom costs less than staging the entire home. The more rooms you need staged, the more you can expect to pay. 
• Furniture rental duration: Monthly rental fees apply if the home doesn’t sell quickly. While staging costs might seem worth it if you expect your house to sell in a month, these fees can increase if you stage for longer. 
• Market conditions: In competitive markets, staging may be more affordable or even included in agent services.
• Location: Costs are higher in cities with expensive real estate markets.

You can also decide how much work you want to put into shopping around to different staging companies. Some people work with the experts their real estate agents recommend, while other sellers ask for multiple quotes. It takes more time and effort to seek out quotes, but you might be able to save money in the long run. 

What Is the Average Cost of Home Staging?

The best way to understand home staging costs is to request estimates from multiple companies in your area. They will likely need to tour your home and will provide a menu of options to choose from. While prices vary, you can follow a few general estimates based on national trends.

Here are a few ranges you need to know about. 

• Basic staging: $500–$2,000. This is usually for DIY staging based off of a consultation or staging with the seller’s existing pieces. 
• Full-service staging: $2,000–$5,000+. This is for professional staging with furniture rental. Full-service staging is the most common option. 
• Luxury home staging: $5,000–$10,000+. This is for high-end homes or full-home staging. Even if you don’t have a luxury property, your staging might require this cost tier if the stager has to do a lot of work. 

The existing furniture will have a significant impact on the home staging fees. Vacant homes usually cost more to stage than occupied homes because every single piece needs to be rented. Most professionals will try to have people use their existing furniture when staging a home.

Here is a deeper dive into each type of home staging and what it entails so you can better estimate your needs.

Home Staging Consultation ($200–$600)

With just a consultation, a professional stager visits the home and provides recommendations on how it can appeal to buyers. Some consultations include a written staging plan for DIY staging. 

For example, the consultant might recommend rearranging a room to make it feel more open and larger. They might suggest removing some art on the walls if the space feels cluttered. 

This is the most affordable option, but it also maximizes flexibility. Sellers can decide whether they want to accept the recommendations or not. They can follow all aspects of the staging plan or choose the ones they like best. The other benefit is that the staging company only charges a one-time fee for the consult.

Partial Staging ($1,000–$3,000)

With partial home staging, the company starts with a few key rooms like the living room, kitchen, and primary bedroom. They might bring in some furniture and decor while using the seller’s existing items.

Partial staging is perfect for homeowners with unusual layouts. The staging helps buyers see themselves in the home. It is also valuable if the homeowner has already moved out but wants to use home staging to appeal to buyers. This partial option could be a good way to save money while still staging your vacant property.

Full Staging ($2,000–$5,000+)

This is an ideal option for vacant homes or high-end listings. It includes rental of furniture, decor, artwork, and lighting. Professional stagers will set up and style each room. 

This is also where the cost to stage varies the greatest. Each room can add to the overall cost and different room sizes have unique prices. Home staging also might cost more for unique rooms, like home offices and nurseries.

Monthly Furniture Rental Fees ($500–$1,000 per month)

One of the biggest drawbacks to hiring a home staging company is that you might pay more than you expect if your house doesn’t sell quickly. Getting the home staged often comes with one-time fees plus monthly furniture rental costs. These costs can add up over time if you don’t get offers from potential buyers. 

Some stagers offer package deals that include staging for a set period, like 60 days. Home staging is also designed to help houses sell faster, so the odds that you need to exceed that period are often on the lower end. However, there is no guarantee that your home sells. Get to know your local market and consider whether the cost to stage your home could get out of hand if properties aren’t moving.

Virtual Staging ($100 to $500)

Another option is to virtually stage your home. This is when graphic designers place furniture into photos to make the house look staged. This gives online buyers visual ideas of what your home would look like with furniture. Considering 97% home searches start online, it makes sense to have a good first impression with virtual staging. Sellers can expect to pay around $20 per photo to virtually stage a home. 

The benefit of virtual home staging is that you can potentially increase the number of showing requests to your property because the images create a good first impression. The drawback is that buyers might have a disconnect between the images and the vacant home when they take a tour. Ask your real estate agent whether they recommend virtual home staging and its comparison to the real option.

Is Hiring a Home Stager Worth the Cost?

Once you have an estimated home staging cost, you can decide whether the fees are worth it to sell your home. Here are a few reasons why people choose to invest in home staging. 

• Staged homes often sell faster: People who are in a hurry to sell might be interested in paying more for staging in order to receive offers sooner. 
• Staged homes often sell for more money: The National Association of Realtors (NAR) data shows that staged homes sell 3-10% higher than unstaged homes. They also have an average cost of 1% of the home’s selling price, which makes the investment worth it. 
• Staging creates positive first impressions: Buyers form first impressions quickly – both good and bad. Staging can increase the chances that your buyers have good impressions that make them want to see more. 

When considering this cost, evaluate the money you will spend on staging and furniture versus the financial benefits that come with it. Not only can you potentially have a higher sale price, but you could sell your home faster. This means you have one less mortgage payment before you move on to your next house. 

Home staging is a risk. You may end up paying more if your house stays on the market. However, it also comes with significant potential rewards.

DIY Staging Tips to Reduce Costs

If the cost to stage through a professional company is too high, consider DIY home staging instead. Your Realtor might give you staging recommendations for free without having you hire a staging company for a consultation. It’s in their best interest to help you sell your home quickly and for the highest price. Here are a few tips for home staging on a budget. 

• Declutter and depersonalize the space. Remove excess art from the wall, family phones, and items that reflect your interests. Consider renting a storage unit during this time or using a moving pod to store your belongings until they can be delivered to your next place. 
• Rearrange existing furniture for better flow. Try to make your space look large and open. This will make it feel more inviting to potential buyers. 
• Clean everything. Consider hiring a professional cleaning company and remove odors from your home. This will make your space seem bigger and more inviting. Opting for a clean space is better than investing in candles and room sprays. Strong odors can deter buyers or trigger allergic reactions. 
• Brighten each room. Replace any burnt-out lightbulbs and open the blinds in your rooms. Natural light is inviting for most buyers.  
• Improve curb appeal. Invest in good landscaping and other exterior touches. Planting flowers, mowing the lawn, pruning trees and bushes, and pressure washing surfaces can all make your home look better. 

One single improvement won’t change how buyers perceive your home. Instead, dozens of small changes can help you stage your house for showings and make it more desirable.

Should You Hire a Professional Home Stager?

Home staging can be a valuable way to paint your home in its best light, but this investment isn’t right for everyone. Consider whether the cost to stage a home is worth it based on your local market, sales goals, budget, and lifestyle. Here are a few things to consider. 

• Some markets might not need staging. Homeowners in seller’s markets often receive offers quickly. You might not need to spend time staging to get offers. 
• Some homes don’t need staging. Your home might be in good condition or laid out in a way where stagers don’t need to interfere. 
• You have to live with the staged furniture. This means you have to be more careful to avoid stains and scratches compared to your own furniture. 
• Staging can help you move before you sell. You might decide to move your furniture out or to your next home and use staging to list your house without leaving it vacant. 

Additionally, some real estate agents offer staging services as part of their commission or work with stagers at discounted rates. Your Realtor might get you a good deal on home staging or cover the costs as part of their business model. When cost is eliminated, the decision to hire a home stager is much easier.

Decide Whether Hiring a Home Stager is Right for You

Staging a home can range from a few hundred dollars to several thousand depending on the home’s needs. A basic consultation, virtual home staging, or the furnishing of a couple rooms will be more affordable than a complete staging of the entire home. While staging is an added expense, it often results in a faster sale and higher selling price. It’s up to each individual homeowner to consider their house, the market, and their timelines to decide whether this cost is worth it.

If you aren’t sure whether you want to stage or not, talk to your real estate agent. You can also interview multiple agents to get different opinions. See if they recommend staging and what their cost estimate is. You can also ask if they will cover the staging costs as part of their commission. 

Turn to FastExpert to find a real estate expert in your area. This is a great place to find local agents who can offer their expertise. Start each sale with FastExpert and make the best possible decisions for your home.