The Best Home Staging Ideas and Tips

When the real estate market is competitive, and sellers must compete for buyers, every single advantage helps the home sell faster. One of the simplest ways to appeal to a wide variety of potential buyers and sell the home quickly is to stage the home. Think of home staging as a house facelift, a nip/tuck of the interior and exterior decor, style, and appeal.

Home staging services are surging in popularity, and more and more buyers are willing to invest in this professional service to sell their home. Staging also can boost the amount of an offer. According to the National Association of REALTORS (NAR) 2023 Profile of Home Staging, “...20 percent of sellers’ agents reported an increase of one percent to five percent of the dollar value offered by buyers compared to similar homes.”

While NAR reported that about a quarter of sellers’ agents recommend staging, the majority still advise their clients to declutter, organize, and repair. For homeowners who want to stage their homes, Move Pro Experts offers these quick tips and ideas. 

What Is Home Staging?

Staging a home refers to rearranging, organizing, cleaning, and decluttering a room to open up a space, make the room seem brighter and chicer, or create livable spaces in empty homes. Staging services integrate numerous methods and decorative techniques. Each staging company or professional offers a unique touch and style when staging a home. The most common home staging techniques include:

• Repainting walls in neutral or more appealing shades

• Arranging furniture to create an open floor plan

• Removing furniture and integrating rented or “staging” pieces to increase visual appeal

• Decluttering to remove unnecessary items 

• Adding new artwork of pictures on walls (removing personal photographs)

• Deep cleaning carpets and rugs 

• Organizing closets, cupboards, and drawers

Home Staging Paint Colors

Dingy walls or outdated paint hues make rooms in the home less appealing and uninviting. Home staging often includes updating the walls of each room of the home with neutral paint colors. Neutral hues like dove gray, cream, beige, or white brighten a room, making spaces appear larger and creating a blank canvas for future homeowners. 

Neutral Colors for Home

Elle Decor rounded up a list of more than 50 neutral paint colors used by interior designers. When staging a home for resale, consider repainting walls in these classic hues: Cotton Balls by Benjamin Moore, Abalone by Benjamin Moore, Turbinado by Clare, Table Linen by Portola Paints, Campfire Ash by Behr, or Lost Locket by Benjamin Moore. 

Stay away from risque shades like reds, dark blue, black, or shocking hues of pink, orange, or green. While green may be a grounding neutral, choose earthy green colors instead of vibrant shades like lime or kelly green.

How to Stage a Kitchen

Trulia reports that the kitchen and the master bathroom influence buyers more than any other rooms of the home. If homeowners have a limited budget for home staging services, the kitchen and the main bedroom take top priority.

Staging a kitchen begins with assessing wall colors. Ditch the red or dark tones; choose neutral colors for walls, which open up the space. Spacious kitchens sell homes.

Buyers also assess cabinet, pantry, and counter spaces. When staging the kitchen, remove any unnecessary items from the counter. Ditch the canisters and any other cute decor that just takes up space.

Buyers often open up the drawers and look at the pantry. Organize these spaces to create cohesive, streamlined appeal. Again, the design and organization must showcase the available space. Staging must wow buyers with all the potential and possibilities. 

Staging also integrates classy decor items that draw in the eye of the buyer. A bright bowl of lemons or apples serves as a focal point in the room.   

Staging a Bathroom for House Sale

Spacious bathrooms sell! The goal for sellers is to create the most beautiful and spacious master bathroom. Even smaller bathrooms draw interest and appeal. However, maximizing the space of a small master bathroom is crucial.

Tips for Staging Master Bathroom

Deep cleaning is our first step when staging a master bathroom. No buyer wants to see a dirty,  grimy, gross bathroom. The Move Pro team removes clutter from the sink and counters, opening up the space and showcasing all the potential.

Old towels and rugs must be removed and replaced by new, brighter decor. Old shower curtains that are dingy or stained also should be replaced. 

Our team also may add plants or flowers to beautify the bathroom and create a relaxing oasis. In addition, Move Pro assesses the layout and organization of the linen closet. We organize shelves and closets as needed.

Ideas for Staging a Bedroom

While the bedroom isn’t the most important room for buyers, staging the master bedroom is important as it leads to the master bathroom. Move Pro maximizes the square footage and creates an open, airy bedroom. 

Staging a Master Bedroom

A new coat of neutral paint revitalizes the look of the bedroom. Our team also helps homebuyers choose classic duvets or comforters, adding throw pillows or draping small blankets to create warmth and interest.

We recommend removing all personal photographs and items. Staging focuses on helping the buyer view the home as their home. Creating a blank neutral canvas requires the removal of any personal mementos. 

Decluttering the closet and organizing the interior space also help create a cohesive transition, as many buyers like to explore the closets. Staging the master bedroom also requires a full carpet cleaning to remove any stains, discoloration, or debris.

How to Stage Unfinished Basements

Unfinished basements are a gray composite of concrete. How do sellers make these spaces more appealing to buyers?

The Move Pro Team recommends organizing the area to showcase storage potential. While some professional staging companies attempt to create makeshift sitting areas, an unfinished basement is, by its very design, unfinished. Many homeowners leave the basement unfinished to integrate additional storage space for large items.

Our team works with homeowners to add commercial shelving and other organizing solutions to create streamlined storage space.

Schedule a Home Staging Consultation

When homeowners need to sell their homes fast, professional home staging services elevate the beauty and desirability of the home. These services include simple organizing tasks, or they can integrate an interior redesign of each space in the home. Move Pro Experts provide comprehensive home staging services to help homeowners attract more buyers to their homes and sell them fast. Schedule a home staging consultation today!