What staging is and what it is not
Staging means arranging furniture and décor so buyers can see how a home could be used. It is different from decluttering and cleaning, which come first and cost less. See declutter and clean before selling.
- Occupied staging: you live in the house, and a stager adds pieces and rearranges what you have.
- Vacant staging: a stager rents furniture and décor for an empty house.
- Virtual staging: furniture is added to photos digitally. Check that the listing tells buyers the photos are altered, and ask your agent how listings in your area handle it.
What it costs
The best sourced number we found is from NAR’s 2025 Profile of Home Staging, published May 6, 2025. It reports a median cost of $1,500 for a staging service and $500 when the home sellers’ agent handled the staging. It is a national median, not a Massachusetts one, and costs run higher for a vacant house or a large one.
We could not verify a reliable Massachusetts price range for professional staging, so we do not print one. Ask for a written quote that lists what is included, how long the furniture stays (rental is usually billed for a period), and who pays if the sale takes longer.
| What agents said | Share |
|---|---|
| The agent personally offers to stage the home | 23% |
| The seller pays to stage before listing | 17% |
| It depends on the situation | 26% |
Ask your listing agent whether staging help is included in the commission or comes out of your pocket. See realtor commission in Massachusetts for what a commission usually covers.
What the NAR survey found, and what it does not prove
NAR invited a random sample of 49,806 Realtors in February 2025 and received 1,266 usable responses, a 2.5% response rate, with a stated margin of error of about 2.75%. The answers are what agents remember, not measured sale prices. Here is what it found, stated as NAR reports it:
- Sellers’ agents on price: 29% reported that staging brought a 1% to 10% increase in the dollar value offered.
- Sellers’ agents on time: 49% said staging reduced time on the market (30% slightly, 19% significantly).
- Buyers’ agents: 83% said staging made it easier for a buyer to see the property as a future home. 26% said staging affected most buyers’ view, 60% said it affected some buyers but not always, and 12% said it had no effect. 17% said staged homes got a 1% to 5% higher offer than similar unstaged ones.
- How many agents stage: 21% of sellers’ agents stage all their listings, 10% only stage homes that are hard to sell, and 51% do not stage but recommend decluttering or fixing faults.
Why we call the evidence weak: it is a survey of opinions, with a low response rate. It does not compare identical houses staged and unstaged, and it does not net out the cost of staging against any higher offer. Seven out of ten sellers’ agents did not report a 1% to 10% increase. Treat staging as a possible edge, not a sure return.
A rough way to think about it: staging pays if the extra offer or the time saved is worth more than the cost. On a $700,000 house, 1% is $7,000 and a median staging service is $1,500. But NAR does not say how often a 1% gain actually happens in a given sale. If your agent has a view from recent sales in your town, ask.
Which rooms matter most
The survey asked buyers’ agents which rooms matter most to stage. They named the living room (37%), the primary bedroom (34%) and the kitchen (23%). Staging a guest bedroom was the least important (7%). Sellers’ agents who did stage most often staged the living room (91%), the primary bedroom (83%), the dining room (69%) and the kitchen (68%).
If your budget is small, put the money in the living room and primary bedroom, and make the kitchen look clean and open with no extra spend.
DIY versus a professional
| DIY | Professional | |
|---|---|---|
| Cost | Mostly your time. Maybe rented storage and a few small buys. | NAR median $1,500 for a service (national). Vacant houses often cost more. |
| Best for | Occupied homes in decent shape that need to be cleared and rearranged. | Vacant houses, awkward layouts, and homes where you cannot see the problem yourself. |
| Risk | You may overlook what buyers see: dated rooms, odd layouts. | You pay up front for a result that is not guaranteed. |
| A good start | Declutter, deep clean, neutral colors, good light, make the beds, clear the counters. | Ask for a written plan, the scope and the time the furniture stays. |
Your agent can give a free opinion on what to do and what to skip. If you are selling a house that needs work, staging is usually not the first dollar to spend. See repairs worth doing before selling and selling as-is.
Staging, photos and honesty
Staging should show the house, not hide it. Do not stage in a way that hides a defect you know about, and ask your attorney about your disclosure duties. See the seller disclosure guide. If the photos are edited or virtually staged, say so in the listing.