Yes, it’s better to stage a house than sell it empty. Staged homes sell faster and for more money. According to the National Association of Realtors, staging can increase your selling price by 1% to 10%. Empty rooms feel cold and buyers can’t picture how to use the space. Staged homes help buyers imagine living there, which leads to faster sales and higher offers.
Why Staged Homes Sell Better Than Empty Ones
When people walk into an empty house, they see bare walls and empty floors. When they walk into a staged house, they see a home. That difference matters more than you might think.
Buyers Need Help Seeing the Possibilities
Most buyers struggle to imagine what an empty space could become. Research from the National Association of Realtors found that 81% of buyers’ agents say staging helps people visualize the property as their future home. Without furniture to show the scale of rooms, buyers often think spaces are smaller than they really are. A staged living room with a couch, coffee table, and chair instantly shows buyers how much fits in the space.
Empty bedrooms are especially confusing for buyers. They can’t tell if their king-size bed will fit or where to put a dresser. When a bedroom is staged with furniture, buyers get those answers right away. This makes them feel more confident about making an offer.
Creating an Emotional Connection
Home buying is emotional. People don’t just buy square footage and bathrooms. They buy the feeling of coming home after a long day. They buy the vision of holiday dinners with family or Sunday mornings drinking coffee in a sunny breakfast nook.
Staging creates these emotional moments that empty homes can’t deliver. A dining table set with simple place settings makes buyers imagine their own family meals. A cozy reading chair by a window makes them picture quiet afternoons with a book. These feelings stick with buyers long after they leave the house, and feelings drive offers.
First Impressions Start Online
Today’s home search starts on a computer or phone, not in a car. About 97% of buyers begin their home search online, according to real estate industry data. Your listing photos are often the only chance to grab a buyer’s attention before they scroll to the next house.
Empty rooms photograph poorly. They look dull and unwelcoming in photos. Staged rooms look warm and inviting, which means more people click on your listing. Data shows that 40% of buyers are more willing to visit a home in person after seeing staged photos online. More visits mean more offers.
The Numbers: What the Data Really Shows
Let’s look at the hard facts about how staging affects home sales. These numbers come from trusted sources like the National Association of Realtors and the Real Estate Staging Association.
Staged Homes Sell Faster
Time on the market matters. The longer your house sits unsold, the more carrying costs you pay. You’re covering the mortgage, utilities, property taxes, insurance, and maintenance. These costs add up fast.
According to industry research, staged homes spend significantly less time on the market than unstaged homes. The Real Estate Staging Association reports that homes staged before listing spend 73% less time on the market compared to unstaged properties. In one study, homes that weren’t staged stayed on the market for an average of 184 days. After staging, similar homes sold in just 41 days. Homes staged before listing sold even faster, in about 23 days.
Every month your house sits empty costs you money. For a $500,000 home, you might pay $5,000 in property taxes, $1,200 in utilities, and $1,000 in maintenance over six months. That’s $13,200 before you even count your mortgage payment. Staging cuts down these costs by getting your home sold quickly.
Staged Homes Get Higher Offers
Staging doesn’t just speed up sales. It also increases the price buyers are willing to pay. The National Association of Realtors data shows that staging can boost a home’s value by 1% to 10%. Some research indicates even higher returns.
In 2023, professionally staged homes spent 73% less time on the market and sold for 25% more than homes without staging. While your results will vary based on your local market and your specific home, the pattern is clear across the country. Buyers pay more for homes that look move-in ready.
Think about it from a buyer’s perspective. They’re comparing your house to other houses in the same price range. If your house is staged beautifully and the one down the street is empty, which one feels worth more money? Buyers equate the staged home with higher value, even if the houses are nearly identical.
Empty Homes Sell for Less
Here’s the flip side. Empty homes typically sell for less than comparable staged homes. A 2019 study showed that vacant homes sold for about $11,000 less and took six days longer to sell than occupied or staged homes. More recent research suggests vacant homes sell for 6% to 10% less on average compared to staged properties.
Why do empty homes bring lower offers? Buyers see problems. An empty house feels abandoned. Buyers wonder why no one wants to live there. They start imagining all sorts of repairs and issues, even if the house is in perfect condition. This worry makes them offer less money to protect themselves from unknown problems.
Empty rooms also feel smaller. Without furniture to give scale, a master bedroom can look tiny. Buyers worry their furniture won’t fit, so they offer less or move on to the next house.
The Return on Investment Is Real
Staging costs money, but it pays for itself and then some. The average staging investment runs between 1% and 3% of the home’s asking price. For a $400,000 home, that’s about $4,000 to $12,000. Sounds like a lot, right?
But look at the return. The National Association of Realtors found that the average staging investment of 1.3% resulted in a 7.1% return over the list price. That same $400,000 home staged for $5,200 could sell for $28,400 more. Even after paying for staging, you’re ahead by more than $23,000. The Real Estate Staging Association reports that the average return on investment for staged vacant homes is 586%.
Not every home will see returns that high. Your results depend on your local market, your home’s condition, and how well it’s staged. But even a modest 3% to 5% increase in sale price more than covers the cost of staging for most homes.
Understanding the Real Costs of Staging
Before you decide whether to stage your home, you need to understand what it actually costs. Staging prices vary widely based on your home’s size, your location, and what level of staging you choose.
Professional Staging Costs
The median cost for professional staging services is about $1,500, according to National Association of Realtors data. This typically covers consultation, furniture rental, and styling for key rooms in your home for about 30 days. Some homeowners spend between $1,600 and $2,400 to stage their home, while luxury properties can cost $5,000 or more.
Here’s what drives the cost up or down. Vacant homes cost more to stage because the stager needs to bring in all the furniture. Staging a vacant home typically runs around $2,000. If you’re still living in the home, a stager might work with your existing furniture and just add some pieces, which costs closer to $800.
Most staging companies require a three-month minimum contract, even if your home sells in the first week. This protects the company’s investment in furniture rental. For a 2,000-square-foot home, you might pay $2,000 to $2,400 per month. With a three-month minimum, that’s $6,000 to $7,200 total, even if you only need the staging for one month.
Location matters too. Staging a home in Los Angeles costs about $3,400, while Portland might be $1,800 for similar services. Major cities with higher costs of living charge more for staging services.
Consultation Fees and Additional Costs
Many stagers charge a consultation fee on top of the staging cost. Initial design consultations typically cost between $200 and $600. During this meeting, the stager walks through your home, discusses your goals, and creates a staging plan.
Decor rental adds to the cost. You’ll pay an average of $500 to $600 per room for furniture and accessory rentals. If your furniture looks dated or worn, you might need to rent pieces instead of using your own, which increases the monthly fees.
Some sellers try to save money by doing partial staging, where they only stage a few key rooms instead of the whole house. This can work, but research shows fully staged homes sell faster and for more money than partially staged homes.
Budget-Friendly Staging Options
Not everyone can afford professional staging, especially on top of moving costs and carrying two mortgages. The good news is you have options that cost less than full professional staging but still help your home show better than empty.
Virtual staging is the cheapest option. A company digitally adds furniture to photos of your empty rooms. This typically costs $30 to $129 per photo. Your online listing looks great, which gets more people to visit. The downside is buyers see a furnished home in photos but walk into an empty house, which can disappoint them. If you use virtual staging, make it clear in your listing that the photos are virtually staged.
Do-it-yourself staging is another budget option. You might spend $500 to $2,000 buying key pieces like neutral bedding, fresh towels, plants, and art to make your home feel lived in. This works best if you have good furniture already and just need to declutter and depersonalize. Many real estate agents will guide you through DIY staging at no extra cost.
Which Rooms to Stage for Maximum Impact
You don’t need to stage every single room in your house to see good results. Focus your time and money on the rooms that matter most to buyers.
The Living Room Comes First
The living room is the most important room to stage. According to buyer surveys, 39% to 46% of buyers say staging the living room is the most important factor when viewing a home. This makes sense because the living room is where families spend the most time together.
A well-staged living room shows the room’s potential for both everyday living and entertaining. Arrange furniture to create a clear flow through the space. Include a sofa, coffee table, side table, and a couple of chairs to show scale. Add throw pillows, a cozy blanket, and maybe some books or a plant to make the space feel welcoming without looking cluttered.
Make sure the furniture isn’t too big for the room. Oversized pieces make the space feel cramped. Use appropriately sized furniture that leaves walking space and shows off the room’s size.
The Primary Bedroom Is Second
After the living room, focus on the primary bedroom. About 36% to 43% of buyers say this room is very important when staged. Your primary bedroom should feel like a relaxing retreat, not a storage area or home office.
Stage the primary bedroom with a bed that has a proper headboard, neutral bedding in white or soft gray, and matching nightstands. Keep the decor simple and serene. Add a small bench at the foot of the bed or a comfortable chair in the corner if space allows. Remove personal photos, work items, and anything that makes the room feel cluttered.
Buyers need to picture themselves unwinding in this space after long days. Simple, elegant staging helps them see that vision.
The Kitchen Matters More Than You Think
The kitchen ranks third in importance, with 30% to 35% of buyers saying kitchen staging matters. Kitchens are harder to stage with furniture, but presentation still counts.
Clear all countertops except for a few attractive items. You might leave out a nice cutting board, a bowl of fresh lemons, or a small plant. Remove all small appliances like toasters and coffee makers unless you use them daily. Make sure the sink is empty and sparkling clean. Put away all dish soap, sponges, and cleaning supplies.
Empty the trash and make sure there are no unpleasant smells. Open windows or use a subtle air freshener before showings. A clean, uncluttered kitchen signals to buyers that the home has been well maintained.
What About Other Rooms?
The dining room should be staged if you have one. Set the table with simple, elegant place settings. You don’t need a full formal setup, just enough to show the room’s potential for family dinners and holiday gatherings.
Guest bedrooms are less important, with only 9% of buyers saying guest bedroom staging matters much. Still, these rooms should be clean, neutral, and show their purpose. Add a bed with basic bedding, a nightstand, and maybe a small piece of art.
Home offices became more important after 2020, when more people started working from home. If you have a dedicated office space, stage it with a desk, chair, and minimal decor to show it’s a functional workspace.
Bathrooms don’t get “staged” with furniture, but they need to look spotless. Put out fresh, fluffy towels in neutral colors. Clear all personal items from counters. Make sure everything shines.
Empty Homes: When They Might Work
Selling empty isn’t always the wrong choice. In some situations, an empty home might work just fine, or even be your only realistic option.
Hot Markets Are Different
In a seller’s market where homes sell fast and buyers compete for every listing, an empty home might not hurt you much. When there are more buyers than available homes, people will make offers on anything that meets their needs. They won’t let an empty house stop them from buying if they love the location and floor plan.
That said, even in hot markets, staged homes typically sell faster and for more money than empty ones. The competition might be fierce, but that doesn’t mean you should leave money on the table by skipping staging.
Ready for Immediate Move-In
One advantage of an empty house is it’s ready for the new owners to move in right away. There’s no waiting for the current occupants to pack up and leave. For buyers who need to move quickly, this can be attractive.
Some real estate investors prefer empty homes because they can close fast and start renovations immediately. If you’re marketing to investors or buyers looking for a quick closing, an empty home might appeal to them.
Focus on the Bones
An empty house lets buyers focus on the structure itself. They can see the flow of rooms, the quality of finishes, and any features like built-in shelving or architectural details. Nothing distracts from the home’s actual construction and layout.
This works best for newer homes or homes with stunning features that speak for themselves. A home with beautiful hardwood floors, custom millwork, or floor-to-ceiling windows doesn’t need much help looking good.
The Reality of Inherited or Rental Properties
Sometimes selling empty is your only practical choice. If you inherited a house from a parent or relative, you might not live nearby and can’t easily stage it. If you’re selling a rental property after tenants moved out, you might want to sell quickly without the time and expense of staging.
In these cases, do everything you can to make the empty house show well. The tips in the next section will help.
How to Sell an Empty House Successfully
If you’re selling your house empty, either by choice or necessity, you can still make it appealing to buyers. These strategies help empty homes show better and sell faster.
Light Is Everything
Empty rooms need lots of light. When buyers walk into a dark, empty space, it feels unwelcoming and even a bit creepy. Bright light makes empty spaces feel larger and more inviting.
Replace all yellow-toned bulbs with bright white LED bulbs that mimic daylight. Turn on every single light in the house before showings, including closet lights, hallway lights, and basement lights. Open all window blinds and curtains to let in natural light. A bright, well-lit empty house feels a thousand times better than a dark one.
Professional Photos Are Non-Negotiable
Since most buyers first see your home online, your listing photos need to be excellent. This is even more important with an empty house because empty rooms don’t photograph as well as furnished ones.
Hire a professional real estate photographer. They know the angles, lighting, and editing techniques to make empty rooms look their best. Professional photos cost $150 to $500, depending on your area and how many photos you need. This is money well spent because great photos get more people to schedule showings.
Consider Minimal Staging
You don’t have to stage the entire house to see benefits. Even a few strategic pieces in key rooms help buyers connect with the space.
This middle-ground approach is called partial staging. You might put a rug and chair in the living room, stage the primary bedroom with just a bed and nightstands, and add a table with chairs in the dining room. This costs less than full staging but still gives buyers reference points for the room sizes and uses.
Some sellers move 50% of their furniture to storage and leave key pieces in the house. This only works if your furniture is in good condition and fits the space well. Dated or oversized furniture actually makes your house look worse, so in those cases, empty is better than bad staging.
Curb Appeal Can’t Be Ignored
When the inside of your house is empty, the outside becomes even more important. Your home’s exterior is the first thing buyers see, either in person or in photos. It needs to look amazing.
Make sure your lawn is mowed and edged. Trim bushes and remove dead plants. Add fresh mulch to flower beds. Paint or stain the front door if it looks worn. Clean all windows inside and out. Power wash the driveway, sidewalk, and siding if needed.
These curb appeal improvements cost relatively little but make a huge difference in how buyers perceive your home. A house with great curb appeal looks well maintained, which makes buyers trust that the inside is also well cared for.
Keep It Spotless
Empty homes show every flaw. Scratches on floors, marks on walls, dust on windowsills, and cobwebs in corners stand out when there’s no furniture to distract from them. Before every showing, walk through and spot clean.
Sweep and vacuum all floors. Wipe down baseboards. Clean any smudges on walls. Dust light fixtures and ceiling fans. An empty house needs to sparkle to overcome the cold feeling of vacant rooms.
If your home needs repairs, handle them before listing. Fix that leaky faucet, patch holes in walls, replace cracked tiles, and touch up paint. Buyers notice these issues more in empty homes and often assume there are bigger problems they can’t see.
Making Your Decision: Stage or Sell Empty?
So how do you decide what’s right for your situation? Consider these factors.
Look at Your Local Market
Real estate is local. What works in a hot market might not work in a slow one. Talk to experienced real estate agents in your area about what’s typical. Ask to see data on how staged versus unstaged homes have performed recently in your neighborhood.
If most homes in your price range are sitting on the market for months, staging becomes more important to help yours stand out. If homes are getting multiple offers within days of listing, you might be fine without staging.
Consider Your Home’s Condition and Style
Homes in perfect, move-in-ready condition benefit more from staging than fixer-uppers. If your home is stunning with high-end finishes and modern updates, staging will help buyers see its full potential. If your home needs work, buyers might be looking past decor anyway and focusing on the renovation they’ll need to do.
Older homes and homes with unusual layouts benefit more from staging than newer homes with open floor plans. Staging helps buyers understand how to use quirky spaces and makes older homes feel updated and fresh.
Calculate the Real Cost of Waiting
Don’t just look at the upfront cost of staging. Look at what it costs you to wait for a buyer if you don’t stage. Add up your monthly mortgage payment, property taxes, insurance, utilities, and maintenance. If staging costs $5,000 but helps you sell two months faster, you might save $5,000 or more in carrying costs, making staging essentially free.
Also factor in the emotional cost. Keeping a house show-ready is stressful. If you’re trying to sell while living there, you’re constantly cleaning and leaving for showings. If the house is empty, you’re paying for a place you’re not using. Faster sales mean less stress, which has value even if it’s hard to put a price on.
Get Expert Advice
Your real estate agent should guide you on this decision. A good agent knows your local market, understands your home’s strengths and weaknesses, and can recommend the staging level that makes sense for your goals and budget.
Don’t work with an agent who pushes expensive staging without explaining why it’s necessary, or one who says staging never matters. The right agent will give you honest, data-driven advice specific to your situation.
If you want to learn more about working with interior design professionals, understanding how much you should budget for design services, or getting the most from your home without major renovations, there are resources available to help you make informed decisions about your home.
Common Staging Mistakes to Avoid
Even when people decide to stage their homes, they sometimes make mistakes that hurt rather than help their sale.
Overpersonalizing the Space
Staging should appeal to the widest range of buyers possible. That means keeping things neutral and simple. Don’t stage with bright red walls, quirky art, religious items, political statements, or anything that reflects your specific personality too much.
Buyers need to imagine their life in the space, not yours. The goal is to create a beautiful, neutral canvas that lets buyers project their own dreams onto the home.
Using Furniture That’s Too Large
One of the biggest staging mistakes is cramming too much furniture into rooms or using pieces that are too big for the space. This makes rooms feel small and cramped, which is the opposite of what you want.
Each room needs walking space and visual breathing room. If you have to turn sideways to get past the coffee table, there’s too much furniture. Smaller, appropriately scaled pieces make rooms feel larger and more functional.
Neglecting Small Details
Staging isn’t just about furniture placement. Little details matter too. Burned-out light bulbs, crooked picture frames, dusty surfaces, unpleasant odors, and wilted plants all make a negative impression.
Before every showing, walk through like you’re seeing the house for the first time. Fix anything that looks off. Fresh flowers, a subtle pleasant scent, and perfect cleanliness make buyers feel good about the home.
Ignoring Outdoor Spaces
Don’t forget about staging outdoor areas. A furnished patio or deck shows buyers the lifestyle potential of outdoor living. Add a small seating area, some potted plants, and maybe an outdoor rug. In nice weather, buyers love imagining relaxing outside, and staged outdoor spaces help them see that possibility.
Staging the Wrong Rooms First
Some sellers stage guest bedrooms or offices before tackling the living room and primary bedroom. This wastes money. Always prioritize the rooms buyers care about most. If your budget is limited, stage the living room and primary bedroom well rather than spreading your money too thin across every room.
Virtual Staging: A Modern Alternative
Technology has created a new option for sellers: virtual staging. This is where professional software adds digital furniture and decor to photos of your empty rooms.
How Virtual Staging Works
You hire a virtual staging company, send them photos of your empty rooms, and they digitally furnish the spaces using realistic 3D furniture and decor. The turnaround is usually 24 to 48 hours, and the cost runs between $30 and $129 per photo.
Your listing photos show beautifully furnished rooms that attract buyers online. This gets more people to click on your listing and schedule showings compared to photos of empty rooms.
The Pros and Cons
Virtual staging costs dramatically less than physical staging. Instead of $5,000 for actual furniture, you might pay $300 to virtually stage your key rooms. This makes staging accessible to sellers on tight budgets.
The photos look great online, which is where most buyers first see your home. Data shows that 40% of buyers are more willing to visit a staged home they found online, and virtual staging triggers the same response.
The downside is buyers walk into an empty house after seeing furnished photos. This disconnect can disappoint people. Some buyers feel deceived, even if you clearly mark photos as virtually staged. This might hurt your chances of getting offers from those buyers.
Real estate experts are split on virtual staging. Some love it for budget-conscious sellers. Others warn that the gap between photos and reality can backfire. If you use virtual staging, be very clear in your listing description that photos are digitally staged and the home is sold empty.
Virtual staging works best for sellers who can’t afford physical staging but have a home in good condition. It doesn’t work well for homes with obvious flaws or very dated finishes because the virtually perfect rooms will highlight those issues when buyers visit in person.
Special Situations: Selling After Moving Out
Many sellers face a specific challenge: they already bought their next home and moved out, leaving their old house empty. What should you do in this situation?
The Two-Mortgage Pressure
When you’re carrying two mortgages, the pressure to sell fast is intense. Every month the old house sits empty, you’re paying thousands of dollars. This makes sellers nervous about investing more money in staging.
But remember the math we discussed earlier. If staging costs $5,000 but sells your house two months faster, you save far more than $5,000 in carrying costs. The staging investment actually reduces your total cost of selling.
Partial Staging as a Compromise
If full staging feels like too much when you’re already stressed about two mortgages, consider partial staging. Stage just the living room, primary bedroom, and dining room. Leave other rooms empty but make sure they’re spotless and bright.
This middle ground costs less than full staging but still gives buyers the emotional connection they need to make offers. Many stagers offer this option specifically for sellers in your situation.
Borrowing Furniture
Some sellers borrow furniture from friends or family to stage key rooms. If you have connections who’d let you borrow a bed frame, a sofa, and a dining table for a few weeks, this can work. Just make sure the borrowed pieces look good and fit the space well. It’s better to have an empty room than one with dated, worn, or poorly fitting furniture.
Timing Your Listing
If you have some flexibility on timing, consider staging first before listing. Homes that are staged before hitting the market sell faster than homes that are listed empty and then staged later. If you can afford to wait a couple weeks to get staging in place, it might be worth the delay.
Working With the Right Professionals
The professionals you choose make a huge difference in your selling success, whether you stage or sell empty.
Finding a Great Real Estate Agent
Your agent should have deep knowledge of your local market and strong opinions about what works for homes like yours. Interview multiple agents and ask specific questions. How many homes have they sold in your neighborhood in the past year? What do they typically recommend for staging? Can they show you examples of similar homes they’ve sold and how they were presented?
The best agents have professional networks that include stagers, photographers, and other service providers. They can connect you with trusted professionals and often negotiate better rates because of their ongoing relationships.
Choosing a Home Stager
If you decide to hire a stager, get recommendations from your real estate agent first. Look at the stager’s portfolio online. Their work should feel current and appealing, not dated or overly trendy.
Schedule consultations with at least two stagers before deciding. Most offer a free or low-cost initial consultation where they’ll walk through your home and give you ideas. Pay attention to whether they listen to your budget constraints and goals or push expensive packages you don’t need.
Ask about their process, timeline, and what’s included in their fee. Make sure you understand the minimum contract length and what happens if your home sells quickly.
The Right Photographer Makes It Work
Whether your home is staged or empty, you need excellent photos. Professional real estate photography is worth every penny. Great photos get more people to schedule showings, and more showings mean more offers.
Don’t let your agent take photos with their phone unless they’re a truly skilled photographer. Real estate photography is a specific skill that requires the right equipment, knowledge of angles and lighting, and post-processing expertise.
Final Thoughts
So is it better to stage a house or sell it empty? For most sellers, staging wins. The data is clear: staged homes sell faster and for more money than empty homes. Staging helps buyers fall in love with your home, makes your listing stand out online, and creates the emotional connection that drives offers.
That said, staging isn’t right for every situation. Your local market conditions, your budget, and your home’s specific characteristics all play a role in this decision. Work with an experienced real estate agent who can give you honest, data-driven advice about what makes sense for your home.
If you can’t afford professional staging, don’t despair. Partial staging, DIY staging touches, or even selling empty with excellent photography and bright lighting can still work. The key is understanding your options and choosing the strategy that fits your goals and budget.
Remember, selling your home is one of the biggest financial transactions of your life. Investing time and money upfront to present your home well almost always pays off in the end. Whether you choose full staging, partial staging, or selling empty with strategic improvements, make sure your home shows in its absolute best light from the moment it hits the market.
The right choice for your home depends on your unique situation, but now you have the information and insights to make that decision confidently.