Is Home Staging Worth it?What Every Homeowner Should Know

If you’re wondering whether home staging is worth it or not, you should first ask yourself: What exactly does “worth it” mean to you?

Are you looking to sell your home as fast as possible? Get a higher than average selling price?

Most likely, it’s both. Everybody will agree that selling a home faster and for top dollar is the ideal goal. Determining what it takes to reach that goal – namely, the resources, time and energy – is the million dollar question.

Home staging on average is indeed associated with higher offers and less time on the market. But how much time and money is worth the actual attempt to make your home look like it belongs in a magazine or IKEA showroom? And does it even need to look like it belongs in a magazine?

Determining if home staging is worth it can feel like a high-stakes gamble—but it often pays off. In this blog post, you’ll discover the real pros and cons of staging a home, backed by hard data, real-world examples, and easy step-by-step advice. By the end, you’ll know exactly if staging is the smart move for your home-selling journey.

 

What Home Staging Really Is

Home staging goes way beyond a quick tidying up and removing of one’s personal effects. It’s a strategic process designed to make buyers picture themselves living in your home, and typically involves:

• • Deep decluttering and depersonalizing

• • Conception of Design and styling

• • Rearrangement and/or placement of new furniture

• • Integrating strategic neutral decor and greenery

• • Strategic lighting

• • Enhancing curb appeal

The goal? Create a welcoming, well-lit space that highlights your home’s best features, and strikes a balance of invoking move-in readiness while still leaving “room” for personalized touches by the future owner.

 

Key Benefits of Staging Your Home

Boosted Perceived Value

Research in the US reports that staged homes return a 6-20% higher offer than similar unstaged homes. Some studies even report returns over 20% asking price . For a $400,000 home, that’s $80,000—hardly chump change.

Faster Time on Market

There is no denying that staged homes have shorter listing times. 30-50% shorter to be exact. According to a 2024 survey conducted by the Real Estate Staging Association, non-staged homes sat on the market for an average of 143 days, while pre-staged homes sold in about 30 days.

Stronger Online Appeal

With online photos being the buyers first impression, good staging with professional photography boosts your listing’s visibility. Zillow data shows listings with professionally staged photos get 47% more views—while a 2025 National Association of Realtors Survey reports home buyer agents cite that professional photos with traditional staging is important to the majority of their clients.

Emotional Connection for Buyers

Staging helps buyers visualize living in your home. Even if a prospective buyer prefers to create from an empty canvas, they are going to more readily embrace a professionally staged home that hits chords with their own personal aesthetic. From the previously cited NAR survey, a whopping 83% of buyers’ agents said staging made it easier for their clients to envision the property as their own.

 

 

Drawbacks of Staging to Consider

Upfront Costs

Depending on location and whether or not your home is considered a luxury listing and if furniture is being rented, expect to pay $800–$3,000/month for home staging costs.

If seeking out a professional staging company like Set the Stage West Chester/Main Line PA, again, depending on location and time on market, total staging costs can fall around 1% of the listing price. This number is greatly tempered by the stat that staged homes return on average a 6-25% higher offer than their non-stages counterparts.

Time & Coordination

Scheduling stagers, removing personal items, coordinating furniture delivery—it all takes time. And depending on your living situation, you may need to rent storage during staging. It should be noted, however, that while it is not uncommon for home owners to continue living in a staged home, it is important to keep the environment depersonalized and clean at all times. 

Not Always Necessary

In a “hot” seller’s markets with low supply, some homes sell quickly even without staging. DIY or virtual staging may suffice for cost-sensitive sellers .

 

Staging Strategies: DIY, Virtual, or Professional?

DIY Staging

• • Low-cost, but may lack design polish. Even small DIY steps can make a difference. Start with decluttering and depersonalizing your space before photos are taken.

Virtual Staging

• • Great for empty homes or low budgets, but lacks physical impact. Home listings typically have no fewer than 10 images, and the cost of virtually staged images could easily hit $75 per image / $200 per room.

Professional Staging

• • Provides full-service design and styling, furniture rental, market-tailored staging. Best ROI, especially for mid-to-high-end homes. Higher upfront investment (generally 1% of asking price).
    
    

Tips for Smart Home Staging 

1. 1. Focus on biggest impact rooms—living room, primary bedroom and the kitchen.

1. 1. Deep clean & declutter—this especially applies to surfaces, floors/carpets, windows

1. 1. Neutralize décor—eliminate bold colors, personal art/effects, excess knickknacks

1. 1. Add lighting & greenery—plants and layered lights breathe life into rooms

1. 1. Enhance curb appeal—tidy the lawn, pressure-wash siding, clean windows, put out a fresh welcome mat 

1. 1. Use virtual staging smartly—budget or vacant listings

1. 1. Plan timing wisely—schedule staging a few weeks before listing launch

Real-Life Staging Wins

Barry Cunningham’s Somerset Georgian Restoration

This is a great example of the impact that home staging can provide to selling times, especially for luxury listings. After £11,000 in staging costs, the Harry Potter publishers Georgian home sold in 3 months—following 6 stagnant months—thanks to decluttering and stylistic updates. The before and after photos are exceptional:

Conclusion: Home Staging Is Worth It

When you weigh the low staging cost (1% of listing price) against the potential for 5–25% higher offers and faster sales, the answer becomes clear: Yes—home staging is worth it. It may require time, effort, and upfront cost, but the financial and emotional payoffs—less time on the market, higher purchase offers, and greater buyer appeal—make it a truly valuable investment for most sellers.

In other words, investing in home staging is generally much less than taking a price reduction.

If you’re thinking about staging your home or business in West Chester, PA or Philadelphia’s Main Line, please get in touch with us here for a pre-listing consultation.