How Much Does It Cost To Stage A House?
How Much Does It Cost To Stage A House?
The cost of home staging can start at $500 and go as high as $5,500 with most spending between $500 and $600 per room per month on average. Prices will vary depending on the level of service you require, if your home is vacant, and how many rooms that need staging.
$800 – $2,800 average cost to stage
The cost of home staging can start at $500 and go as high as $5,500 with most spending between $500 and $600 per room per month on average. Prices will vary depending on the level of service you require, if your home is vacant, and how many rooms that need staging.
Home Staging Cost
The cost of home staging can start at $500 and go as high as $5,500 with most spending between $1,600 and $2,400. Prices depend on the level of service, if your home is vacant, and how many rooms that need staging.
Homeowners pay between $200 and $600 for the initial design consultation, and a per-room cost of $500 to $600 per month for décor rental.
| National Average Cost | $1,900 |
| Minimum Cost | $500 |
| Maximum Cost | $5,500 |
| Average Range | $1,600 to $2,400 |
Home Staging Cost Breakdown
Hiring a professional to stage your home will sell your house 88% faster and for up to 20% more than homes not staged, because the home’s best features are highlighted with coordinating colors and best-use furniture, and no clutter is present.
Home Staging Price List
| Service | Price |
|---|---|
| Initial Walk-Through Consultation | $200 to $500 |
| Initial Consultation and Organizing Existing Décor | $800 |
| Initial Consultation, Organizing, and Redesign | $1,500 |
| Color Design Consultation Services | $300 |
| Arrangement of Furniture | $250 per room |
| Decluttering, Packing, and Organizing | $650 |
| Complete Staging | $5,500 |
| Monthly Décor & Furniture Rental | $500 to $600 per room |
Initial Walk-through Consultation – For $200 to $500, a professional home stager will give the homeowner ideas on how they can work with existing interior décor to give the appearance of more space in each room and the entire home.
Initial Consultation and Organizing – For an average of $800 a professional stager will organize existing décor, give advice on what to put in storage, and leave an action plan for additional next steps.
Initial Consultation, Organizing, and Redesign – In addition to organizing, the home staging company will include a detailed plan for $1,500 to $1,700. The documents have written descriptions and images showing furniture arrangements, rented décor (rental prices extra), painting, and kitchen-cabinet plans.
Color Design – Consultation services to layout a plan for repainting (if needed) at $300.
Arrangement of Furniture – Once the furniture is delivered, a professional stager will organize it at an average cost of $250 per room.
Decluttering, Packing, and Organizing – Services cover removing knickknacks, re-organizing what stays, and packing items for storage for around $650 (excludes packing materials).
Complete Staging – Professional staging for up to 4 rooms (monthly décor rental fees are extra). Includes all services above, as well as project managing contractors for interior wall painting and kitchen cabinet refinishing, and more for $5,500 on average.
Monthly Decor & Furniture Rental – Rental includes furniture, lamps, mirrors, etc., for an average cost of $500 to $600 per month per room.
Home Staging Fees Per Month
If you are paying for the rental of furniture, plants, mirrors, lamps, or other items as part of staging your home, you will have rental fees of $500 to $700 per month until your home sells.
Some staging professionals may have a set minimum regarding the number of months you have to sign up for, and if your staging professional has a 3-month contract with a month to month after that, you will still be bound by that contract even if your home sells on the day it is listed.
What Exactly Is Home Staging?
Professional stagers combine interior design skills with real estate marketing strategies to highlight the homes best features with coordinating colors to increase the homes appeal to more buyers.
Staging professionals offer many different levels of engagement depending on the homeowner’s budget, how much work needs to be done, and how much of the work the homeowner wants to do after the initial consultation.
Full-Service Home Staging Includes:
A full-service home staging, costing $5,500 (staging up to four rooms and monthly décor rental fees are extra), usually includes:
An entire home assessment documented with notes and photographs.
The detailed vision statement that dictates all design decisions.
Supporting documents, including photos of suggested furniture rental options and room layout styles.
Color scheme plan detailing any necessary painting.
To-do list for the homeowner with guidance on decluttering and organization.
Decluttering, packing, and organization services.
Shopping services to buy or rent artwork, mirrors, drapes, statues, vases, books, throws, bedding, lamps or light fixtures, baskets, plants, etc.
Home Staging Consultation Fees
A home staging company charges a consultation fee of $200 to $500 for an initial 2-hour walk-through. The stager will give the homeowner ideas on how they can work with existing interior décor to give the appearance of more space in each room and the entire home.
Décor sourcing has an average cost of $200 per hour. A staging service will find, rent, and arrange delivery for the homeowner to organize according to layout design.
First, determine when you want your home to go on the market. Allow anywhere from 4 to 6 weeks to book a staging professional for an initial consultation and subsequently implement their designs. Staging professionals are busiest in the peak season for home sales between May and July.
You can decide between many different levels of service.
Level 1 – $500 - Initial consultation and a plan for changes that you take care of yourself.
Level 2 – $800 - Initial consultation and works with your existing furniture and décor to better position the home for sale. (If you select either level 1 or 2, then you will more than likely have a laundry list of tasks that will need to be taken care of including decluttering, putting some items in storage, and possibly some painting.)
Level 3 – $2,000 + rental fees - Initial consultation and rents replacement furniture and décor and manages removal and storage of existing furniture, as well as returning to lay furniture out.
Level 4 – $4,000 + monthly rental fees – Includes Level 3 plus decluttering, packing, organizing, and project management of painters and contractors to finish out touchups around the home.
If you have a deadline you are trying to reach to avoid paying two mortgages, then a full-service package may be the way to go. According to Realtor.com, professionally staged homes sell 88% faster and for up to 20% more compared to homes where the family doesn’t have the house prepared professionally.
The fees for the staging expense can either be paid upfront or rolled in with the fees for selling the home, which can be paid out at closing.
Home Staging Furniture Rental Cost
Home staging furniture rental costs $500 to $600 per month for each room on average. To rent furniture for each bedroom will cost around $150 per month and $150 to $350 per month to rent furniture for your living room.
One example of a national furniture rental store is Cort Furniture, and the prices below are based on three-month rental agreements. Leases can also be obtained for as short as a month, but a monthly lease renewed for a total of three months will cost a bit more than their three-month contract.
| Set | Details | Price |
|---|---|---|
| Living Room | 5 pieces – sofa, one chair, coffee table, end table and lamp | $150 to $350 per month |
| Bedroom (King Size) | 4 pieces – bedframe, dresser, mirror, nightstand or chest of drawers | $180 to $320 per month |
| Kitchen Essentials | Place settings and glassware | $20 to $40 per month |
| Dining Room | Table and chairs | $50 to $400 per month |
| Home Office | Writing desk, lamp, and chair | Starting at $40 per month |
Cort Furniture also has an extensive a la carte menu that allows you to select individual mirrors, lamps, vases, artwork, trees and plants, pillows, and bathroom essentials, as well as including items like
Sofas from $40 to $260 per month
Bedroom linens from $70 to $140 per month
Mattresses from $50 to $80 per month
These are general prices. Furniture rental prices will vary across the country, and delivery and pickup charges are extra. You would still have the cost of the professional stager’s initial consultation on top of these prices.
Cost Of Staging A Home To Sell
A 2,400-square-foot home costs $2,000 to $2,400 per month for staging. When selling your home, staging prices will depend if your home is vacant, if you need any upgrades such as painting, and how many rooms need staging.
Cost To Stage A Vacant Home
Staging a vacant property will cost an average of $2,200 followed by an additional $2,000 to $2,400 per month for the furniture rental fees. Staging an empty house gives the staging professional a blank slate and makes the staging job much faster.
Staging Only Main Rooms
One way to bring down the overall cost of the professional staging fees is to only stage a few of the larger main rooms like the living room, kitchen, and master bedroom. The main difference in cost will save you the $500 to $600 per month on the rooms you don’t stage.
However, because of the impact on the final sales price, it is advisable to do as many rooms as you can.
Condo Staging Cost
Typically condos max out at about three bedrooms and two bathrooms, and the cost to stage a condo is $1,200 to $2,000 per month.
Home Staging Services And Pricing
Painting the Home
 Interior painting costs $300 to $850 for a 12’ x 12’ room, or $1.50 per sq. ft. to paint the whole home. Most family homes will benefit from a fresh coat of paint before a home goes on the market.
To only paint the walls in a bedroom, you are looking at about $4.50 per square foot. Your costs will most likely start at around $6 per square foot to include the trim, baseboards, and ceilings.
Lighting the Home
Expect to pay anywhere from $20 to $50 for bulbs for the whole house, or up to $600 for lamps or fixtures. With older homes, it may be necessary to replace lighting fixtures in some of the rooms as well as add some lamps to brighten the home.
Lights are measured in lumens, and different bulbs consume different amounts of watts to produce the lumens needed.
| Location | Lumens | Incandescent | Compact Fluorescent Lamp | LED |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Hallway | 500 to 1,000 | 50W to 70W | 10W to 12W | 7W to 12W |
| Living room | 1,000 to 2,000 | 75W to 125W | 18W to 30W | 13W to 20W |
| Bedroom | 1,000 to 2,000 | 75W to 125W | 18W to 30W | 13W to 20W |
| Kitchen | 3,000 to 4,000 | 180W to 250W | 50W to 65W | 30W to 35W |
| Dining Room | 3,000 to 4,000 | 180W to 250W | 50W to 65W | 30W to 35W |
| Bathroom | 7,000 to 8,000 | 350W to 450W | 100W to 125W | 60W to 70W |
Refinishing or Refacing Cabinets
Cabinet refacing costs $4,200 to $8,100 and $600 to $1,500 for painting. If you elect for a full-service package, your home stager will interface with the contractors to get the work done.
Your stager might recommend either refinishing the outside of cabinets if they are unpainted wood, having them painted, or replacing all the doors to give them a fresh, new look.Â
Professional Cleaning While a Home Is on the Market
Regular professional cleaning costs $50 per week for a 1 bed/1 bath or up to $300 per week for a 4 bed/3 bath. Your stager can include the management of this in the service they provide. Start cleaning after any other contractors have been through the house with any enhancements like painting, etc.
Lawn Care
Lawn care costs $40 to $80 per hour depending on the size of your front and back yard. You can find a lawn maintenance company come every 1 to 2 weeks to make sure everything stays looking manicured.
Additional costs may include:
Tree trimming costs $200 to $900 per tree.
Tree removal costs $300 to $2,000 per tree.
Landscape curbing costs $5 to $18 per linear foot.
Hedge trimming costs $185 to $450 on average.
Lawn mowing costs $30 to $85 per visit.
Additional Cost Considerations
Swing set removal at around $400.
Garage decluttering and staging – Paint the walls for about $320 to $650. Add cabinets for $800 to $1,500, or 3 or 4 ceiling storage racks for about $160 to $300 each. Paint the floor for $3 to $12 per square foot.
Moving Company – $25 to $50 per hour per mover
Self-storage – $20 to $100 per month
Home Staging Ideas
Why Home Staging Works
Home staging will sell your home 88% faster and for up to 20% more than homes that are not staged because of the visual appeal. According to Realtor.org, when staging is done professionally, prospects will stay in a staged home for around 40 minutes versus 5 minutes in a empty house.
A perfectly staged room allows prospective buyers to envision their furniture in there when they see the staged furniture in context for each room.
Below is list of pros and cons about staging a home because staging depends on the priorities of the family selling the house. Some sellers want the home sold immediately, and that immediacy trumps the usual tendency to hold out for the best price. Other sellers are in no immediate rush and want to hold out for the best price possible.
Pros and Cons of Home Staging
| Pros | Cons |
|---|---|
| A staged home will sell approx. 88% faster. | It will take time to get on your stager’s calendar. |
| A staged home will sell for up to 20% more. | It will take time before the house is fully staged with furniture delivered and laid out, pictures and mirrors hung, and all final adjustments made. |
| A professional stager has the skill and experience to create an emotional connection with the prospective buyer through staging, which is something most homeowners are unable to accomplish. | When not done professionally, the home can look overdesigned or sterile, making it somewhat difficult for prospective buyers to picture it as their home. |
| A professional stager will be able to transform any property into a welcoming, attractive space to a vast majority of people. | When not done correctly, an inexperienced or unprofessional stager can make your rooms look smaller, or a homeowner’s décor tastes might not match those of most buyers. |
| Professionally staged homes will create focal points in the house to draw attention to the most significant selling points. | A stager without an eye for design can give your home a monochromatic aesthetic by repeating the same elements across your home as opposed to gentle transitions in style, light, and design. |
| Even if there are rooms in the home that are smaller, when the staging is done right, they won’t look as little as they are. | Simply renting furniture and completing the project without additional considerations around the addition of greenery, flowers, lighting adjustments, etc., will foster an incomplete look which won’t perform at the same level of effectiveness as a professionally staged home. |
Home Staging Tips
Pare down your furniture – Stagers will have input on specific pieces that will need to go into storage, and other remaining pieces will likely end up in different arrangements to create the desired look.
Draw attention – Your stager will draw attention to home features that draw in the prospective buyer’s eyes. In the case of your fireplace, simple and elegant vases or unique sculptures can pull the eyes in. To attract them to your backyard haven, leave a clear line of sight through unobstructed windows in your living room.
Tone down the colors – Tone down walls currently exhibiting bold colors, or invest in some throw covers to minimize distractions from patterned furniture. Neutral colors will appeal to a broader range of buyers than most color combinations.
Remove the clutter and reorganize – Most homes will need to declutter and leave a few select items carefully organized to contribute to the overall desired atmosphere. Artwork will likely be taken down or replaced unless it contributes to the aesthetic theme. Standard items include accent pillows, sculptures, vases with flowers, new candles, and coffee table books.
How To Stage A Home
Make sure there are fresh flowers in 2 to 3 locations throughout the home.
Paint the walls.
Hire cleaners to do a deep clean of baseboards, ceiling fans, blinds, etc.
Stock up on extra bulbs.
Clean all windows and mirrors.
Move any sofas or chairs away from the walls.
Invest in aroma neutralizers, especially if you have pets or the home is older.
Home staging FAQs
How Much Do You Charge For A Home Staging?
An initial consultation will start at $300 on the low end, and then an average of between $2,000 and $2,400 per month until the home sells.
Is Home Staging Tax Deductible?
As with other costs associated with the sale of a home, staging costs are deductible from the liable capital gains total if it is your primary residence and not a home flip or rental property. Staging costs are in the same bucket as other selling costs like legal fees, escrow fees, advertising costs, and real estate agent commissions.
Check with your CPA to see how this applies in your specific situation.
How Do You Stage a House To Sell?
Staging is the craft of designing an experience that is welcoming and attractive to potential buyers without looking like it is overdone. Methods include rearranging the existing furniture and décor or by renting replacements.
Do staged home sell for more money?
On average, staged homes sell for between 6 to 20 percent more when compared to homes that weren’t staged.
How do I find a good staging professional?
Finding a stager may be something your Realtor can handle for you, but if they don’t have one, or if you are doing a FSBO (For Sale by Owner) then you can look through the home staging companies we have listed here on the site.
There is no certification required or governing body in this industry, so more than ever you should look for professionals with good ratings who can send you examples of the work they have done.
DIY Vs. Professional Staging Companies
If your goal is to sell your home very quickly for the most money possible, then it is worth the investment of between $500 to $6,000, depending on the options you select. The alternative is the house takes longer to sell, which could put you in a spot where you are paying for two, or it sells for less than you wanted.
If you are willing to have the fees come out of the sale proceeds at closing, then having a professional come and stage your home will get you down the road to the home selling 88% faster and for up to 20% more. If you do the work yourself, the results won’t be as effective, but it could have some positive impact.
