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House to home staging


Home Staging Tips & Checklist

From Spotlight: Best Pro Secrets for Buying & Selling

Their agent won’t have to say, “Picture this.” Buyers will see your home at its best.

Image: CreativaStudio/Getty

Staging your house can make you money. Twenty-three percent of sellers’ agents reported that a well-staged environment increases the dollar value buyers are willing to offer, according to the National Association of REALTORS® "2021 Profile of Home Staging."

Impact of House Staging on Price and Time on Market

Staging a house – where you decorate your house to entice buyers to bite – helps sell homes from three to 30 times faster than unstaged houses, according to a 2022 survey by the International Association of Home Staging Professionals. The same survey found staged homes sold for up to 20% more than the competition.

This article is packed with DIY tips for staging your home. But if you hire a professional home stager to help buyers fall in love with your house, the money is usually well spent. Spending around 1% of a home’s sale price to hire a pro to stage it resulted in a 7% return on investment, according to a 2021 survey by the Real Estate Staging Association. Professionally staged homes sold for an average of $40,000 over list price in 2021, RESA says.

Professional staging costs vary depending on the region. Home sellers pay from $650 to $2,700 in home staging costs, according to HomeAdvisor. The size of your home and the scope of the project affect the cost, too. If your house is in good shape and your furniture fashionable, you may just need to pay a pro to rearrange the layout and declutter. If the house is empty or your furniture is stuck in 1982, a professional stager will recommend you rent furniture.

The cost of staging a home for two or three months usually costs about 0.75% of a home's list price, according to Bankrate. With the median U.S. home price around $375,000, expect to pay $2,800 for professional staging.

Even in a seller’s market staging can help your home sell faster and for top dollar.

Just take this real world tale of two condo listings from Terrylynn Fisher, a REALTOR® with Dudum Real Estate Group in Walnut Creek, Calif., who also stages. Both units were in the same complex. One hadn't been staged or updated since it was built; the other was staged and had been slightly refreshed (a little paint here and there and one redone bath). Otherwise, both units were the same size and layout. The staged condo sold for about $30,000 more than the unstaged unit, she says. “People couldn't believe it was the same model."

Before your eyes turn into dollar signs, keep in mind staging isn't guaranteed to get you more money. But it's an important marketing tool to help you compete at the right price, which means you can sell faster.

Related: Why Spending Money on Fancy Bath Salts Can Help Sell Your House

Helping buyers fall in love with your property takes more than running the vacuum and fluffing the pillows: It's all about decluttering, repairing, updating, and depersonalizing, say real estate agents and stagers.

Home Staging Tips for Every Room

With help from Fisher and other sources, we've compiled the ultimate home staging checklist.

Jump to a specific room or area of the house:

Living Room | Kitchen | Bedrooms | Dining Room | Bathroom | Walls, Windows & More | Throughout the House | Exterior | For Pet Owners | Day of Showing

Living Room

Embrace symmetry when staging your living room. Coordinated sets, like these pillows, are pleasing to a buyer's eye. Image: Fluff Designs

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Kitchen

Image: Wendy F Johnson, Certified Master Kitchen and Bath Designer

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Bedrooms

Image: Fluff Designs

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Dining Room

Help buyers imagine hosting a dinner party in their new dining room by setting out attractive place settings. Image: East Coast Creative

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Bathroom

Image: Stirling Home Studio

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Walls, Windows, and More

Image: Laura Schuchart of The Soulful House

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Throughout the House

Image: Liz Foreman for HouseLogic

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Exterior

Image: Liz Foreman for HouseLogic

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For Pet Owners

Image: Ellen Mertens

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Day of Showing

Image: Oliveshadow/Shutterstock

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More in Buy & Sell

Staging a house: 15 home staging tips from real estate experts

Staging a house prior to selling it is one of the best investments you can make to ensure it gets a quick offer and achieves the highest sale value. Research has shown that a staged homes sells three times faster than a non-staged home – and 70% of real estate agents stated that home staging increased the offer value on a house by up to 10%.

Homes & Gardens caught up with experts in the field, Anne Carr of Los Angeles-based Anne Carr Design and Alex Willcocks, managing director of London-based Burbeck Interiors, to discuss the features home buyers want, the benefits of home staging – and how to do it.

Staging a house – top 15 home staging tips

'Staging is really important for two reasons,' says Anne Carr. 'Most people cannot see beyond what is in front of them. They get caught up in past perceptions, so you need to show them what is possible. 

'Sometimes rooms are awkward and you need to show people how a space can be best utilized. The second reason is that the person may not be very good with space planning. Rooms tend to feel a lot smaller without furniture, so how we place furniture gives buyers a sample of what is possible. '

No matter your budget these golden home staging tips are sure to have an impact.

1. Declutter your home

(Image credit: Farrow & Ball)

Decluttering is the first job you should tackle when home staging. Clutter is distracting for buyers – their eyes will be drawn to your belongings and not the rooms. The rooms themselves will look smaller and untidy if cluttered, too.

'Nearly all of us have too much ‘stuff’, which has been accumulated over years if not decades. Decluttering each room is an excellent investment of your time,' continues Alex Willcocks. 'It's important potential buyers can envisage themselves living in the property, for that to happen it has to feel like you don’t.

'Try to free up as much surface space as you can on shelves, coffee tables and especially in the kitchen. Wicker or rope baskets are excellent for throwing items in that you need but don’t necessarily want to see. Storage units and containers are another great option should you require more space. '

2. Invest in storage – but don't overload it

(Image credit: Jan Baldwin / Future)

Now you've decluttered you can clearly see where there might be a need for extra storage to make rooms feel really neat and organized. Ideally, you should ensure your storage units, hidden behind doors or otherwise (remembering that buyers will open cupboard doors), shouldn't be overloaded. 

When staging a house, you want buyers to think your home can cope with their belongings because your storage is ample, not under pressure.

3. Clean, clean, clean

A clean home will feel well-cared for, which is important for most buyers – even renovators don't want to buy somewhere that gives the impression of being neglected. Plus, a clean, aired home will feel fresh and welcoming – this will help buyers envisage themselves living in your home. 

'If you do nothing else, make sure your home is clean, clutter and odor-free (you may be used to your pets’ pong but buyers won’t be!), and that there are no "yet to be finished" DIY jobs as they’ll give the impression that your house will need a lot of maintenance,' advises Alex Willcocks.

4. Tackle home staging must-do DIY jobs

(Image credit: Anna Stathaki / Future)

Just as a property needs to be clean to feel well maintained, a home also needs obvious maintenance tasks ticked off in order to secure an offer fast. So, make a list as you assess what needs doing to stage your house: fix that dripping faucet, mend the guttering, fill holes and cracks in walls, repair that door... anything that looks broken or doesn't work can put buyers off.

5. Refresh rooms with light reflecting colors

(Image credit: James Merrell / Future)

It's well worth reconsidering, for example, living room color schemes.

'A fresh coat of paint makes a huge amount of difference. It brightens a room, it can make it look bigger and, it gives an overall appearance of a well-kept home,' advises Anne Carr of Los Angeles-based Anne Carr Design. 

And while you may love bright or dark colors or bold wallpapers, it's often best to stick to what's safe to secure a sale when staging a house. That needn't mean white, neutrals, naturals and pastels can all create a space-enhancing feel buyers will love.

6. Renovate your kitchen and bathroom

Interior design / Tom Howley

(Image credit: Paul Raeside)

Staging a kitchen may be more than just decluttering and cleaning – if yours is holding back your chances of getting an offer, you may need to consider a remodel, the cost of which, done wisely, can be recouped when you sell. 

'A new kitchen has the most impact on a new buyer. It demonstrates to buyers that the house has been updated. You always recoup your investment from upgrading kitchens and baths,' continues Anne Carr.

This may not mean remodelling – painting kitchen cabinets can make a world of difference.

'Bathrooms and landscaping are important, too,' advises Anne Carr. 'Redoing floors is worth it if you are staying in the home, but not needed for a sale. Built-in cabinetry is another one.'

7. Rework room layouts

(Image credit: Curated Nest/Kyle J Caldwell)

Staging a house might involve reworking rooms' layouts. This is particularly important when staging a living room – especially if it is an open-plan room that doubles up as a kitchen diner, in which case you may need to investigate new living room layout ideas.

'I arrange the room to look its best – not for practicality's sake,' says Anne Carr. 'For example, sometimes a table may be too close to a cabinet for proper opening and closing, and that's because we are just after a balanced look, instead of necessarily trying to be practical. 

'The same goes for television placement. Some brokers get hung up on whether the TV placement is viewable from different furnishings. I say it doesn't matter for selling purposes, because no one is watching TV while viewing the home!'

8. Remember accessories when staging a house

(Image credit: Future / Jonathan Gooch)

Staging a house isn't just about adding new pieces to your home – you may also need to get rid of some well-loved furnishings, too.

'Get rid of all stained rugs and furniture. It gives an overall bad feeling to prospective buyers. It makes a home look beaten up. If you can’t replace it, you can buy inexpensive sisal rugs and place them on top of the existing rug, advises Anne Carr. 

'It is not as pricey as people believe to reupholster furniture and it can make a huge difference. If you like the shape of a piece, reupholstering can really revive it. You just have to choose a moderately priced fabric. 

'New, fresh looking furniture will elevate the entire room. If you cannot redo the kitchen, and your kitchen is dated, painting the cabinet fronts can give a kitchen a huge facelift without a big investment.

'Colorful throw pillows that work together also give a home a look of well-balanced look as well as matching throw blankets. 

'Accessories make a big difference, too. Consider placing a coffee table book with a candle or an interesting decorative piece.'

'Making small changes to a room can often have a big impact on its ambiance. I would recommend always replacing bed linen and towels with new crisp white replacements,' advises Alex Willcocks. 'The same rule applies to bath and hand towels. Scented oil diffusers and candles are always a good idea to create a warm welcoming environment.'

9. Stage a house for comfort

(Image credit: Alicia Taylor)

'Comfort is much more important because people are staying in their homes for long periods of time,' says Anne Carr. 'We are getting requests for large comfortable sectionals for long Netflix watching with the entire family. 

'Unlike the early 2000s where everyone wanted open concept living, clients are realizing that they need privacy and quiet to work or go to online learning. Many clients are changing room formats so that every family member has an office.

'I think buyers like to see up-to-date furnishings that don't look too cold. There was a trend a while back for everything to be white, but it also has to make people feel like their lifestyle could fit in with this on a daily basis, so it's important not to give any space an impersonal, hotel look.  '

10. Add pops of color for personality

(Image credit: Farrow & Ball)

'People do like to see a pop of color in pillows or in an occasional chair,' continues Anne Carr. 'When home staging, we also like to add an element of surprise through art with color. The psychology of color says that the majority of people gravitate towards things that are blue. In more modern homes, we will use a neutral palette with more black than we would in a farmhouse style of architecture.

'In Southern California the look doesn't really change that much in different seasons, however we do tend to use more subdued colors in fall and winter. We may add a chunky throw and more organic materials to add texture to the design. Summertime is always a happy time, so we try to throw in some bright colors in our design, especially in the outdoors.

11. Make a good first impression by staging your front yard

(Image credit: Dan Duchars)

'This timeless expression is applicable to selling your home,' says Alex Willcocks, managing director of London-based Burbeck Interiors. 'A buyer's decision making process doesn’t start once they are in the property, it started 100 meters before that. As such any remedial work or improvement that can be made to the entrance of the property will pay dividends.

'This can be as simple as weeding the path leading to the front door to a new coat of paint on the door itself or investing in some lovely front yard flower bed ideas. Try and clean any windows you can, especially the one at the front of the property. As summer continues new flowers or a hanging basket can give a positive impression, their aroma can also create a good first impression.'

12. Use real plants in home staging

(Image credit: Mark Bolton)

Using house plants in staging a house can be effective.

'We like to use real plants if it's possible for us to maintain them on a weekly basis,' says Anne Carr. 'Again, it feels less like a hotel to buyers and more like a place they can see themselves living. We rarely use faux flowers, unless they are really high quality and difficult to decipher from the real ones. '

13. Don't forget to stage the back yard

(Image credit: Emme Lee)

'If you are lucky enough to have any outside space, you really need to maximize this as much as possible,' continues Alex Willcocks. 'It doesn’t matter if it's 6ft by 6ft or 300ft long, you need to get this to do the selling. 

'Just like with the front of the property, assess what needs to be done to make it as presentable as you can. Treat it as an extra room and home stage it accordingly. Start by measuring your outdoor area and deciding what type of furniture will best suit your needs and lifestyle – a bistro two-seater table and chairs is perfect for romantic al fresco dining on a city balcony, whereas a large sofa set is a good choice for a sociable family household – all these backyard ideas will help.'

14. What not to use in home staging

'I try not to use metallic accents. I feel it is a dated look and can cheapen a room,' concludes Anne Carr.

'I would always advise homeowners to go out when buyers are due to visit – let your realtor show them the property,' says Homes & Gardens Editor in Chief. 'In my own experience, they will feel more relaxed, be more likely to spend more time looking around, imagining themselves living there, and the house will feel less like yours, and more like – potentially – theirs. For this reason, too, de-personalizing is a must. Family portraits should be put away for now and those on the wall replaced with more neutral art.'

15. Stage a house to suit its age and style

Staging an older home is the same as staging a modern one except that any home will look best if the interior complements the home's age, architecture and style. Having a cohesive look that runs throughout an entire home can make it look bigger, too.

Why use home staging to sell a house?

Staging a house is one of the easiest and best ways to add value. Home staging incorporates a vast array of different services, from basic decluttering to a complete interior makeover. These, you can tackle yourself, perhaps with the advice of your realtor, although professional home stagers will make the process smoother, quicker and, potentially, more successful.  

Prices for home staging can vary depending on the scope of the work that needs to be undertaken, however there is a lot you can do to increase the marketability of your property – and this is what we're looking into here.

Who pays for the staging of a house?

Homeowners pay for the staging of a house since it is in their interest to gain a quicker offer, sale and, hopefully, a higher price. 

How do I stage my home myself?

To stage your home yourself, follow these simple steps:

Thanks to Burbeck Interiors and Anne Carr Design

Cadastral passport for the house (IZHS).

Statement of the house for cadastral registration in Chelyabinsk.

Let's say you have a house and you have been its full user and owner for many years. Or you just built an IZHS facility. Maybe add a second floor? Have you made these changes to Rosreestr? Has the house been registered with the cadastre? Have you changed the cadastral to the house?

According to the current legislation of the Russian Federation, without putting the house on the cadastral, making any transactions with this type of property is simply unacceptable. That is, you can neither sell it, nor exchange it, nor transfer it as an inheritance.

Cadastral registration of IZHS (individual residential construction) is the registration of a house in a unified state database of real estate (inclusion in the USRN). Assumes the assignment of a cadastral number to the house. And full information about the area, characteristics, location and owners of the home.

Some important information about the cadastral registration of the house:0004 (Attention! It is the extract that has been issued instead of the cadastral passport since 2017).

  • State registration of the right is not equal to cadastral registration. The house may be legally registered to you. But it is also important for the state to provide all information about residential real estate.
  • Information from Rosreestr is publicly available. And it allows anyone to find out the date of construction of the house, its area, number of storeys, the name of the owner, the presence of encumbrances and other data. This information is important, for example, for those who are going to make a purchase of an individual housing construction (when selling), as well as in other cases. You can request data from our specialists. In paper form, an extract from Rosreestr can be obtained on the organization's website if you indicate the address of the house or its cadastral number. Valid only at the time of receipt. Some data on houses may also be contained on the Public Cadastral Map (see link). However, this database is not as complete as the information from Rosreestr.

    • In what cases is it required to enter information about a residential building in the USRN?

    We wrote about how cadastral registration of changes takes place in a separate article (see link). And how to register a newly built house - read below. You may also be interested in an article on the legalization of unauthorized construction.

    The plot on which the IZHS object stands - is cadastral registration needed?

    When registering a house for cadastral registration, it is important to understand that the land plot on which the property is built is also subject to registration. Moreover, the site is first entered into the USRN, and only then - the buildings on it.

    To enter information about the land plot into the Rosreestr, it will be necessary to carry out the surveying procedure . This is a cadastral service, which is carried out only by a cadastral engineer who has the appropriate certification. See the link for more information on bridging.

    If the site has changed - for example, two sites have been merged, or one has been divided between two owners, if significant adjustments have been made to its form, if communications have been laid, then all this also requires information to be entered into Rosreestr.

    Cadastral passport for the house. How to register an object. Procedure:

    Attention! A cadastral passport for a house in Russia is no longer issued. According to the rules in force since 2017, in order to provide information to other departments, you can order a Cadastral extract from the USRN. The extract contains all the information and completely replaces the cadastral passport. For more information about changes in the law and the current status of passports, see the article.

    If you have a cadastral passport at home, it is not necessary to change it to an extract. But in the case of selling a house, redevelopment or other actions that are taken into account in Rosreestr, it will be necessary to obtain an extract with seals. The passport will not be considered an official document.

    If you are going to build a house, then for its further cadastral registration, the procedure will be as follows:

    Finally, all that remains is to formalize the right of ownership and register the house (submit documents to Rosreestr and pay the state duty).

    Obtaining turnkey cadastral registration services in Chelyabinsk. Price:

    You can get detailed advice from competent specialists, find out all the norms of cadastral legislation in force today, with us - at the Regional Cadastral Center of Chelyabinsk. Preliminary consultation is provided free of charge .

    We work with both individuals and legal entities. In Chelyabinsk, in the region and in other cities.

    The price of registering a house for cadastral registration depends on the area of ​​​​the object, on the necessary services (whether a site survey is required or only a technical plan of the house is needed, or maybe all the documents have already been collected and you only need a specialist consultation). You can find out detailed information by calling or leaving a request on the website (using the form below).

    Ask your question to our cadastral engineers!
    Write to us in the chat, through the feedback form or call.
    +7 (351) 277 80 80.
    We will answer competently and professionally!

    Ask a question

    Send a chat Registration of a private house for cadastral registration in Sochi

    Registration of a private residential house (individual housing construction) will allow you to register ownership and carry out any transaction (sell, buy, exchange, include a property in the inheritance), i. e. take full control of it.

    Registration of IZHS is, in fact, the legalization of real estate, its registration in the general system. Entering into a single database, into the State Register of Russian Real Estate (EGRN) and assigning an identification cadastral number. At the same time, the absence of cadastral registration does not equal the deprivation of property rights. Many people have been using houses and other real estate objects that are not included in the USRN for many years. However, in order to make transactions in our time, registration is mandatory in Russia.

    What other cases are required?

    House and plot:

    When registering an individual housing construction house for cadastral registration, it is important to understand that, unlike an apartment, in this case, a land plot is also registered. Therefore, additional procedures will be required to register the site if it has not been previously entered into the State Register. Moreover, for cadastral registration, you must first enter the site in the USRN!

    See section: Cadastral registration of a land plot.

    Accordingly, surveying will be required - a cadastral service that determines the boundaries of the land, places of turning points, the exact area of ​​​​the land plot (for more details, see the link).

    Also, registration of the site for cadastral registration (or updating information in the USRN) will be required in cases where:

    Procedure for registering an IZHS object:

    In this case, we will consider the situation for residential buildings located on lands for personal subsidiary plots or individual residential construction, as well as on a garden plot.

    You have built a residential building.

    You can get all information about the zones from the GPZU (Urban Planning Plan for the Development of the Land Plot), which can be ordered free of charge through the MFC.

    Specialists of the Regional Cadastral Center in Sochi have extensive experience in coordinating construction in any areas of special conditions and will help you prepare all the necessary documentation to obtain a building permit.

    After receiving from the Department of Architecture, a positive notice of compliance with the parameters at the start of construction, you must contact the cadastral engineer for registration technical plan , as well as for the preparation of a notice for the completion of construction. The entire package of documents is submitted for verification through the Department of Architecture to Rosreestr for registration of ownership and cadastral registration.

    Upon completion of the registration procedure, you will receive an extract from the USRN for a residential building, with the right of ownership.

    You can ask questions to our cadastral engineers.

    When planning construction for cadastral registration, you will need:

    GPZU (Urban planning plan of the land plot)

    Extract for the land plot

    Notice of planned construction

    Declaration of Conformity

    Completion Notice

    Consent of OPD

    Power of attorney if the customer is a third party

    Package of documents for obtaining a building permit:

    notifications of planned construction and approvals (according to GPZU)

    GPZU (Urban planning plan of the land plot)

    Extract for the land plot

    Scheme of the location of the house on the site, indicating the size of the house on the outside, indents from the boundaries of the land plot

    Outdoor height of the house, from the ground to the top of the roof

    Number of floors

    Customer email

    Customer ID

    Power of attorney if the customer is a third party (always specify)

    Building Restricted Zones:

    II zone of the district of the mountain and sanitary protection of the resort.

    On the last page of the GPZU you can see if it is possible to connect to the water supply networks. If it is possible to connect, along with the town-planning plan, the owner is given the “Technical conditions for connecting the OKS to the water supply and sanitation networks”

    *technical specifications must be attached to the notice of planned construction, i.e. at the stage of construction approval,

    upon completion of construction, it is necessary to conclude and attach to the notice of completion of construction an agreement on connection to centralized water supply and sanitation systems

    Zone of landslide processes OP-0

    To approve construction in this area, it is necessary to prepare a report on recommendations for construction in landslide zones. This report is prepared by our specialists. We prepare a report in cooperation with the Department of Architecture, according to previously conducted exploratory studies, maps.

    Air approach zone of Sochi airfield

    To approve construction in this area, it is necessary to prepare an approval report with the Federal Air Transport Agency. We prepare this report, we also send it ourselves for approval to Rostov, the response on approval from Rostov is the final document for submission to the Department of Architecture

    Historic settlement area

    To approve the construction in this zone, it is necessary to provide the Department of Architecture with a description of the external appearance of the planned house. We are preparing a description of the appearance.

    *Department of Architecture constantly imposes new restrictions on the city of Sochi, so there may be some other zones that will need to be coordinated.

    Obtaining a turnkey cadastral center service:

    Legislation in the field of cadastral registration has been constantly changing in recent years, certain adjustments are being made. Our experts are aware of all the updates and know what rules are in force today.

    Our cadastral center in Sochi will help you put your house on the cadastral register as quickly and without delay, we will collect a full package of documents, we will provide support at all stages.

    Our advantages:

    Call or leave a request on the site. We will contact you shortly.

    See also:

    Ask your question to our cadastral engineers!
    Write to us in the chat, through the feedback form or call.

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