Staging Your Home for Maximum Appeal

Staging is not a guaranteed higher offer. It is a way to help buyers understand a home, especially when they first see it in listing photos. The useful question is which preparation makes sense for your home and budget.

I’ll cover what the latest National Association of REALTORS® survey says about offers and time on market, the rooms buyers notice most, and the steps you can take before paying for professional staging. The survey records agents’ observations, not a promise about what any one Mississippi home will sell for.

What staging can and cannot promise

In NAR’s 2025 Profile of Home Staging, 83% of buyers’ agents said staging made it easier for buyers to picture a property as their future home. That is a practical benefit: buyers can focus on the space and its use instead of trying to imagine past furniture, clutter, or an awkward layout. (NAR, Profile of Home Staging)

The price findings call for caution. Twenty-nine percent of agents said staging their sellers’ homes resulted in a 1% to 10% increase in the dollar value offered. That is what agents reported seeing, not proof staging alone caused each increase or a promise that every staged home will receive one. (NAR, 2025 staging report release)

Time on market is similar. Forty-nine percent of sellers’ agents said staging reduced the time homes spent on the market. The survey does not say how many days staging saves in a particular Mississippi market or for a particular property. (NAR, 2025 staging report release)

There is another data point from the Real Estate Staging Association. Its Sold Over List Price Club tracked 84 staged-and-sold homes in the first quarter of 2025, which averaged 12 days on market. That is a selected group of member projects, not a comparison with similar unstaged homes, so it is context rather than proof of a typical result. (Journal Star, RESA Q1 2025 report coverage)

These figures can help set priorities, but they cannot tell you what a staging project will return. Look at the property, the likely buyer, the competition, and the cost before deciding how far to go.

Spend your effort on the rooms buyers notice

Buyers’ agents ranked the living room as the most important room to stage, at 37%, followed by the primary bedroom at 34% and the kitchen at 23%. If time or money is limited, that is a sensible order to consider. (NAR, 2025 staging report release)

Agents’ staging practices partly match those priorities. The most commonly staged rooms were the living room, at 91%, the primary bedroom, at 83%, and the dining room, at 69%. Buyers in the survey rated the kitchen as more important than the dining room, so choose work based on the home rather than following a checklist automatically. (NAR, 2025 staging report release)

Start by asking what each room needs to communicate. A living room should show clear paths and enough room to sit. A bedroom should feel calm and usable. A kitchen should look clean and have visible work surfaces. You do not need to buy new furniture or make every room look like a showroom.

NAR also reported that one-third of buyers’ agents said their clients were more likely to schedule a showing after seeing a staged home online. That makes clear, accurate listing photos part of the staging plan, not an afterthought. (NAR REALTOR® News, The Case for Home Staging)

Start with low-cost preparation

Staging does not have to mean renting furniture. The most common preparation recommendations from agents were decluttering, at 91%; cleaning the entire home, at 88%; and improving curb appeal, at 77%. Those are useful first steps because they address what buyers see before you commit to a larger expense. (NAR, 2025 staging report release)

I would work through the home in this order: remove excess items, clean thoroughly, handle visible minor repairs, then review the entry and yard. Put away personal items that pull attention from the room. Keep counters and floors as open as your household can manage. If something is broken, decide whether a repair is worthwhile before photography rather than hoping buyers overlook it.

There is a reason owners can miss details that stand out to buyers. Jessica Lautz of NAR said, “The typical home seller resides in their home for 10 years before selling,” and noted that owners may stop noticing features that could concern visitors. (Mortgage Point, NAR staging report coverage)

Lautz also said, “During that time, homeowners might overlook certain aspects that could be less appealing to potential buyers.” A short outside review can help you see the rooms as a first-time visitor would. (Mortgage Point, NAR staging report coverage)

In the survey, the median cost of a staging service was $1,500, compared with $500 when the seller’s agent handled staging. Those are national medians, not a quote for your home; the actual scope and cost depend on what is needed and who provides the service. (NAR, 2025 staging report release)

Choose the right kind of staging

Professional staging can make sense when a home is vacant, furniture does not fit the rooms, or buyers may struggle to understand how a space works. For an occupied home, editing what is already there may be enough. Ask what the proposed work includes, how long it will remain in place, and whether the cost fits your selling plan.

More than half of sellers’ agents in the NAR survey said they did not stage homes before listing, but usually recommended decluttering instead. That is a reminder that full-service staging is one option, not a requirement for every seller. (Journal Star, NAR staging report coverage)

Virtual staging can help a buyer understand how an empty or awkward room might be used. It changes the image, not the physical home. Use it honestly, and make sure the listing gives buyers an accurate sense of the property as it exists. Do not imply furnishings, finishes, or room features are included if they are not.

RESA’s guidance is direct: “The most successful staging starts with understanding who is buying in that neighborhood and price range, not designing for everyone,” so tailor the work to the likely buyer rather than trying to please everyone. (RESA, News and Articles)

Make a plan before the photographer arrives

Think about staging as preparation for both the showing and the online listing. In NAR’s survey, 88% of sellers’ agents said listing photos were more or much more important to their clients, higher than videos or physical staging. That puts the photo review near the top of the preparation list. (Journal Star, NAR staging report coverage)

Before the photographer arrives, walk through the home as if you have never seen it. Open the front door and notice what draws your eye first. Check whether furniture blocks a walkway, whether each room’s purpose is easy to understand, and whether the main surfaces are clear. Then take a few phone photos. A camera can reveal clutter and cramped arrangements that feel normal when you live with them.

Do not stage around a flaw that needs repair, and do not spend on a room simply because it is on a generic list. Put the most attention into the rooms buyers value, then make the rest of the home clean, orderly, and easy to move through. That is usually a more useful starting point than trying to recreate a television set.

The NAR survey found that 58% of respondents said buyers were disappointed when homes they visited did not look like what they saw on television. The lesson is not to chase an unrealistic standard. Present the home thoughtfully and make sure the online impression matches what buyers will see in person. (NAR, 2025 staging report release)

Frequently asked questions

The takeaway

Before spending on staging, declutter and clean the home, then focus remaining effort on the living room, primary bedroom, and kitchen. Make each room easy to understand, and keep listing photos faithful to the home buyers will actually see.