Depends. Maybe.

Depends on your area. Depends on the local economy. Depends on how many houses are up for sale or rent in your area. Depends on your local schools and available resources .....

a)Check your market -- go to sites like realtor.com or Zillow.com and check the listings for your area code. Inside stats AND outside stats too. Check the photos to see what catches your eye -- and what you would change.

b)Clean, cleaner, cleanest.

c)Clear clutter and start packing. Yes -- be aware of security issues (like stashing bills and paperwork, medicines and very personal photos or personal clues to your or your family's identity)

d)Maintenance issues (inside and outdoors) Make a list, check it twice -- then clean, fix, stash, trash.

e)Make it Pretty. Check the budget -- and be honest -- consider a new bedspread? Maybe new towels? If possible -- add a layer of fresh mulch to the gardens; have a pot of flowers by the front door; add a bowl of fruit on the kitchen counter; some fresh flowers in the dining room. Sometimes the small stuff does matter ....

And yes .... SOMETIMES ... having another person look at your rooms and suggest changes does help! Maybe shift chairs or change the direction of the dining room table .... maybe remove a small rug ... or stash (pack) some (not all!) of the personal stuff ....

I'm suspicious of many studies as they are often slanted to present a particular view so not really valid. Staging has become an industry and is likely a ploy by the home decor industry to increase profits. IMO TV shows on staging are probably staged! One may not recoup costs of extensive staging.

Abraham Lincoln said "You can fool all the people some of the time, and some of the people all the time, but you cannot fool all the people all the time."

A common variation of this quote is: "You can please all the people some of the time, and some of the people all the time, but you cannot please all the people all the time."

IMO staging is something that *may* fool some of the people and I admit I will tend to initially not be as critical of a house that is carefully staged. However anyone who knows what to look for when purchasing a house will see beyond either careful staging or no staging at all.

When we were moving frequently and bought houses frequently we deliberately looked for 'fixers' that needed cosmetic work and were not staged, or sometimes not even cleaned. This was a very good way for us to increase equity and we could clean and reno a house to be very livable in a short time and make a good profit when selling in 2-3 years. So staging for us when purchasing was a negative but when selling was important as we priced according to our costs of reno plus profit and always sold quickly. However, that was in the 80's and 90's when RE was a different game and now it depends much more on the individual market.

I had a short career in real estate and have always been amazed at the lack of prep some people will do when selling. I'm also amazed at what some people buy and often at higher prices than what I would pay.

IMO a clean house that is 'under-decorated' will sell fastest and it's something I need to remember for next time. When I last staged my house for sale I removed at least half of my personal possessions and thought the house was fairly neutral but staged nicely. When I spoke with a realtor who had showed the house to a client she complimented me on my decor and I said I frequented yard sales for much of my decor. When she immediately answered emphatically "I must start yard-saling" I realized my decor was likely distracting from viewing the house and next time I will strip it further. I tend to collect one-of-a-kind items which many people probably find interesting and they may focus too much on the decor. One vase of flowers from my garden will be my decor in the future! LOL

So I guess my opinion on staging is that it depends on many factors but personally I will not spend a lot of money on it.

Maybe we're the odd ones out here, but we were more concerned with living space, furniture placement, storage, the condition of the roof/siding/plumbing/heating/electrical, whether the basement was dry, and school quality and nearby services. All of that trumped whether the walls were papered or purple or whether the house was spotless or not. No first five minute decisions for us.

Our first two homes were architectural gems in the rough that were out of fashion at the time and dowdy & dirty. As much as we loved the homes, we waited for the engineering inspection report before committing. And if we couldn't get houses at the right price, we would have walked away (and did for some houses we were interested in.)

Surely we're not the only ones who look past interior decorating?

Candles & cookies & music? Obvious manipulation -- a real turn off. Wouldn't want to deal with that broker anymore.

"Candles & cookies & music? Obvious manipulation -- a real turn off. Wouldn't want to deal with that broker anymore."

You know, in addition to calling it the alien abduction house, the other feeling I was left with was, "They are trying too hard." It did kind of make me wonder if there was something about the house they were trying to hide, or something like that.

Well, I didn't mean to imply the broker & seller were trying to hide something. I just don't like anyone playing on my emotions. Especially when it comes to making big financial decisions. Definitely need to be rational there!

I just came back from looking at a small condo:
Original 80s appliances, laminate cabinets with oak edge, ditto the laminate counters.
Dirty wall-to-wall carpet, but the bedroom was "staged":
two wine glasses, a bottle of red wine, and RED ROSE PETALS.
And the kicker: A see-through negligee in the closet!

This post was edited by nosoccermom on Wed, Feb 5, 14 at 1:14

I am speechless. But this is a good topic - thinking of selling in the next 3-12 months. I cant' believe we are going to go through this again!

nosoccermom,
That is pathetic and sad.

Having gone through the sale and purchase process last year, here are my insights.

We had an updated, lovely decorated house that we had been in for 16 years. I moved between 50 and 60 boxes and containers of goods to my in-law's basement. My basement was empty except for cleaning supplies and shelving units. Did this because we had the basement painted, and it was just the easiest way. That made a difference. Because it showed that there was tons of storage in the basement. Then we had a single garage full of furniture that we removed from the rooms. So each room had minimal amount of furniture in it.
Was this cleaning and decluttering? Or staging? We did the usual minor repairs, and sold in about a month in price range that the realtor agent tour predicted.

OTOH, the house we bought, they probably did some things, but it didn't look like they had done much. It was clean, but that's about it.

There was so much clutter in the home that we actually didn't realize there were built in storage units in the basement until after we closed. The PO had so much in there you couldn't see them. That house had been on the market for several months, and we got a good price on it.

I don't think they had any funds available to make any changes, but they could have removed and updated a lot for no $ and possibly sold faster. Since so much needed to be replaced, due to things being original and just worn out, I am not sure if they would have sold for a higher price if they had decluttered. But someone may have paid more if they didn't have to remove those mauve vertical blinds.

I wish I had taken a picture , but I was laughing so hard....

Nosoccermom.

I think what they did may be an effective strategy, because there is nothing about the unit, it sounds like, that would cause you to remember it in any other way---and now maybe hundreds of people have seen it. So like a Katy Perry song, it's obnoxious, but you sure remember it.

Great point Ineffablespace. Maybe that is staging at its purest.

And thanks to you I now have KP running through my head. oh-oh-oh OH oh, oh-oh-oh OH

I went to a "staged" house right down to the dining rm table set. I thought it was silly. I was also in one early 1800 house that was full of primitive antiques and I found myself paying more attention to the antiques than the structure. The 3 homes we have bought over the years have all been bought for "location".

Did I understand correctly? The purple room is the staged one? Really? It looks like a stage set, not a staged home. It seems to have been designed for a Sunday-supplement photo shoot, not a home resale.

I thought staging meant neutral but nice, not dramatic and intensely personal. That room looks like a first-year design project, NOT a professional staging job.

In the examples shown, I would say the neutrals of the second picture would outweigh the better furniture placement of the second. Our moves have always been relocations, so we have never had the luxury of doing all the decorating and remodeling before we move in. When I buy a home, I take into consideration the fact that I will need to live with colors for awhile before everything is redone.

Maybe it really gets down to the definition of "staging." And the quality of the decorator doing it.

Which makes me doubt the quality of the study.

I think most home buyers are lazy and want to move in with no effort. And the younger they are the more likely they are to want that pottery barn lifestyle look. So some staging of furniture is useful if it makes potential buyers dream of themselves looking cute and having fun in a house that is decorated in a way they like but cannot figure out how to duplicate or personalize.

Every buyer of our homes has wanted to purchase our furniture, at least one room of it, and one buyer wanted all of it. We did not put away pictures or portraits, nor personal items, but cleaned really well and I put more flowers about than was usual. I did write on a place card "from the rose garden in tha backyard" or "from the side flower bed" and propped it up against the vase when I had especially nice arrangements from my own garden. People really loved that. We sold all of our houses within a few weeks, one in a single day.

I think people's reasons to move, buyers motivations to sell and personal tastes are so diverse that it would be difficult if not impossible to quantify the effect of staging on price--- especially when the staging is so poorly conceived. And as someone pointed out, even if the purchase price is unaffected (IMO not proved here because of the flawed methodology of the study), if there is a mortgage there's a definite financial advantage to selling quicker.

The purple room is the one with "ugly purple walls and mismatched furniture," i.e. the non-staged room.

Professional stagers can get carried away to the point the home doesn't look lived in. Glasses on a tray on a bed, an open bottle of wine on the counter w/2 glasses posed close by, a glass of milk/ with a cupcake~I don't care for food or drinks used in a display setting, unless it's a simple bowl of fruit.

A throw over an arm/corner of a sofa or chair, and pillows nicely placed, with a few useful tchotchkes is all that's needed, and fresh flowers, anywhere. No need to go over the top.

The post about the old HGTV shows on staging--if you watched and listened you ALWAYS heard the lowering of the price was what SOLD the house!! I believe maintenance makes a difference to buyers. The rest is location and PRICE, PRICE PRICE!! We looked at a home once upon a time. It had a floor to ceiling pile of laundry in the basement, it had a CRAZY woman in a bathrobe and towel on her head wandering about. We decided against it due to the lot size and the messy divorce it was being held captive in. It is a realtors job to get a buyer PAST the crap that will go with the seller!! I think staging is about leaving a lasting impression so when a buyer who is shopping multiple listings thinks back on their day your house STANDS OUT. Thus the cookie smell. Odors are HUGE memory joggers. Somebody attempted to create a new industry "house staging". They make for fun watching.

If staging means decluttering and cleaning and de-personalizing, minimizing furnishings and uncovering windows, I don't see how it can't pay off as it costs nothing. If nothing else, a clean, neat room says this house has been cared for.

But leaving furniture, as opposed to vacant, tells buyers how it can be used and gives them a sense of size of the room. Mother had a small house she rented and it was definitely much harder to rent when it was empty than when it had a bed and a sofa in it to show the size of the room....people would walk in and say, "I can't even fit a bed in here!" They had to see it....they couldn't imagine it. So you have to spell it out for them.

And when I had my old house on the market, I had a little scented plug in that emitted a cinnamon scent. It made the house smell nice...I certainly enjoyed it when I walked in and presume the buyers did as well. It made the house feel more occupied.

There is good staging and poor staging. I think if it is done right it does help. I guess it also depends on your definition. There is hardly any way to figure if it does make a true difference since there are so many variables to consider.

I have staged a couple of homes that sat on the market for a very long time. Then, once staged they got an offer in a week (both of them). Could it be coincidence? Who can know for sure. I do think putting lipstick on a pig will not sell a house. There is always the inspection. So, again there are so many variables.

Here is just an example of a before and after I staged. I do think it helps, certainly does not hurt.

and after...

I was waiting for you to check in on this akt...I know you've done some really nice work with staging.

This post was edited by AnnieDeighnaugh on Wed, Feb 5, 14 at 8:30

Well I'm going to have to sit down w/ a cuppa joe and thoroughly read this! Thanks for posting it.

Nosoccermom, was the condo in a location for the boss' afternoon quickies? Or were they appealing to first-time singles?

We bought our house when it was totally empty. Nothing was "hidden" and I could see the space for what it is. I prefer it that way but I am most likely in the minority.

Yes, ATK, you did a wonderful job with a horrible room (I can say that since it is not anyone's room). But it is still plain as day that it is a low dark room with chintzy moldings and outdated windows. I don't think people miss that.

Someone above make a great point. On those HGTV shows, a lot goes unsold until a price reduction. And the realtors at the open house often talk of over improving.

Actually, that "horrible room" was somebody's room and home. It was at the time and then someone bought it and proudly made it their new home.

Of course, which is why one would never say it about someone's home.

But are you saying that horrible rooms/houses do not exist simply because someone once called them "home", even proudly. That's a little silly.

No. You said you could say it was a horrible room because it "wasn't anyone's room" and "one would never say it about someone's home" -- but it is and you did.

My goodness. Put aside the Clintonian parsing.

I think my meaning is clear, but in case it was not, I will restate it.

There are horrible houses and horrible rooms. I think the before, on which AKT did a great job, is a horrible room.

If that room were owned or inhabited by someone I knew personally, or someone on this forum, I would certainly not pronounce it a horrible room. Why would I?

To suggest that one cannot ever pronounce ANY dwelling horrible or ugly or whatever, because someone once inhabited it, is silly PC nonsense. And rather off track for the thread.

It is apparently commonly accepted for people to go on national TV and make fun of other's homes when house hunting (obnoxious, I say) but on an anonymous decor forum, this is a faux pas? Well then please allow me to apologize!

Dear homeowner of the room horribulus: I hope you did not overpay for your dwelling simply because ATK made it look so nice. I hope you can make it the home you want, if not today, over time, and whatever that may be.
Humbly,
Kitsch

Just an FYI, the people who bought the lake house I staged did not pay over asking and they did not like the curtains at all. They were an older couple and loved it just the way it was. There is something for everyone.

And btw, I am not agreeing or disagreeing with anyone.

That room looks wonderful in comparison, Aktillery. Hard to believe getting the crud out and making it nice had no effect.

Overall, though, I think Annie has it, and all those who said the same thing. Before the term "staging" came along and developed into increasingly elaborate ways to spend some of the vast sum of money expected to soon be in hand, sellers of course cleaned, painted, decluttered, made the house "look nice," and then tidied scrupulously before heading for work each day. That's not staging. It's just "getting the house ready for sale," and most people understood that failing to do it could end up costing the seller big.

I was an appraiser before "staging" came in, so I can't evaluate the effect. I am nevertheless as sure as I can be that the major return comes from readying for sale, that a modest well done staging might help problem rooms by answering questions about their potential, and that very little, if anything, is gained from the kind of big bucks shelled out for the elaborate redos some of those TV shows are doing.

Annie is right on, though, that leaving a key piece of furniture or two to help people understand scale and excite possibilities can be extremely worthwhile. A lot of people lack the visualization gene, and a bed showing that a room can hold both a queen or king and dresser, no problem, will replace doubt with satisfaction and sparking of ideas. Will the kitchen hold a table and chairs for 4? Leave a set there to show it can. Very important.

Where any other big returns come from--once the house is clean!--now as back then is going to be in remedying functional depreciation, i.e., well thought out and needed remodeling to fix a problem. Moving a door and adding windows so that a plain, oddly placed "what's THIS supposed to be?" room becomes a charming sunroom opening to the back patio, or moving a bathroom door from the living room to a newly created hallway, can have an excellent return on investment or change a house that would take several months and price drops to sell into a successful sale. Staging doesn't get the credit though. Staging, of course, would be nailing down the sunroom idea by setting a fern on a plant stand.

Hmmm. Cleaning and decluttering a home for sale may not always be enough if one is hoping to provide maximum appeal.. Some people do not have a good eye for what changes may improve the aesthetics or flow etc., or can get stuck emotionally with their own possessions, taste and vision. I staged a number of homes over a few years mostly for people I knew who were not getting offers. In every case but one where the owner decided to not sell, the homes all sold within days or weeks of 'staging". Frankly, I have no doubt the changes were helpful as the comments left after showings improved. I am turned off by what I perceive to be efforts to manipulate buyers discussed above such as the fake dining table set-ups, and yikes the negligee in the closet! My efforts involved no financial outlay that I recall but focused on furniture and accessory placement or elimination to improve the look and flow, creating balance, and editing, editing, editing. Note that you can have a clean and decluttered space, but still not have a room that has a good feel; sometimes it just takes someone else with strengths in this area (and no emotional attachments) to create an improved aesthetic that leaves a better feel for prospective buyers.

Well said peegee!

This is a very interesting thread. I was going to say I'd love to see more before and afters (and still would) but then remembered where I am:)

There's something a little sad about staging your space when you are leaving (meaning, you could have done this years ago and reaped the rewards) vs. when you stage (and improve) the space you plan to stay in. I know, life gets busy and the days are full and before you know it....

Words of advice from my wonderful MIL #1 (I have two, I am so very lucky) - when you buy a home, add in the costs of (Kitchen) renovations so that you get them done up front. (Didn't follow this advice with DH#1 but think often of how true it is!).

The last house I sold was on the market for several months. I painted the brick fireplace off-white. It sold within a week. Not sure it had anything to do with the paint or the interest rate dropping to an all-time low, but my realtor told me I should have no problem selling. His words of advice were just to keep it as clean and uncluttered, as if the sorority sister I most envied was coming to visit me for the first time since college. I always did that while it was on the market, but either the coat of paint or interest rate happened and made it sell tout suite.

Here's a nice staging example where it makes the room feel larger.

One thing you're trying to accomplish with staging is to make the house seem like there's little or no work to be done once you move in.

There's a house up the road that is a contemporary that was built in the 80s. The agent is also a stager and she had the home owners repaint the whole house interior stark white. Would not have been my choice, but they left the master bath as it was with the awful pink tile. I can see why she insisted they paint...she said the entire house was done in pink and gray. IAC, the house is clean and neat and move-in ready. But no amount of staging is going to change the fact that the master bedroom is open, like a loft to the living room below and the layout includes many little steps to get from here to there. Despite the fact that the house is priced significantly less than other homes in the area, due to its design, it is still sitting on the market.

I think it can be really hard to determine from anecdotal evidence.

My first place (condo in a high rise) was sold mid-crash; it was nicely upgraded and staged, and priced right, so I was able to get it off my hands while its neighbors languished on the market. There, I really do think that the upgrades and staging helped get it sold sooner, though I don't think the purchase price was affected much.

I'm under contract to sell my current house. To prep, I had a lot of extra stuff moved out to make the storage spaces feel bigger (it's an old house and storage is key!), I had a painter refresh the main rooms, and I asked the interior designer I work with to stage it (she used Homegoods and the like and didn't spend all that much); we switched a couple of rooms out and changed a small den into a bedroom. The pictures looked awesome and it showed really, really well. (I can say that cause I didn't design it, haha!)

The house also in a very desirable location and inventory is really low right now -- so when good properties come up, they tend to go fast. House had appreciated significantly but we tried to price it appropriately and not too high.

I was under contract the same day it hit the MLS (multiple offers from the prelisting/showing alone).

Some people said: of course your place sold right away! It looked gorgeous and so the buyers lined up.

Others said: you probably didn't have to spend all that money staging -- it's all about the location and you could've sold it as is.

Who knows the answer? Maybe it just makes me feel better to do some staging -- it's one of the few things you can control!

Also, I agree with others that bad over-staging is a major turnoff!

Words of advice from my wonderful MIL #1 (I have two, I am so very lucky) - when you buy a home, add in the costs of (Kitchen) renovations so that you get them done up front.

We bought our current condo last August and did exactly this. When we were figuring the finances, including what we'd have to sell it for in 5-7 years to make it "work", we included the remodeling budget up front. We are very close to "target", certainly not over by more than 10%, so if the market is good when we're ready to sell (as it has been for a couple of years in SF - driven by all the "young money"), we'll be looking good, and in the meantime, we have a place we love and that makes so much more sense than it did when we purchased it.

I'm getting ready to put my house on the market in a couple of months, and I see staging as a way to make my house stand out more in a competitive market. I don't think it will increase the price I get on the house, but I do think it will help the house sell faster. Anyway, I've talked to a professional "stager" about doing a consultation for $150, which will involve going through my house and giving me advice on decluttering, paint colors and placement of things I already own (I'm painting the interior, I just think fresh, neutral paint makes the house look so much better, and some of the rooms haven't been painted in 10 years). I think it will be well worth the money. Of course, you can spend much more, and go so far as to rent furniture and artwork, and at that point, I doubt that it's worth the money. I should point out that I'm terrible at decorating and picking out colors, others might not need that kind of help.

But getting the house as clean as possible and making sure all the needed repairs are done is just common sense, not staging.

One thing to do and worth every cent is to have your windows cleaned inside and out. I paid around 100 or 150 and these guys came and it was a dramatic change once it was done.

TIP: all they used was dawn dishwashing soap, water and a squeegee. For the tough outside dirt they used a soft brillo pad of some sort.

I was sitting in a room on the phone and saw them come up and clean the outside. Then poof! the light just shined in through the window and made that dark room look ten times brighter.

Hope this helps!

In my area, it's about 15.00/window, so a considerable cost for the average house.

Wow Nosoccermom! That is not cheap. I guess in Texas things cost a bit less.

Time is money and anything that can help a house move faster is worth it IMO.

All the talk about Pottery Barn made me smile. Years ago friends had a vacation cottage that was flooded and everything inside was destroyed. After the home was repaired they sat down with a PB catalog and ordered everything to completely refurnish the entire home top to bottom. Sitting at their table was like being in a catalog page.

interesting thread!

esp since we will be selling in the not too distant future...
i am working hard on decluttering this time-- something i haven't had the ability to do with previous sales--- it is amazing how much stuff i have removed and still lots of stuff... i guess since i've been in this house longer than previous homes.

i think 'staging' is hit or miss--- just like model homes i've been in-- i like some ID's taste and don't like some other's.
the curtains in the above photo do absolutely nothing for me and would come down immediately- others may find them to be a nice improvement...
in our youth, before we were more established, the curtains and the decorating would have had more of an influence on whether i wanted the house or not since the time and money i had to put into it meant more to me then...
we have previously bought new construction, but this time around we did not--- i looked at general condition and the age of the homes-- the layout and how much work would need to be done to have it made to our liking. the specific location was much more impt to me this time around- i was very interested in 'walkability' this time...
a nicely 'staged' home, which is decluttered and clean, 'tastefully' and neutrally decorated will no doubt sell on average more quickly than an equally constructed home in an equally appealing area that's a mess...and probably for (alittle?) more than a lovely house that's a mess...

but, whether the walls are gray or purple, whether there are curtains or not, whether the tv is over the fireplace or not, and certainly whether there are wine glasses and rose petals matters most with the young and/or less experienced, or very financially stretched groups i would guess...

Just saw an $8000+ stage job get a price reduction and just saw a vacant house sell for $175k over asking

i posted a reply before I realized I'd already replied over a year ago :-)

Actually, I'm glad the subject popped up again. We helped our DS & DDIL shop for a house last fall, and it was interesting to read the various viewpoints vis a vis our recent experience. We ended up buying an unstaged home -- knick-knick filled & dirty. Price, size, general soundness, & location were the factors. The decor we can fix (that's the fun part anyway).

When we were looking for homes the most important criteria was cleanliness and a well maintained home and yard. I did not want to see toys everywhere, laundry, or an unkempt kitchen. I could have cared less about furniture or green walls, my least favorite color.

"I don't think that article says there is no benefit to staging. It says there is no price benefit, but at least mentions the possibility that the staged home may sell more quickly."

In my experience the sales price drops if a house does not sell quickly. The longer it stays on the market, the lower the price sinks. Buyers can see how long a house has lingered... they know that they can make lowball offers to desperate owners.

You' all made many great POINTS about the most fundamental 'dos and don'ts' of effective purchasing in preparation for resale, whilst NOT going overboard on grandiose, 'theatrics.' I spent a decade+ in 'the trades' (General Contracting, three businesses) after being an architectural, etc. drafter... and have worked on MANY a mid- priced to higher end residence, and delt with numerous home owners and realtors... and while I AGREE that home staging clearly (on average) results in a quicker sale (perhaps 2- 4 weeks faster?) needed architectural 'fixes,' and recoatings, etc. are often the smartest place to 'invest' in semi- permanent 'staging...' vs. (paying for) rented decorum, in an empty space. (i.e. Savvy 'light' remodeling DOES indeed 'add valuation,' so long as one doesn't 'go overboard...' and the space truly NEEDED IT (before it was remodeled) for REAL 'added value?' There is no consistent 'formula' to increase 'resaleabilty,' per se'. However REPAINTING (along with general cleanliness, minimalism and orderliness) generally adds the most overall 'value,' so always start THERE! Many realtors don't EMPHASIZE this point, as they want your BUSINESS. ;-) Always hire a GOOD painter (and perhaps, even a colorist?) before a 'decorator,' on the WAY OUT... And don't 'buy into' the 'white on white' perspective, when the majority want what's currently POPULAR. (Not to pay another painter to 'cover up' the new, 'off' WHITE!)

As many mentioned, it's as much about price, location, duration of time on the market, choice of RE (marketing) company and realtor, and the TIMING (right buyer, right place, right time) and of course whether it's a 'starter home,' or an 'empty nester,' luxe abode? As someone pointed out above... a 'seasoned' or affluent buyer cares little about whether or not a king sized bed and ensemble FITS in the (oversized) master bedroom. They tend to care if the in- suite bath has a separate 'water closet,' sunken jacuzzi and larger walk- in shower, stylish dual vanity sinks, etc. Furnishings to wall art are afterall to be 'restaged,' at a later date... So 'for the money' (i.e. post 'curb appeal' landscaping, recent appliances, lighting, recoatings, new/er floors, a clean interior/ exterior and windows, etc.) don't put to much EMPHASIS on (non permanent) decorum... but rather on making the place look as NEW, 'up to date' and CLEAN as possible! If the market is UP and there's minimal 'competition,' then staging becomes far LESS important. And if it's a TIGHT market, etc., then make the place even more of a STANDOUT, for a faster (perhaps even, much faster?) sale!

And a friendly word of ADVICE: Use common sense and SELL SOON (and don't buy again, til AFTER the coming 'correction') vs. being 'upside down' in this overpriced North American, European, etc. marketplace. Or alternately, remain 'content' where you currently reside (2015/16+) for the forseeable future??? And no... I'm no longer 'in the business' of: designing, building, or remodeling homes, etc. And at times, I really MISS IT...