If you are new to home staging and are trying to understand what home staging should look like, this article is for you.  There is good home staging, better home staging and best home staging.  There is also bad home staging but that is not covered in this post.

This post will show that:

  1. staging can fit every budget,
  2. there are different levels to staging,
  3. there is a big difference in staging levels, and
  4. accessories are very important to the look.

The goal should always be to make the staged house highly desirable.

In these three photos below, I show the difference between good, better and best levels of home staging. This is a vacant property staging project.  I have provided the images with a lack of colour to help show the differences based on design elements.

The Base Layer

The first image shows furniture alone.  Look at the chair and the console. This is a corner of a room near a window.  You can guess that this is in a living room or bedroom. (Please ignore the rug as I don’t consider it part of the “good” staging effort.)

The Accessory Layer

In the second image, we see a layer of accessories. Here is when the rug, art and a small ottoman are added.  It is better than the first image as it gives some warmth to the space.  It feels more comfortable than the first image but it is missing something.  When we see this better staging, we think it’s a place to relax or have a little chat with someone.  The purpose of this area is beginning to show.  We see it coming to life so to speak.

Finishing Touches

In the third image we see a second layer of accessories.  These items are the ‘icing on the cake’ and this is the best look of the vignette versions.  The toss cushion, table top and floor items add richness and eye candy that cause people to look deeper into this area. It is very clear what function this space gives and makes one think you could have a tea, read a book, enjoy the company of others, entertain, sit in the sun, gaze out the window, put my feet up and be really be quite relaxed and happy.

What the the second layer of accessories also does is solidifies the purpose and adds a level of emotional character.  Interesting texture comes from the patterns, and we notice freshness from the leaves in the art and statue.  Perhaps we think of travel to far away places from the elephant statue maybe?  The natural wood lanterns and legs of the chair give a feel of a far away place.

The whole corner is a rich exotic feeling and a hint to what this property offers to the people who will live there. This is the intention of home staging. We want a large number of potential buyers to make an emotional connection.

What kind of home staging do you choose?

When you have a vacant home to stage, it is a luxury. No doubt about it and there are levels to the investment as you can see here.  What is the impact you want to make?  A good, better, or best staging?  What is your competition looking like?  Short message is, no staging is a non starter folks.  These are the homes that win the new owner.

Good Home Staging

Better Home Staging

Best Home Staging