Is it Worth it to Pay for Professional Staging?

Selling a home is expensive. Between real estate commission, legal fees, and moving costs, the average homeowner in BC will pay $20,000 – $50,000 to sell their property. So it’s understandable to balk at paying more for professional staging. But there’s good reason to believe it’s worth it.

While you might assume that buyers can imagine their own furniture and decor in any potential home, the evidence indicates that proper staging can dramatically increase their interest. A good stager understands current trends in decor and can create an atmosphere reminiscent of images from print and social media that have already resonated, even subconsciously, with the buyer. The stager also has access to a variety of decorative items that will highlight the best aspects of your home while minimizing distraction.

A 2023 report by the National Association of Realtors estimated that professional staging increased the average sale price of a property by 6-10%, while a 2014 report by the Real Estate Staging Association estimated that staged homes sold 72% faster than unstaged homes. If the average BC home sells for $1M, a 5% increase due to staging puts an extra $50,000 in your pocket! The cost of staging is typically far less — anywhere from $250 for a few hours of consultation, cleanup, and decoration to $3,000-5,000 to rent and stage furniture and decor for a month or more.

Whatever your budget and needs, statistics show that professional staging is great bang for your buck, with an ROI (return on investment) that can exceed a factor of 10x in some cases.