As you prepare to sell your home, you might debate whether to hire a stager who can make it look on-trend and ultra-appealing for prospective buyers.

Advocates say an effective stager can make a huge difference in how customers perceive your home, since they know all the tricks for arranging, curating and/or adding to your décor for optimal aesthetics.

But skeptics say the cost (a national average of $1,000 and $3,000, reports Fixr) can be unnecessary. Sometimes, rearranging furnishings calls attention to flaws in the home. And living with borrowed, rearranged or missing furnishings (while waiting for a sale) can be inconvenient.

What do the facts say?

• In the NAR’s 2021 Profile of Home Staging, more than a quarter of buyers said they’re willing to overlook property faults in staged homes. Most important were living rooms (46%), master bedrooms (43%) and kitchens (35%). Among buyers’ agents, 82% agreed staging helps clients visualize a property as their own.
• A survey by the International Association of Home Staging Professionals determined staging can help sell a property three to 30 times faster, while helping boost sale prices by up to 20%. Those who didn’t stage saw price reductions 5 to 20% higher than projected staging costs.
• The Real Estate Staging Association found that after investing an average 1% of their asking prices into staging, 75% of sellers sold at 5 to 15% more than asking prices.

“Homes may be selling faster, but the right style can help earn the highest ROI,” notes stager Patti Stern on NAR.com.​​​​​​​

Looking for the best bang for your buck when buying a house this year? A 2021-2022 NAR study evaluated 179 U.S. markets based on factors like home affordability, job growth, migration gains and housing supply, and identified these offering optimal value to buyers.

1. Atlanta/Sandy Springs/Marietta, GA. The median home price is $371,200, and tech firms boost the job market.
2. Raleigh, NC. Median price is $460,500 and inventory in this tech hub is up 188%
3. Dallas-Fort Worth-Arlington, TX. Median price is $390,100, with active home listings tripling and job growth nearly doubling national averages.
4. Fayetteville/Springdale/Rogers/Arkansas, MO. Median price: $328,400. Three Fortune 500 firms create jobs, and population growth is a brisk 2%.
5. Greenville-Anderson-Mauldin, SC. Median price: $335,400. Strong inventory and tech job growth.
6. Charleston/North Charleston, SC. Median price: $416,800. Migration and job growth nearly double national averages.
7. Huntsville, AL. Median price is $327,500. Growing job opportunities and low cost of living.
8. Jacksonville, FL. Median price is $398,000 in this migration hotspot.

1. Wash windows
2. Plant flowers in beds or movable pots
3. Lay fresh mulch
4. Repaint your front door
5. Power wash sidewalks, driveways and/or siding
6. Clear rain gutters
7. Rake up yard refuse
8. Get rid of pet odors
9. Update patio décor