What Is Home Staging and Does It Really Work?

Home staging is the process of furnishing and styling a property to make it more appealing to buyers or tenants. In competitive markets like London, home staging often helps properties sell faster, attract more viewings, and create stronger first impressions both online and in person.

Home staging means preparing your home for a potential buyer. It can involve redecorating, rearranging furniture, cleaning and accessorising to present the property in the best possible light. You may choose to do this yourself, but if you are based abroad, or your property is empty of furniture, then professional help from an interior designer or home staging company is essential. It’s also money well spent when home staging your property for maximum appeal.

Home staging involves carefully selecting furniture, artwork, lighting, and accessories to highlight a property’s best features. The goal is not to reflect personal taste, but to appeal to the widest possible audience.

By showing scale, layout, and lifestyle potential, home staging helps buyers understand how a space can be lived in — something many people struggle to visualise in empty or poorly presented properties.

Why First Impressions Matter in Property Sales

Most buyers form an opinion about a property within seconds. Online listings, photography, and the feeling when they walk through the door all play a role in decision-making.

A professionally staged home:

• Photographs better for online listings
• Feels brighter and more spacious
• Creates emotional connection
• Helps buyers imagine themselves living there

These emotional responses often influence how quickly a property sells.

When you are working with a staging company such as Cullum Design, people won’t even know that the furniture is rental and purely for staging. The rooms will feel spacious and well-designed. People looking around will feel comfortable and a natural feeling of being at home. This is the magic of dressing. It’s creating an energy and an atmosphere that makes people connect to a space. It’s this connection that then results in successfully selling your property.

There are therefore 2 aspects to property staging.

Firstly, where there is furniture already in place. Then we’d recommend decluttering, depersonalising with neutral colors, and enhancing curb appeal to make a property more attractive to buyers. For this it’s worth asking Cullum Design for one of our interior stylists or decluttering stylists to come and help you get your property photographer ready.

Secondly, it is empty of furniture, either because it’s been a rental, or because it’s a development. This is where professional assistance to help stage your property is essential. Cullum Design has a large collection of furniture and our stylists will make your property look amazing for photography and viewings.

Does Home Staging Really Help Properties Sell Faster?

While every property is different, professionally staged homes often:

• Receive more online interest
• Attract more viewings
• Spend less time on the market

In markets where buyers have plenty of choice, staging can be the difference between a property being overlooked or shortlisted.

---

Either way, presentation is key in order to help you get a maximum return on your property, especially in a world where online content – both on the platforms or social media, is essential.

Essential staging tips

• Declutter and depersonalise: Remove personal items and excess furniture to make spaces look larger and allow buyers to envision themselves in the home.
• Create a neutral canvas: Paint walls in neutral colours and use furnishings and decor to add pops of colour.
• Boost curb appeal: Ensure the exterior is well-maintained with fresh paint, a new doormat, and tidy landscaping to make a strong first impression.
• Maximise natural light: Open curtains and blinds to let in as much natural light as possible, which makes rooms feel more inviting and spacious.
• Arrange furniture for flow: Place furniture to create a natural flow through each room, avoiding blocking pathways and ensuring each space has a clear purpose.
• Highlight features: Use strategic furniture placement and decor to draw attention to your home’s best features, such as a fireplace or unique architectural elements.
• Focus on key areas: Pay extra attention to high-impact areas like the kitchen, bathrooms, and main living spaces.
• Add finishing touches: Incorporate fresh greenery, new plants, and consider small details like updated hardware and fixing leaky faucets.
• Don’t forget the exterior: Clean windows, clear walkways, and add fresh plants or seasonal decor to the front of the house. 

Focusing on details like a deep clean, fresh greenery, and updating hardware can also help a home sell faster and for a higher price. If you are unsure as to where to start, again, one of our stylists can come and help you with a consultation that focuses on home staging your property efficiently.

Benefits of home staging

• Faster sales: Staging can help a property sell significantly faster than a non-staged home.
• Higher offers: Studies show staged homes can achieve higher offers, with some reports indicating a potential increase of 8% or more.
• Increased buyer appeal: It helps potential buyers visualise the home as their own, increasing emotional connection and desirability. 

What are the benefits and what’s the best way to go about it?

Creating beautiful interiors makes it easier for someone to buy into a lifestyle. Not only can a well-presented space draw buyers and tenants in from the moment they begin their online search – and the importance of good photography and an agent who is online savvy is another topic – but it also makes it easier to gauge a property’s size and proportions. Did you know furniture makes rooms feel bigger? Understanding this is a key part of what property staging involves.

Top tips for a successful staging
1 Keep furniture and accessories in line with the property’s style, location and, ultimately, the lifestyle it offers but also think about incorporating statement pieces such as a glamorous headboard, some artwork or a feature wall to help your home stand out.
2 Accentuate the positive. You can have some fun here. For example, if I were staging a home with a cinema or TV room, I’d add some gourmet popcorn, some cozy throws and perhaps a bar cart to really emphasize the theme.
3 Target multiple senses. While a viewing is obviously about what you see, it’s also about the experience. Candles and room diffusers create muscle memory and can be a great way to keep your property front of mind. So if you’re dressing for the winter months, for example, incorporate earthy tones and fireside scents. When it’s warmer, light floral scents and natural fabrics, like cotton and linen work well.
4 Dress your property for the buyer’s or tenant’s needs. For example, if you have four or more bedrooms consider staging one as a study or office. If not, could your landing accommodate a desk? This can really pay off as having a dedicated work from home space remains in demand.
5 Including branded goods such as luxury soaps and accessories can be appealing. But there’s no need to go overboard or pay a fortune. Pitch them at the right level and position subtly. Here, less can be more and it’s about matching or complementing a lifestyle, rather than the brand names themselves.
6 You don’t need to do the whole house. Focus on the ‘decision maker’ rooms such as the entrance hall and the rooms in which people spend the majority of their time.
7 If you are opting to have your property professionally dressed, you can do this for a fixed period and, again, just concentrate on key rooms which is a great option when considering home staging for those looking for a short-term, but effective solution.

Property staging — the process by which spaces are prepared, furnished and decorated for sale or rent — is becoming increasingly widely used in the UK. Thanks also to programs such as Selling Sunset, the benefits of staging are clearly discussed and in the US or Australia, rarely will a property go to the open market empty of furniture. Staging, for the most part, is designed to be invisible. Spaces should feel authentic, as natural as possible. Working with professional stagers like Cullum Design will make sure that the staging fits the property. A heritage townhouse in Kensington may require a different approach than a new build in a development. This is where the design and styling aspect comes in – it’s not just about the rental furniture, it’s putting the whole look together through home staging your property effectively to truly showcase what property staging can achieve.

Why are homes staged?
Costs can vary wildly, but according to the UK’s Home Staging Association, staging might cost between one and three percent of a home’s asking price, and, on average, boosts the offer value by between four and six percent.

Some properties, though, might see a value increase of up to 15 percent. The Home Staging Association’s 2023 report also suggests that staging increases the number of viewings and that staged properties can sell twice as fast compared to unstaged ones. This illustrates a crucial aspect of understanding what property staging offers for sellers and landlords alike.

What is home staging?
Home staging is the process of furnishing and styling a property to make it more appealing to buyers or tenants.

---

Does home staging really work?
Home staging often helps properties attract more interest, photograph better, and sell faster, particularly in competitive markets.

---

Is home staging worth the cost?
For many sellers, home staging is worthwhile because it improves presentation, reduces time on the market, and increases buyer engagement.

---

What is the difference between home staging and interior design?
Home staging prepares a property for sale or rent, while interior design focuses on how someone lives in a home long-term.

Take a look at our recent property staging projects HERE.

Natalie has written articles on home staging for agents and magazines. Take a look at the article for Horton and Garton,