How Much Does It Cost to Stage a House in Palm Beach County? Cost, ROI and What to Stage First

How much does it cost to stage a house? National estimates put the average at about $1,849, and most homeowners pay between about $832 and $2,922, according to Chase, citing HomeAdvisor data. Those are national figures, so a stager in Boca Raton or Jupiter may quote more or less. This guide covers what each type of staging costs and what the National Association of Realtors found in its 2025 staging report. It also shows Palm Beach County sellers where to spend first.

Key takeaways

• National estimates average about $1,849, and most sellers pay about $832 to $2,922. We could not find solid South Florida cost data, so get local quotes.
• A consultation runs about $150 to $500. Staging an occupied home runs about $800 to $2,500 or more, and a vacant home about $2,000 to $3,000 or more for the first month.
• Virtual staging can cost as little as about $35 per room, but the photos need a clear label on the MLS.
• In NAR's 2025 report, 29% of sellers' agents said staging raised offers by 1% to 10%, and 49% said it cut time on market.
• Declutter, clean and fix the curb first. Then stage the living room, the primary bedroom and the kitchen.

How much does it cost to stage a house?

The price depends on two things. First, do you still live in the home? Second, how many rooms does the stager need to furnish? A vacant house costs the most because the stager brings in every piece. On the other hand, an occupied condo with good furniture may need only a consultation and a few accent pieces.

Here are the national ranges from Chase and Bankrate:

• A consultation runs about $150 to $500 according to Chase, or $150 to $600 according to Bankrate. The stager walks through the home and leaves you a to-do list, and then you do the work.
• Staging an occupied home costs about $800 to $2,500 or more. The stager moves what you own around and fills gaps with rented pieces.
• Staging a vacant home costs about $2,000 to $3,000 or more for the first month. Furniture rental alone runs about $500 to $600 per room per month, per Bankrate.
• Virtual staging can cost as little as about $35 per room. Bankrate puts that at roughly a tenth of the cost of physical staging.
• Luxury homes often cost 1% to 1.25% of the list price to stage, Bankrate reports.

Monthly rent is where vacant staging adds up. For example, five furnished rooms at Bankrate's $500 to $600 per room comes to $2,500 to $3,000 a month in rental alone. If the home sits for a second or third month, the bill keeps going. So ask every stager how they bill after the first month, and get it in writing before you sign.

What the NAR 2025 staging report found

The National Association of Realtors released its 2025 Profile of Home Staging in May 2025. It asks agents what they saw in their own deals. So treat the results as agent views, not a price promise.

• 83% of buyers' agents said staging made it easier for buyers to picture the home as their future home.
• 29% of sellers' agents said staging raised offers by 1% to 10%.
• 17% of buyers' agents said staging raised offers by 1% to 5% compared with similar homes that had no staging.
• 49% of sellers' agents said staging cut time on market. Of the total, 30% said it helped slightly and 19% said it helped greatly.
• About one-third of buyers' agents said staged homes got more in-person visits from buyers who first saw them online.

Read those numbers with care. Fewer than a third of sellers' agents saw a bump in offers, and the top of that range is not typical. Still, on a $600,000 home, even a 1% lift is $6,000. That would cover the median staging spend several times over.

The same report found a median spend of $1,500 when sellers used a staging service. When the listing agent did the staging, the median was $500. Also, 21% of sellers' agents stage all of their listings, while 10% stage only homes that are hard to sell.

Before you stage: declutter, clean and fix the curb

Staging works best on a home that is already clean and clear. In the NAR report, agents' top advice before listing was to declutter (91%), clean the whole home (88%) and improve curb appeal (77%). None of these cost much, and you can do most of them yourself.

• Pack away about half of what sits on counters, shelves and tables. Clear the fridge door and the bathroom vanity too.
• Put away family photos and personal items, so buyers can picture their own things in the space.
• Deep clean grout, windows, ceiling fans and baseboards. In our humid climate, also check for mildew in showers and around AC vents.
• Pressure wash the driveway, walk and pool deck. Trim hedges back from windows, add fresh mulch to the beds, and make sure the front door looks sharp.

Don't sink money into big projects first. Our list of things not to fix when selling your house covers the repairs that rarely pay you back. Once the basics are done, staging can do its job.

Which rooms to stage first

If your budget is tight, stage the rooms buyers care about most. NAR asked buyers' agents which rooms matter. The living room came first at 37%, then the primary bedroom at 34% and the kitchen at 23%. Agents also stage those rooms most: the living room 91% of the time, the primary bedroom 83%, the dining room 69% and the kitchen 68%.

Start with the living room. Pull the sofa off the wall, add a rug that fits the seating area, and open every blind. Next, set up the primary bedroom with crisp white bedding, matching lamps and bare nightstands. In the kitchen, clear the counters down to one or two items, like a bowl of lemons or a cutting board. Finally, if money is left, set the dining table and put a couple of chairs and plants on the patio.

Light matters in all of these rooms. So swap dim bulbs for bright ones of the same color. Then clean the sliding doors, because buyers want to see the yard or the water.

How much does it cost to stage a house in Palm Beach County?

We have not found reliable Palm Beach County staging price data, so we won't quote local rates. Instead, use the national ranges above as a starting point, and then get two or three local quotes. In our experience, the type of home you own moves the price more than the zip code does.

Condos in Boca Raton and Highland Beach

A condo usually has fewer rooms to furnish, so staging tends to cost less than it does for a large house. The view often sells the unit. As a result, the stager's job is to point the seating toward the water or the skyline. Keep the balcony clear except for two chairs and a small table.

If your building draws seasonal buyers, keep the look light and simple so the unit reads as easy to lock and leave. Before a stager brings in furniture, ask the association about its rules for deliveries and elevator use. Our condo selling tips for 2026 cover the rest of the condo prep.

Single-family homes in Wellington and Jupiter

A single-family home has more rooms and a yard, and it may have a pool. So the bill climbs fast if the house is empty. In Wellington, give a bonus room a clear purpose, such as an office or a playroom, so buyers know what it is for. In Jupiter, a home with a pool or a dock should put the outdoor space up front, with a dining set on the patio and a clean pool.

If you still live there, occupied staging can work well. The stager uses your best pieces, edits out the rest and rents a few items to fill gaps. But if the house is empty, ask the stager to furnish only the living room, primary bedroom, kitchen and dining area. Empty spare bedrooms add nothing to the rental bill, and buyers can still picture them.

Virtual staging and MLS photo labels

Virtual staging adds digital furniture to photos of empty rooms. At as little as about $35 per room, it is the cheapest way to show scale in a vacant home. It works well for an empty condo or a second home you have already moved out of.

There are rules, though. The NAR Code of Ethics requires Realtors to present a true picture in their ads, and Standard of Practice 12-10 bars misleading images. Local MLS rules also require a clear label on virtually staged photos. Your listing agent handles the labeling, but ask to see the photos before they go live.

Keep virtual staging honest. Add furniture, but don't paint over cracked tile, hide a water stain or swap in a better view. Buyers will tour the home in person, and a room that looks nothing like the photo loses their trust fast. A simple fix is to post an empty shot of the same room next to the staged one.

DIY or pro: how much does it cost to stage a house yourself?

DIY staging costs whatever you spend on supplies, plus your time. NAR found a $500 median when the listing agent staged the home, compared with $1,500 for a staging service. For many homes, a middle path works well: pay for a consultation, then do the work yourself.

DIY makes sense when:

• You still live in the home and your furniture is in good shape.
• The home is a condo or a smaller house with a few main rooms.
• You have time to pack, clean and rearrange before the photos.

Hire a pro when:

• The home is vacant, since empty rooms look small in photos.
• Your furniture is dated, worn or too big for the rooms.
• The home sits at the top of the market, where Bankrate says staging often costs 1% to 1.25% of list price.
• You live out of state and can't be there to set up.

Ask your listing agent what staging help comes with the listing before you hire anyone. Some agents stage homes themselves, and that is where NAR's $500 median comes from. Also think about timing. If you plan to list for winter buyers, talk with your agent early and book the stager a few weeks ahead.

Frequently asked questions

How much does it cost to stage a house for one month?

Nationally, staging a vacant home runs about $2,000 to $3,000 or more for the first month, per Chase. After that, you pay rent on the furniture, which Bankrate puts at about $500 to $600 per room per month. An occupied home costs less, at about $800 to $2,500 or more.

How much does it cost to stage a house virtually?

Virtual staging can cost as little as about $35 per room, according to Bankrate. Under local MLS rules, the photos need a clear label, and your listing agent takes care of that.

Does staging help a home sell faster?

It can. In NAR's 2025 report, 49% of sellers' agents said staging cut time on market. Of the total, 30% said it helped slightly and 19% said greatly. Price and condition still matter most.

Should I stage a home I still live in?

Yes, if your furniture is in decent shape. A consultation at about $150 to $500 and a weekend of decluttering get many homes most of the way there. Then rent a few pieces only where a room looks bare or dated.

Sources

• National Association of Realtors, 2025 Profile of Home Staging
• NAR, Staging to sell: the real estate shift toward picture-perfect homes
• RISMedia, NAR report finds home staging increases home value, reduces time on market
• Pennsylvania Association of Realtors, Staging boosts sales prices and more, says NAR report
• Chase, How much does it cost to stage a house?
• Bankrate, Virtual staging and home staging costs
• NAR, 2025 Code of Ethics and Standards of Practice

Selling in Palm Beach County? Before you pay a stager, find out what your home is worth and which rooms matter most to buyers at your price. Get a free home value or talk with a listing agent about a staging plan. Buying instead? Reach out and we will help you look past the staging to the house itself.