People have been asking what we’ve done to stage our house. The short answer: not a whole lot. Aside from deep-cleaning every surface, packing away extraneous items in the car for showings, and generally reducing clutter, we haven’t emptied rooms, stored large pieces of furniture, repainted walls, or removed all personal touches like photos and artwork. We intentionally kept the home feeling lived-in and warm rather than stripped of character—our thinking is that potential buyers may connect more with a house that looks loved and usable than with one that feels staged to the point of sterility. So far we’ve had several promising showings, and we’ll report back if this more personal approach proves successful.
Even with that low-key strategy, we did make one clear change after thinking through how buyers look at a space: we removed the rug from the kitchen.
The rug had been a cozy, textured anchor underfoot and we liked it a lot. But for selling purposes it was working against us. It covered a large portion of the hardwood floor, which is actually one of the home’s stronger selling points, and its bold rectangular shape visually segmented the room. In person the rug made the kitchen feel a little smaller and less open. Since buyers aren’t purchasing a rug when they make an offer, we decided that showing off the original hardwood beneath would better highlight the home’s real features.
We rolled the rug up and tucked it under the bed for now, and the kitchen instantly read as brighter, more spacious, and more cohesive. To reinforce that feeling, we also pared down the countertop styling—removing decorative cutting boards, bowls of fruit, and other props so the granite counters and clean lines of the space could speak for themselves. Leaving too many kitchen accessories out can distract from the real selling points; decluttering lets buyers focus on finishes, layout, and flow.
Our bathroom got the same treatment. The rug there had been practical and pretty, but removing it revealed the marble tile and made the room feel airier. Don’t worry—we still use a soft rug for stepping out of the shower, but we bring it out only when we need it so the tile can be seen during showings.
Beyond rugs and countertops, our staging principles have been simple: clean thoroughly, remove visual clutter, and highlight permanent features—hardwood floors, countertops, tile, natural light, and built-in storage. We avoided sweeping away every personal touch because we want visitors to feel the home’s warmth and personality. Professional stagers often recommend depersonalizing to some degree, and if future showings suggest we need to take that route, we’re open to trying more conventional staging tactics.
If these showings don’t ultimately result in an offer, we’ll consider additional staging steps such as rearranging furniture for better flow, neutralizing wall colors, or storing some larger items temporarily. For now, the combination of a spotless house, fewer decorative distractions, and visible key features seems to be a reasonable middle ground.
Do you have home-selling tips, staging superstitions, or strategies you swear by? Are there staging moves you think are overrated? We’re collecting ideas and would love to hear what has worked—or not—for you when selling a home.