People often ask what we’ve done to stage our house while it’s on the market. The short answer: not a whole lot. Beyond a deep clean and tucking some personal items in the car for showings, we haven’t emptied closets, repainted rooms, boxed up large furniture, or removed every trace of personality. We did not hire a professional stager to overhaul the property, though we understand why someone might. Our goal was to present a home that’s clean, well cared for, and still lived in—so buyers can imagine themselves there rather than staring at a blank, staged set.
That said, we did make one clear staging decision: we removed the kitchen rug.
Although we loved the soft texture and cozy feel the Company Store rug added, it covered a selling point—our hardwood floors—and visually closed off the space by creating a large rectangle on the floor. When you’re selling a house, you want the room to feel open and to highlight original features. Rugs can be great for comfort, but in our case the rug distracted from the wood floors and reduced the perceived flow of the kitchen. So we rolled it up and stored it under the bed for the duration of the listing.
We also took a close look at the counters and removed some of the more decorative kitchen items to keep surfaces clean and uncluttered. Displaying too many staging accessories—cutting boards, bowls of fruit, and the like—can draw attention away from the real assets in the kitchen, such as granite countertops, cabinet condition, and layout. By simplifying what’s left on the counters we made it easier for potential buyers to focus on those features.
The same logic applied in the bathroom. Our little bathroom rug had to go so the marble tile could be seen and appreciated. When selling a home, attention to material finishes like marble or tile can make a strong impression, and rugs or mats sometimes hide that quality. We still use the rug at bath time for safety and comfort, but it’s out of sight during showings so the tile looks continuous and elegant.
Overall, our approach to staging was subtle: thorough cleaning, targeted decluttering, and small, strategic changes that emphasize the home’s best attributes. We wanted to avoid stripping the house of personality altogether; a lived-in, welcoming atmosphere can feel more inviting to buyers than an overly neutral, depersonalized space. Our belief is that showing a house that looks loved—and simultaneously clean and organized—helps prospective buyers imagine living there without erasing the character that makes the home special.
So far, that approach has resulted in several promising showings. If it turns out we need to make more changes, we’ll consider other staging techniques, but for now we’re focused on keeping the property tidy and highlighting original finishes like hardwood floors, granite counters, and marble tile. Small choices—like removing a rug or clearing a countertop—can have a surprisingly big impact on how a room reads in person and in listing photos.
Have any home-selling tips or staging superstitions you swear by? Or are there popular staging tricks you think are unnecessary? We’d love to hear the strategies that worked for you—whether it was opening curtains to maximize natural light, rearranging furniture to improve flow, or something more unusual that made a difference during your sale.