Home Staging for an Empty House

Creative Director Beth Elzer needed to sell her Washington, D.C., condo quickly. She and her husband had already moved into another home, so the house was empty. Her broker, Joe Himali of Best Address Real Estate, recommended professional home staging for their empty house. Himali's suggestion came based on experience staging another empty house that received multiple offers even before the official open house.

The cost of professional home staging varies, based on the market you're in and the level of sophistication that your home needs to portray to get the asking price you desire. Home stagers may use their own library of furniture and bill you for their time. Others purchase furniture for you, use it for home staging, and bill you for both time and shopping costs.

Here are some tips from the pros that you can use when you're staging an empty house.