The Houzz article by Tennessee Interior Decorator Kristie Barnett titled, “Staging vs. Decorating: What’s the Difference?” is spot on when it comes to staging advice – and we recommend the article as required reading for anyone who would like to understand that distinction better.

Writes Barnett: “Selling your home means selling a lifestyle, but not necessarily your own. In home staging, you’re striving for a look that is fresh and welcoming yet not really taste specific. People with varying tastes need to feel that they can make the home their own if they purchase it.”

With staging, you’re trying to achieve more of a feeling than a style.

“Although everyone has different tastes in decor and furnishings, most people want a home that is welcoming, functional, peaceful and organized,” writes Barnett. “Tailor your house so that buyers will describe it in those terms rather than by your style of decorating.”

Barnett’s article focuses on decorated versus staged spaces. Staging also matters when the other choice is to show your property empty. Look at the pictures below and you’ll see how much more welcoming the rooms are by adding furnishings to help potential buyers understand how it might feel to live in the home.

Why all this talk about staging? Staging can be the difference between a home that lingers on the market and one that sells more quickly.

“Effective staging is critical to attracting the most buyer interest in your home and a key to achieving top dollar bids,” says top producing Lafayette Realtor Dana Green. “That’s why I have always offered home staging as a complimentary service for all my listings.”

The Dana Green Team includes two dedicated professional home stagers on staff who work with Dana to match the aesthetics of your home with that needed “welcoming” feeling. While we try to use available homeowner furnishings, we also draw from the Dana Green Team staging warehouse of constantly updated staging furniture and accessories.

Read more about the difference between staging and decorating by clicking through the slideshow below: