info@storyhousere.com   |   (434) 260-1435
2110 Ivy Road   |   Charlottesville, VA 22903
facebook instagram
Story House Real Estate Story House Real Estate
Navigation
  • ABOUT US
    • Who We Are
    • Mission Statement
    • Our Philanthropy
    • Our Success Stories
      • Client Profiles
      • Client Testimonials
      • Press & Recognition
      • Our Sold Homes
    • Join Our Team
  • SELL A HOME
    • Find Your Home Worth
    • How We Sell
    • Seller Profile
    • Home Sale Calculator
  • BUY A HOME
    • Our 10 Step Process
      • Consult Your REALTOR®
      • Arrange Your Financing
      • Find Your Home
      • Prepare a Purchase Offer
      • Contract for Your Home
      • Conduct Inspections
      • Finalize Your Financing
      • Prepare for Settlement
    • Buyer Profile
    • Our Listings
    • Search All Active Listings
      • Search by County
      • Charlottesville Area Neighborhoods
    • Affordability Calculator
  • LET’S CONNECT

How To Stage Your Home While Living In It

How to Stage Your Home While Living in It (Without Losing Your Mind)

This summer, my husband and I decided to put our 1,200-square-foot Spanish-style bungalow in San Diego up for sale. Naturally, this involved meeting with a host of real estate professionals—all of whom agreed that in order to sell our charming little home for the price we wanted, we needed to stage it.

But it wasn’t as simple as hiring a staging company and calling it a day. No. We’d need to move 75% of our belongings into storage and, ideally, find alternate accommodations for the duration of the listing period.

That’s how I—along with my husband, dogs, and children—came to live with my in-laws for 62 days. After entering escrow, we moved back into our partly staged pad for an even more excruciating 39 days (and counting).

It’s been an exhausting and sometimes demoralizing experience. But I survived to offer you some hard-won tips and best practices for how to live in your house (and maintain your sanity) when you can’t really live in your house.

1. Build in time and money before staging

Typically, agents work with a network of staging companies. You can pick two or three, conduct brief walk-through meetings with them at your place, and solicit bids. This process can take upward of two weeks, so it pays to get a jump on the consults well before you intend to list.

If you’re going to use a staging company, make sure you have the cash on hand. In San Diego, partly staging our two-bedroom home ran us a cool $3,000, which was due immediately upon signing the contract. On the plus side, staging usually pays for itself (and then some) once the house sells, experts say.

2. Clear your closets and bedrooms by at least 50%

Whitney Parrott, lead designer at Everything Creative Designs, suggests this declutteringrule for her clients who choose to stay (at least part of the time) in a staged or listed home. You want your place to look inviting, but not necessarily lived-in.

“Take you out of the home,” she says. “Remove your emotional attachment and look at the home as a product you’re selling, which I realize is easier said than done.”

This means reducing the stuff in closets and bedrooms by half. This is a good time to get rid of things you don’t use; you can put the rest into storage.

3. Secure storage space

Even if you aren’t going to have your home professionally staged, you’ll likely need a storage unit for your excess belongings. Get a slightly larger unit than you think you’ll need. In an attempt to save a buck, we chose a smallish unit that ended up barely fitting our stuff. Now, as we approach close of escrow with no new home in sight, we’ll need to rent a second unit for the remainder of our day-to-day items.

4. Hire movers to put your stuff in storage

Trust me on this one—you do not want to be moving your stuff into a storage unit yourself or with your partner or spouse. Save the headache, and hire professionals to maximize your storage space with their professional packing hacks.

5. Find a place to crash…

I was adamant that we minimize the time spent in our staged house, mostly because I was afraid of the havoc my toddler, infant, and highly inconsiderate pooches would wreak on the rented furniture.

So with our tails tucked and pride wounded, we turned to my husband’s parents—who fortunately live a mere 10 minutes from us.

Clearly, living (rent-free) with family is the best choice if you can swing it. But if you don’t have that option, consider some others. For example, my neighbor lived at a Hampton Inn for five weeks while between houses. (I was both horrified and intrigued.)

This can obviously become expensive rather quickly, so consider extended-stay hotels, which offer longer-term suites at a lower weekly price than their average daily rate. Some apartment communities also allow short-term or month-to-month rentals of furnished “executive” units. And there’s always the VRBO/Airbnb option.

At the end of the day, the key is to either get out or make it look like you did.

“Although it seems counterintuitive, especially for sellers that are living in a staged home, the more you can make your home appear as if no one is actually living there, the better,” says Katie Griswold, our very patient agent, who’s with Pacific Sotheby’s International Realty.

6. … or get insanely organized—and stay that way

If you must stay in your home while it’s up for sale, heed these expert-approved tips that will help you (and your Realtor®) stay sane.

  • Create a cleaning schedule, and stick to it. If you can afford it, invest in a weekly cleaning service. Before each showing, vacuum the floors, dust all furniture, and wipe down all kitchen and bath surfaces.
  • In the kitchen, keep countertops clear. Stash paper towels, sponges, and dish soap under the sink when they’re not in use. Make a habit of placing dirty dishes immediately in the dishwasher, and keep most appliances off the countertops.
  • Buyers will open cabinets. Be sure your glasses, plates, pots, and pans are well-organized and stacked neatly.
  • If you do a lot of cooking, use natural air freshening methods like boiling lemon slices or cinnamon on the stove to neutralize odors.
  • Use totes or bins to keep daily bathroom items like toothbrushes, toothpaste, and soap out of sight.
  • Immediately sort mail when it arrives at your house, and dispose of anything that isn’t vitally necessary.
  • Stash a few of your kids’ favorite toys in a large decorative bin or tote in a corner of the room or hall closet, and clear the rest away.
  • Put your iPhone cords and enormous charging block in a drawer out of view.
  • Avoid the lockbox, especially if you have pets or children. Ask your agent to schedule showings in large blocks of time a few afternoons a week to ensure you can get everyone out of the house.
  • If you have a 9-to-5 office job and pets, consider boarding the pets on weekdays when showings might occur.

 

“It’s certainly not easy living in a staged home,” Griswold says. “It can be exhausting living in a home you have to keep spick-and-span, especially those of us juggling children, pets, careers, and more. But it’s most definitely worth the time and investment.”

 

SOURCE: Realtor.com – http://www.realtor.com/advice/sell/live-in-staged-home/?is_wp_site=1

 


Posted on October 6, 2016

Categories

  • Achievements & Recognition
  • Affordability & Financing
  • Blog
  • Buying
  • Charlottesville Area
  • Charlottesville News
  • Charlottesville Real Estate
  • Choosing a Realtor
  • City of Charlottesville
  • Client Profiles
  • Client Testimonials
  • Community
  • First Time Homebuyer
  • Historic Charlottesville
  • Home Repair & Maintenance
  • Landscaping & Exterior
  • Lifestyle
  • Market Reports
  • National Real Estate
  • New Construction
  • Our Favorite Things
  • Real Estate 101
  • Real Estate News and Info
  • Selling
  • Short Sale & Foreclosure 101
  • Sold Homes
  • Staging to Sell
  • Uncategorized

Contact Us

    Subscribe to Newsletter
    This site is protected by reCAPTCHA and the Google Privacy Policy and Terms of Service apply.

    View Instagram post by storyhousere

    Jul 11

    13 2
    Open post by storyhousere with ID 18092345524723074
    🚨 Welcome to REAL, Ryan! 🚨 

Please help me give a warm welcome to @ryanburksrealtor, one of the newest additions to our REAL family!

Ryan is a seasoned agent in Waynesboro, VA, with a background in homebuilding and a true heart for helping people navigate their real estate journey. We first connected at a conference years ago, and since then, Ryan’s been a familiar face—showing up to classes, webinars, and implementing what he’s learned. 🙌🏼

When he reached out recently for mentorship and alignment with REAL, I was deeply honored. It’s agents like Ryan—committed, community-driven, and collaborative—who are helping us grow something really special in the Shenandoah Valley and beyond.

✨ Stay tuned as we announce even more incredible agents joining our REAL crew this month!

Curious why so many top agents are making the move to @realbrokerage?
Wondering if now is the time to align with a modern brokerage model that actually works for you?

📩 DM me—I’d love to share more.

#WelcomeToREAL
#REALBrokerage
#CharlottesvilleRealEstate
#WaynesboroVA
#VirginiaRealtor
#TopAgentNetwork
#ModernBrokerage
#GrowWithREAL
#RealEstateNetwork
#WomenInRealEstate
#ShenandoahValleyHomes
#LeadershipInRealEstate
    View Instagram post by storyhousere

    Jul 11

    4 0
    Open post by storyhousere with ID 18065629291907063
    JUST LISTED | 🏠 824 Nassau Street Charlottesville VA 22902 | MLS #666775 | $299,000 | 🛏️ 4 bed 🛁 2 full bath | 🎉 OPEN HOUSE Saturday, July 12th from 11 AM - 1 PM!

This 4-bedroom, 2-bath attached home offers an open main level with a spacious kitchen and living area that’s perfect for entertaining. A convenient first-floor bedroom adds flexibility for guests, a home office, or multi-generational living. 

Upstairs, you'll find three additional bedrooms, a full bathroom, and a laundry room— 2 bedrooms have been freshly painted! Whether you’re looking to walk to your favorite Belmont restaurants or grab a quick coffee downtown, this location can’t
be beat. 

 📩 Email showings@storyhouseRE.com with questions!

 #Charlottesvillerealestate #StoryHouseRealEstate #StoryHouseRE #startyournextstory #comingsoon #Charlottesville #StartYourStoryWithUs
    View Instagram post by storyhousere

    Jul 8

    11 0
    Open post by storyhousere with ID 18080851942867429
    🏡 Just Hit the Market! ✨

Two stunning new listings, each with its own irresistible appeal, are now available!
Your next dream home might be one tour away. Let’s go see them!

JUST LISTED | 🏠 34 Zephyr Road Palmyra VA 22963 | MLS #666386 | $375,000 | 🛏️ 3 bed 🛁 2 full bath | 🎉 OPEN HOUSE Sunday, July 13th from 11 AM - 1 PM!

JUST LISTED | 🏠 2777 Peppervine Court Charlottesville VA 22911 | MLS #666469 | $725,000 | 🛏️ 5 bed 🛁 3 full/ 1 half bath | 🎉 OPEN HOUSE Saturday, July 12th from 12 PM - 2 PM!

📩 Email showings@storyhouseRE.com with questions!

 #Charlottesvillerealestate #StoryHouseRealEstate #StoryHouseRE #startyournextstory #comingsoon #Charlottesville #StartYourStoryWithUs
    View Instagram post by storyhousere

    Jul 4

    5 0
    Open post by storyhousere with ID 18049051490185821
    COMING SOON | 🏠 2777 Peppervine Court Charlottesville VA 22911 | MLS #666469 | $725,000 | 🛏️ 5 bed 🛁 3 full/ 1 half bath | 🎉 OPEN HOUSE Saturday, July 12th from 12 PM - 2 PM!

Located in the highly desirable FOREST LAKES SOUTH community, this 5-bedroom, 3.5-bath home is ideal for both everyday living and entertaining. The beautifully updated kitchen features RECYCLED GLASS Countertops, new CABINETS, SINK, BACKSPLASH, and APPLIANCES - all filled with NATURAL LIGHT and opening to the inviting family room. From there, step out to a lovely SCREENED-IN PORCH perfect for relaxing!

 A dedicated HOME OFFICE adds flexibility for remote work or study. Upstairs, you'll find a SPACIOUS PRIMARY SUITE with a PRIVATE BATH, THREE additional bedrooms, and a FULL hall bath. The FINISHED BASEMENT includes a 5th bedroom, a LARGE REC ROOM perfect for game nights or movie marathons, and a BONUS ROOM ideal for a gym, studio, or creative space. Enjoy peace of mind with a NEW ROOF (2021) Situated at the end of a quiet CUL-DE-SACand within WALKING DISTANCE to both the Elementary and Middle SCHOOLS, this home truly has it all!!

 📩 Email showings@storyhouseRE.com with questions!

#Charlottesvillerealestate #StoryHouseRealEstate #StoryHouseRE #startyournextstory #comingsoon #Charlottesville #StartYourStoryWithUs
    View Instagram post by storyhousere

    Jul 4

    1 0
    Open post by storyhousere with ID 18103062730483791
    From all of us at Story House, wishing you and your loved ones a joyful, safe, and spark-filled 4th of July!

🇺🇸 Happy Birthday, America! ✨

#FourthofJuly #4thofJuly #America #Holiday #StoryHouseRE #StoryHouseRealEstate
    Story House Real Estate logo
    STORY HOUSE REAL ESTATE
    2110 Ivy Road
    Charlottesville, VA 22903
    Phone: (434) 260-1435
    facebook instagram
    LICENSED TO SELL REAL ESTATE IN THE COMMONWEALTH OF VIRGINIA
    REALTOR icon Equal Housing icon
    © 2025 Story House Real Estate. All Rights Reserved.