For sellers preparing to list their property, there are many factors to weigh up when deciding whether to present the home empty, fully furnished or properly staged. Realmark Urban Residential Buyer’s Advocate Angela McGrath said the benefits of staging your property differed depending on who viewed it.
“The good buyer’s agents and some experienced investors can look past presentation and focus purely on the numbers like yield, zoning and long-term growth,” she said. “But for most owner-occupiers, presentation plays a big role in how they make decisions.”
Ms McGrath said staging offered both practical and aesthetic advantages. “You are not just showing a house, you are showing a lifestyle,” she said. “A well-staged home feels warm, inviting and easy to live in. It also helps buyers to understand the size of the space. Empty rooms can be really misleading – buyers often think their furniture will not fit or the room is too small. Once it is furnished, it gives them clarity and confidence around how they could actually live there.”
Poor staging, however, can have the opposite effect, and Ms McGrath said a recent experience illustrated just how costly inadequate presentation could be for sellers.
“I secured a property for clients last year that most buyers overlooked because it was not presented to the same standard as others,” she said. The competing properties were freshly painted, styled and beautifully presented – they all had 10-plus offers and sold well above the agents' expectations. This particular property required buyers to look past the clutter and presentation. We were able to secure it at a price that was more in line with true value, if not slightly under. Once the tenants moved out and the property was professionally cleaned, even the selling agent said it could have achieved another $50,000-100,000 in that condition.”
Although staging can be highly beneficial, Ms McGrath said diligence and execution was crucial.
“If a home is cluttered, unfinished or not presented well, buyers can become quite cautious,” she said. They start thinking ‘what is being hidden?’ or assume there may be more repair work involved than there actually is. In the current climate where trades are hard to secure, buyers will often move on to well-presented houses. When a dwelling is well presented, buyers feel comfortable straight away – that confidence often leads to stronger early interest and more decisive offers.”
It is also important to consider the quality and appearance of the staging to ensure it aligns with the rest of the property. Ms McGrath said even the more prestige properties could be hampered by poorly allocated furnishings.
“Cheap or poorly chosen staging in a higher-end home can actually take away from the quality of the property,” she said. It can make the residence feel less premium than it is.”
While quality and purposeful staging is highly recommended for sellers, there are some cases where waiting and clearing out the home could have a more favourable outcome. Ms McGrath said when a property had been tenanted or the owners were in the middle of moving, it was better to wait until the property was vacant and professionally cleaned.
“A clean blank canvas is always better than a cluttered or half-presented home,” she said. Buyers can work with a blank canvas – they struggle when there is too much going on.”
To this end, it is worth considering whether your home would benefit more from well-considered staging or a thorough clearance and clean up.
“In the current Perth market, presentation is not just about styling, it is part of the strategy,” Ms McGrath said. "Well-presented homes will create more emotional engagement, which can drive competition and push prices higher.”
This article was originally published in The West Australian on Saturday 23 May 2026, written by Skye Willow-Withers.