The Cost of Virtual Staging - DIY vs. PRO
The standard average range of virtual staging service costs around $16-$50 per image. Professional virtual staging services start at $75 up to $200+; while complete DIY staging start at $7 up to $30 per photo.
Typical Online Staging Price Ranges
- DIY staging with online software: $7-$30 per month for furniture libraries and tools. Requires you stage the photos.
- Soft-Staging services: $16 per standard photo for decoration and objects.
- Non-luxury staging services: $20-$50 per standard image for basic staging with better 3D models and more customization.
- High-end online staging services: $75-$200+ per image for photorealistic staging with luxury furniture and unlimited revisions.
Factors Affecting Online Staging Costs
- Number of rooms staged – More rooms means more work and higher costs. Bedrooms, living rooms, and kitchens are most commonly staged.
- Image resolution – Standard definition images are cheaper than high-resolution photos. HD images show more detail for a more realistic look.
- Realism level – Basic virtual furniture costs less than highly realistic, photorealistic 3D models and lighting.
- Design expertise – More experienced designers and stagers command higher fees. Their expertise contributes to quality.
- Customization – Unique staging with luxury furnishings and extensive style personalization is more expensive.
- Turnaround time – Rush delivery and faster turnarounds add fees compared to standard timelines.
- Provider reputation – Top virtual stagers with proven results and portfolios can charge premium pricing.
Compared to traditional home staging can get expensive for sellers. Here’s a breakdown:
- Average cost to stage a home is $1,444
- Ranges from $778 to $2,851
- $300 to $600 for initial consultation
- $500 to $600 per month per staged room
- $2,000 to $2,400 to stage 2,000 sq. ft. home
- Vacant home staging – $2,900 to $5,250
In additon to the above, a good photographer and photo editing service will add up at least $500 to $1,000.
Here is what we cover below:
- Cost breakdown of professional virtual staging
- Use cases for $125 virtual staging
- The cost of affordable virtual staging (Soft-Staging)
- Costs of Video Staging for Social Media
- How you can stage for free
Rather than focusing on finding the cheapest virtual staging option, your goal should be maximizing your return on investment (ROI). Quality staging drives faster sales at higher prices, putting more money in your pocket.
How much does real estate agents pay for online home staging per property?
Real estate agents pay for online home staging as low as $37 for a studio flat up to $675 for for bedroom house.
The number of rooms and overall square footage determine how much virtual staging will cost. More bedrooms and baths add to the price. Luxury staging, custom designs, and high-end brands will be on the higher end of estimates.
Focus staging on living spaces, kitchens and 1-2 bedrooms. Even virtually staging a portion of the home can boost appeal. Partner with an experienced virtual stager to maximize value.
- Studio Flat
- 1-2 rooms to stage (living/sleeping area, kitchen, bathroom)
- 2 x DIY Staging: $15
- 2 x Photos Non-Luxury Staging: $37-$74
- 2 x Premium staging: $200-$300
- 2 Bedroom House
- 3-5 rooms to stage (living, dining, kitchen, 2 bedrooms, 1-2 bathrooms)
- 5 x DIY Staging: $35
- 5 x Photos Non-Luxury Staging: $185-$250
- 5 x Premium staging: $375-$500
- 3 Bedroom House
- 5-7 rooms to stage (living, dining, kitchen, 3 bedrooms, 2-3 bathrooms)
- 7 x DIY Staging:
- 7 x Photos Non-Luxury Staging: $259-$350
- 7 x Photos Premium Staging: $525-$900
- 4 Bedroom House
- 7-9 rooms to stage (living, dining, kitchen, 4 bedrooms, 3-4 bathrooms)
- 9 x DIY Staging: $63
- 9 x Basic staging: $333-$450
- 9 x Premium staging: $675-$1,300
Additional factors:
- More bathrooms increases cost
- Finished basements add cost
- Luxury furniture and high-end design is more expensive
What is the best virtual staging price?
When it comes to virtual staging pricing, there is no definitive “best” price that fits every situation. The most cost-effective virtual staging solution for your listing depends on several factors:
- Scope of the staging required – Do you need complete staging or soft staging with accessories? More rooms and images will increase costs.
- Level of customization – Does your home require a more specialized or luxurious design scheme? Unique custom staging may cost more.
- Image editing needs – Will existing furniture need to be removed digitally? Photo enhancement and cleanup also impacts pricing.
- Provider’s experience – Top virtual stagers with proven portfolios can command higher prices. But their expertise may be worth the investment.
- Turnaround time – Rush orders often cost more to expedite faster service. Standard turnaround times are more budget-friendly.
The $7 price tag is hard to resist. However, cheap DIY virtual staging often costs more and leads to poor quality photos that can ruin your real estate marketing strategy.
The best approach is to communicate your specific listing’s staging needs to potential virtual stagers. Request custom quotes for your exact requirements. Comparing quotes across providers will reveal what pricing makes sense for your property’s virtual staging.
Professional Virtual Staging Cost Breakdown
Below are four non-subscription and the most popular virtual staging cost packages with use case examples and their process.
These packages cover the staging services that are in highest demand.
Additional custom staging options available at different price points incl. a full price list. The examples below focus on the most common virtual staging services requested by clients. This provides an overview of what you can expect to pay for key staging features.
£99 / $125 for luxury Staging
At TALLBOX, our Luxury Virtual Staging service starts at just £99 ($125) per photo with 297,713 5 star reviews. This provides high-end staging tailored to showcase your luxury property’s elegance and sophistication.
- The £99 per photo pricing includes staging 1 room per photo. We blend luxury elements seamlessly into your existing space for a realistic visualization.
- With every £99 ($125) staged photo you receive post-production editing for 5 of your photos that are not staged.
- For example if you order 5 photos for staging, you receive 25 professionally edited photos for free as a bonus.
With real-life luxury staging often costing thousands, our service provides an affordable way to attract high-end buyers and maximize your property’s sales potential.
Compared to traditional staging, the Luxury Virtual Staging offers greater flexibility – with the ability to tweak designs – and a faster turnaround, saving you time without compromising on quality.
The realistic 3D-rendered furnishings and decor by our experienced designers create a luxurious interior ready to impress potential buyers.
What is included for £99 ($125) per photo
- Talented designers will consult with you to understand your property’s style and target luxury market.
- We select high-end, branded furniture and décor to reflect the sophistication you want to portray.
- Each room is meticulously staged using 3D modeling and rendering techniques.
- We digitally place designer pieces, artworks, lighting fixtures, and accessories tailored to your tastes.
- Our post-production editing removes any imperfections and enhances details.
Every aspect is customized and hand-crafted for your listing. Our Luxury Virtual Staging elevates your property to attract discerning high-end buyers.
Use cases for luxury staging
Here are some example use cases where Luxury Virtual Staging would be beneficial:
- This type of virtual staging for luxury properties. Listing agents with high-end listings are ideal for the service, recently constructed home to showcase its full potential to prospective luxury buyers. The sophisticated staging reflects the intended market.
- Creating an elegant interior for an empty luxury apartment you want to begin marketing to buyers before it’s fully built-out. Virtual staging shows the envisioned upscale design.
- Showcasing a luxury home occupied by the existing owner’s furnishings which don’t reflect the property’s grandest possibilities. Virtual staging overrides their current decor.
- Transforming a luxury home with dated interior design into a contemporary, refined space that appeals to modern high-end buyers’ tastes.
- Highlighting high-end finishes and features like jetted tubs, wine cellars, or theater rooms through coordinated, equally luxurious virtual staging.
- Staging a luxury vacation rental property to attract wealthy travelers who appreciate upscale accommodations and design.
- Preparing a luxury “model unit” for a new high-rise development to excite prospective buyers for the other units with a stunning staged example.
- Maximizing interest when listing a home in a luxury niche like lakefront, golf course, mountainside, vineyard, or equestrian estates. Match the staging to the lifestyle.
The key opportunity is showcasing multimillion dollar residential properties in their most breathtaking yet realistic possibilities through bespoke high-end virtual staging.
£60 / $76 for Non-Luxury Staging
With 197,112 reviews at 4.8 stars, the standard or non-luxury virtual staging services start at an affordable £60 ($76) per photo. This provides a complete digital transformation of your property, elevating its appeal through elegant, customized staging. With real-life staging often costing thousands, our virtual solution offers dramatic results at a fraction of the price.
What is included for £60 ($76) per photo
Our Standard Virtual Staging service is £60 ($76) per photo.
- This includes staging 1 room with mid-range furnishings instead of luxury brands.
- Post-production editing is limited to the staged photos only.
The Standard service still provides an elegant, customized staging experience to elevate your property. It’s ideal for highlighting good bones on a budget.
Use cases for luxury staging
Here are some example use cases where the Standard Virtual Staging service could meet staging needs:
- Staging a middle-class home in a competitive market to make it stand out among other listings. The staging makes the home more attractive to buyers in its price range.
- Creating a warmer, homier atmosphere in an empty rental property you want to begin advertising. Standard staging makes it welcoming without high-end prices.
- Making a house styled with the seller’s outdated furniture and clashing decor more neutral and broadly appealing. Standard staging overrides their current furniture with more modern pieces.
- Giving a flipped home with basic finishes and minimal character a dose of personality and style for buyers seeking turnkey homes.
- Highlighting architectural details and spacious layouts in a contemporary home hindered by the owner’s sparse, mismatched furnishings.
- Adding furnishings to an unfurnished condo unit to allow potential buyers to better visualize living in the space.
- Softening stark, cold spaces like concrete lofts, modernist homes, and industrial conversions with warmth and character.
- Creating a model unit for a new development marketed towards middle-class buyers and families. The staging reflects their style and budget.
- Giving homes that have been on the market for an extended period a refreshed, revamped look to re-engage potential buyers.
The key opportunity is showcasing nice, attractive homes for mainstream buyers in their best reasonably-priced light through tasteful standard virtual staging. It elevates basic spaces cost-effectively.
Our team of experts will work with you to understand your design style, then digitally stage your space with beautiful furniture and decor.
The result is a series of stunning, realistic photos ready to attract more buyers. Compared to traditional methods, our virtual staging is more cost-effective, efficient, and flexible – saving you time and money.
$125 Virtual Staging for Home Showings
With strategic planning, $125 of virtual staging per room can make a big impression on buyers during showings and provide lasting visuals that set your listing apart, making it worth every penny:
- Strategically select 1-2 rooms to stage virtually that make the biggest impression. Foyer, living room, master bedroom are good options.
- Complement your staged rooms by making minor cosmetic improvements to other areas. Fresh coat of paint, decluttering, etc.
- Frame and spotlight your virtual staging photos when showing the home. Draw buyers’ attention to these rooms first.
- Print your staged photos in color to leave behind as takeaways. Photos help buyers remember the impressive rooms.
- In your staged rooms, play up the features shown in the photos like built-ins, fireplaces, views.
- If furnished, rearrange existing items in staged rooms to match the layout of virtual furniture in photos.
- Bake cookies or simmer citrus peels, use the best scent you can find for the property
- Describe how the virtually staged rooms could look if fully decorated by the next owner. Help them visualize.
- Use the photos as talking points to describe the lifestyle possibilities shown in your virtual staging.
- Time your staging with planned open houses or broker tours to maximize exposure from the photos.
Introducing our groundbreaking Video Staging service – the first of its kind in luxury virtual staging!
This high-end social media tool for realtors immerses buyers in your property with short video walkthroughs with its 6,793 at 5 stars rating.
Our Video Staging specialists craft bespoke 10-second video clips staged with elegant furniture, lighting, and design details. These cinematic video glimpses into your staged property help buyers emotionally connect and envision themselves living in the space.
Pricing starts at £500 ($630) for a 10-second ultra-realistic Video Staging clip. This cutting-edge service combines the power of video and virtual staging for maximum buyer impact across social media.
Be the first in your area to wow potential buyers with Video Staging by TALLBOX.
What is included for £500 ($630) per photo
Here’s what is included with the £500 ($630) Video Staging service:
Our Video Staging package includes a custom-designed 10-second video clip highlighting often one of the best rooms of your virtually staged property.
- First, we consult with you to understand the style and flow you envision.
- Our cinematographers prepare a plan for your videogprapher to reflect the focal points in every room
- You can hire us to shoot or you can use your own camera or videographer
- When we receive the video, we will digitally re-capture your the space, overlay the 3D staging, including with panning and moving through the space to mimic an actual video walkthrough.
- We determine the optimal choreography to showcase the most impressive areas and details.
- Our editors piece together the flawless footage with transitions, music, and text overlays if desired.
The £500 pricing includes 1 round of revisions to perfect your 10-second video clip. You receive the HD or Ultra HD final video file optimized for social media and listing sites.
With Video Staging you don’t just see your home’s potential – you experience it. The emotional impact brings your staged property to life.
Use cases for Video Staging
Here are some examples of ideal use cases for Video Staging:
- Creating a video “teaser” of a luxury listing to generate intrigue and stand out on social media feeds and YouTube before the full listing goes live.
- Highlighting striking features like infinity pools, home theaters, or gourmet kitchens with elegant video pans and transitions.
- Capturing different design styles in a staged luxury model home or condo unit with room-to-room walkthrough footage.
- Showcasing busy spaces like great rooms, open floorplans, and backyard entertaining areas through video clips that let them shine.
- Bringing large, expansive spaces like grand entryways and master suites to life through movement and different camera perspectives not possible in still shots.
- Emotionally engaging potential luxury buyers who connect more strongly to properties through video walkthroughs and “day in the life” context.
- Complementing 3D interactive dollhouse tours and floorplans with seamless, steady video footage ideal for social media.
- Creating a virtual tour of a vacation property, yacht or luxury vehicle to capture the essence and flow of the spaces through strategic 10-second clips.
- Maximizing buyer impact for premier staged listings by aligning video clips with Facebook and Instagram Reels, TikTok, Twitter, and YouTube Shorts.
The key opportunities are leveraging short-form video’s engagement power for luxury spaces and showcasing the most impressive areas through strategic choreography and movement. Video staging brings properties to life.
£13/ $16 for Soft-Staging
Our virtual soft staging services start at just £13 ($16) per photo (discounted at this time) with 785,326 5 start reviews, is our affordable package that provides a lighter staging focused on key accent pieces to enhance your property.
We strictly follow the psychology rules of home staging and digitally add elegant touches like house plants, artwork, rugs, and decorative accessories tailored to your style. This soft staging creates a warm, welcoming atmosphere for potential buyers and tenants.
What is included for £20 ($25) per photo
Compared to full virtual staging, our soft staging option is extremely cost-effective and affordable even for the smallest marketing budget. For a fraction of the price, we implement small yet impactful changes to accentuate your home’s strengths.
Our virtual soft staging injects personality and aesthetic appeal through thoughtful, selective enhancements. And with our customizable approach, we create a look unique to your property.
Use cases for soft-staging
Here are some examples of situations where virtual soft staging would be useful:
- Adding decorative touches like plants, artwork, and accessories to an occupied home that’s cluttered with the owner’s belongings. Soft staging overrides distracting items.
- Injecting color and personality into a vacant rental property by digitally styling it with rugs, throw pillows, and other accents based on the target tenant demographic.
- Warming up a house with great architectural features but an awkward empty floorplan. Thoughtful soft staging makes the spaces more welcoming.
- Complementing virtual furniture staging in one room by digitally enhancing the other rooms with wall art, greenery, books, and soft goods.
- Showcasing a kitchen or bathroom remodel with soft staging like fresh flowers, dishes, soap dispensers to portray the space realistically lived-in.
- Styling outdoor living areas with plants, patio furniture, and décor to convey how buyers could utilize the spaces.
- Adding virtual holiday touches like wreaths, garlands, and festive accessories to attract seasonal buyers who value decoration.
- Digitally decorating vacant model units in new developments with soft goods to convey a lifestyle, mood and sensibility.
- Accenting clean, contemporary spaces that feel sterile and uninviting with tasteful books, blankets, pillows and warm lighting.
The key uses are finishing empty spaces, customizing character, adding decoration, and complementing existing furniture or staging. Virtual soft goods make spaces feel real, personalized and lived-in.
Leading companies as TALLBOX also offer related high-end staging services like virtual renovations to showcase flooring updates and twilight view conversions to maximize appeal.
What is the best Virtual Staging Process
Planning from empty room
- Analyze the property’s photos and identify rooms that need staging
- Discuss with the stager the design style, furniture pieces, and overall vision
- Create a project plan outlining scope, timeline, and deliverables
Planning Staging for Furnished Rooms
- Analyze current furniture layout, style, and condition in photos
- Discuss with stager whether to keep or replace existing furniture
- Identify clutter, personal items, and dated decor to remove
- Decide which new furniture pieces and decor items to add
- Create plan to update lighting, materials, wall colors if needed
- Outline scope, timeline, and quote based on projected work
Execution
- Source appropriate 3D furniture models and props for the design style
- Digitally add models to empty rooms to showcase furniture layouts
- Make models proportional to the room by scaling and aligning to perspective
- Adjust lighting and materials on models to match room lighting and aesthetics
Rendering
- Render final staged photos using ray tracing for realistic lighting and shadows
- Apply post-processing techniques like color correction for seamless integration
- Deliver high resolution lossless images for crisp quality
Review
- Get feedback to the stager and make revisions if needed
- Quality check final images for flaws before final delivery
- Provide unlimited revisions within project scope to ensure satisfaction
Delivery
- Exported staged photos in multiple formats – JPG, PNG, TIFF
- Delivered via shared cloud folder
The key to best results is photorealistic 3D models, seamless compositing, and unlimited revisions until 100% satisfacation. Leveraging the latest 3D and rendering technology is crucial.
Issues with Low-Quality Virtual Staging
- Cheap 3D models with poor geometry and texture quality look obviously fake and computer-generated. This breaks immersion.
- Incorrect lighting and shadows make the 3D models look disconnected from the real environment.
- Improper scaling results in furniture that looks gigantic or tiny compared to the room.
- Lazy compositing can create artifacts like halos around edges of inserted objects.
- Lack of post-processing gives 3D models an artificial look that clashes with room’s aesthetics.
- Limited furniture inventory leads to repetitive reuse of the same basic assets.
Importance of Realistic 3D Furniture
- High polygon models with detailed textures better mimic real-world objects for realism.
- Physically-based rendering with ray tracing creates natural lighting and shadows on objects.
- Proper proportioning and alignment to perspective integrate models seamlessly.
- Color correction and other post-processing match 3D lighting to room lighting.
- Extensive model libraries provide unique pieces for every room and style.
- Realistic materials like wood, metal, and fabric sell the authenticity.
- Small details like pillows, books, and decor sell the room’s lifestyle.
In summary, low-quality staging severely hurts perceived authenticity while high-fidelity 3D furniture matched to the room’s aesthetics creates a believable virtual staging. The latest 3D technology is key for photorealistic results.
Issues With Cheap Amateur Staging
Similar to traditional home staging professional virutal staging guides the buyer’s eye to the strengths of the home through cohesive design, strategic furniture placement, warm decor, and thoughtful photography – unlike cheap staging that lacks the expertise to properly highlight the space.
- Furniture is placed haphazardly without considering layout, flow, and spacing.
- Style is mismatched and cluttered instead of cohesive.
- Rooms feel cold and unwelcoming due to lack of thoughtful decor.
- Poor lighting fails to highlight architectural details and features.
- Photography angles don’t showcase the space in the best light.
Benefits of Professional Staging
- Strategic furniture placement draws the eye towards assets like views.
- Cohesive style tells a consistent visual story for the home.
- Warm lighting and decor make spaces inviting and livable.
- Photographed from flattering high angles to look more expansive.
- Clever tricks like mirrored furniture open up smaller spaces.
- Accessorizing and depersonalizing broaden buyer appeal.
Professional Expertise
Professional staging has significant value that warrants a higher price tag. While DIY staging seems cheaper upfront, it often hurts perception and sale price for minimal savings.
Investing in quality staging is well worth the money in the long run.
- Trained eye for spatial planning, lighting, and photography.
- Access to extensive prop inventory and design resources.
- Experience staging many home types and styles.
- Keeping up with latest trends that attract buyers.
- Providing an outsider’s perspective on best showcasing the home.
- High quality professional staging requires significant expertise, effort, and resources, so costs more than cheap DIY options. You get what you pay for.
- Legitimate professional staging ranges from $50 – $250+ per image depending on factors like:
- Image resolution
- Number of rooms
- Realism level
- Design expertise
- Turnaround time
- Beware of services advertising staging for $20 or less per image – this likely indicates:
- Low resolution images
- Limited furniture/prop selection
- Minimal design expertise
- Heavy reuse of assets
- Lack of customization
- Professional staging helps maximize home value and ROI which offsets the higher cost.
- For the best results, expect to invest $150 – $300+ per high resolution, photorealistic staged image with extensive customized furnishings.
- Though more expensive than DIY, professional staging pays for itself through faster sales, higher bids, and better terms compared to empty or poorly staged homes.
Q: Can you stage a home virtually for free?
A: TALLBOX’s free virtual staging aims to provide trial experience for their serivce. In some cases even 1 staged image is enough to help sell a property. While there are some other free virtual staging options available, they may not offer the same level of customization and quality as paid virtual staging providers.
If you want professional results, it’s recommended to hire a virtual staging provider that offers high-quality virtual staging solutions
Q: How much should I expect to pay for virtual staging per photo?
A: The cost of virtual staging per photo can range from $25 to $100, depending on the provider and the complexity of the staging. It’s important to consider the quality and customization options when comparing prices.
Q: Is virtual staging worth it?
A: Virtual staging can be a valuable tool in selling your home. It allows potential buyers to visualize how a space can be used and can help to attract more interest.
Many sellers find that virtual staging is worth the investment, especially when compared to the costs of traditional staging.
Q: How does virtual staging compare to traditional staging?
A: Virtual staging involves digitally adding furniture and decor to photos of an empty room, while traditional staging involves physically staging a home with real furniture and decor.
Virtual staging is often a fraction of the cost of traditional staging and can be done quickly with the help of virtual staging software.
Q: How does virtual staging work?
A: Virtual staging works by using photo editing software to add furniture and decor to photos of an empty room.
Virtual staging providers have a wide range of furniture and decor options to choose from, allowing you to customize the virtual staging to fit your style and target buyers.
Q: How long does it take to get virtual staging done?
A: The turnaround time for virtual staging can vary depending on the provider and the number of photos you need staged. On average, you can expect to receive your staged photos within 2 to 5 business days.
Q: Is virtual staging effective in selling homes?
A: Yes, virtual staging can be effective in selling homes. Research has shown that staged homes sell faster and for a higher price compared to vacant homes.
By virtually staging a home, you can help potential buyers visualize the space and increase their interest in the property.
Q: How does virtual staging help buyers?
When it comes to virtual staging pricing, don’t let rock-bottom rates tempt you. Cutting corners with subpar staging can tank your real estate marketing. For maximum home sales and commissions, partner with professional stagers dedicated to excellence over bargains and avoid deceptive marketing results.
Q: How much do stagers make?
Virtual stagers can earn a good income, though exact amounts vary based on factors like experience, quality of work, and market rates. Here is an overview of virtual stager income potential:
A virtual stager typically charges per photo staged, with rates starting around $16 per image on the low end, ~$40-$80 for average quality work, and $200+ for high-end staging for a studio flat project of two photos.
£500 / $630 for Video Staging