Self-serve AI
SofaBrain virtual staging
$2.36–$59
4 images use 4 credits. Studio is $59 a month for 100 credits (about $0.59 a credit); new accounts get 3 free credits.
Free calculator · Updated
Home Staging Cost Calculator
A room-by-room staging budget, with physical, designer virtual and AI staging compared on the same listing.
4 staged images in total
PropertyVacant homes need every piece of furniture brought in.
Local cost levelAdjusts labor-based options only (designers, stagers).
Physical staging estimate
$3,600–$8,000
For 4 vacant rooms over 2 months: setup plus $1,000–$2,400 a month in furniture rental.
The same listing, three ways
Physical staging$3,600–$8,000
Designer virtual staging (4 images)$64–$140
Self-serve AI staging$2.36–$59
Least you’d save vs physical$3,541
Compares what you spend, not sale price or days on market. Virtual staging changes the photos only; buyers still see the empty rooms at a showing.
Done for you, digital
Designer virtual staging
$64–$140
Published US service prices of roughly $16–$35 per staged photo, before rush fees or revisions.
Furniture rental
Physical home staging
$3,600–$8,000
Room setup plus $1,000–$2,400 a month while the listing is active. Get 2–3 local quotes.
How the calculator works
- Enter the rooms to stage, photos per room and how long the listing may stay active.
- Choose vacant or occupied and your area’s cost level.
- Compare physical staging, designer virtual staging and self-serve AI staging for the same listing.
The three models stay separate. Physical staging is room-level setup plus monthly rental for the listing period; designer virtual staging is a per-image range from published vendor pricing; AI staging is the credits the photos use on SofaBrain’s Studio plan. The cost level adjusts the two labor-based models only. It is a budgeting tool, not a promise of a faster or higher sale.
Assumptions to check
- Physical, vacant: $400–$800 setup and $250–$600 a month per room; occupied: $200–$450 setup and $100–$250 a month.
- Designer virtual staging: $16–$35 per image. Lower-cost areas × 0.8, major or luxury markets × 1.35.
- AI staging: 1 credit per photo; Studio is $59 a month for 100 credits. The low end is the credits’ share of the plan, the high end the plan month(s) needed.
Stage the rooms buyers decide on
Most listings don’t need every room staged. Start with the main living area, the primary bedroom and the kitchen or dining space, then add a flex room if its purpose isn’t obvious from the photos. For a vacant home, virtual staging those photos and physically staging only the first room buyers walk into is a common middle path.
Whatever you choose, label virtually staged photos as such: many MLSs and some states require it. See the virtual staging rules by state.
Frequently asked questions
How do home stagers price a project?
Physical stagers usually combine consultation and setup fees with monthly furniture rental. The total changes with room count, whether the home is vacant or occupied, local labor and storage costs, and how long the listing stays active. Virtual staging is normally priced per image or through a software subscription. For reference, NAR’s 2025 Profile of Home Staging put the median cost of using a staging service at $1,500.
How much does it cost to stage a 3-bedroom house?
A 3-bedroom home often needs the living room, primary bedroom, dining area and one flex room staged. In this calculator’s typical-market ranges, 4 vacant rooms over 2 months comes to several thousand dollars once setup and rental are included. Designer virtual staging is priced per image, and self-serve AI staging costs a few credits.
Do real estate agents pay for staging?
It depends on the listing agreement. Some agents include photography or virtual staging in their marketing package, while sellers pay separately for physical furniture rental. Decide who pays, what happens if the listing runs longer, and who owns the edited images before work begins.
What are the biggest home staging budgeting mistakes?
Staging every room instead of the rooms buyers decide on, forgetting monthly rental extensions, comparing per-photo virtual pricing with only the first month of physical staging, and treating an estimate as a local quote. Get 2–3 physical-staging quotes for high-budget listings.
Is virtual staging a replacement for physical staging?
Virtual staging improves the listing photos, but buyers still walk through the actual property at a showing. It is strongest for online presentation, vacant listings, fast launches and tight budgets, and staged photos should be disclosed as virtually staged. Physical staging remains valuable when the in-person experience is central to the sale.
Sources
Related calculators
Estimates for planning and illustration only. Not financial, tax, legal or appraisal advice: confirm figures with the lender, title or escrow company, or other professional handling the transaction.