15 Tips, Tricks And Tools to Add To Your DIY Home Staging Kit

Professional staging has long held its place as one of the building-block strategies of a successful home sale. It transitioned into a rightful passage among talented listing agents even before education became readily available. It took years of on-the-job experience for the truly successful agents to learn the art of home staging and make it their unique value proposition. 

I know. I acquired my knowledge over time, trial and error, and a basic proclivity for pairing my real estate experience with my creative self. I emulated the top creative few agents who staged their own listings. 

After getting a taste of personally listing and staging homes the DIY way, I equipped my own toolbox, as a result of investing in a five-day immersive, accredited course that totally elevated the listing side of my business: One Day Decorating, Redesign and Home Staging, developed by The Decorating and Staging Academy (DSA). 

Here are my top 15 DIY staging tools, an essential toolbox filled with tips, strategies, vendors, costs and, most importantly, implementation. 

15 tips, tricks and tools to add to your DIY home staging kit

1. Monkey Hooks drywall picture hangers, hooks for hanging pictures, all weights

I’m hooked on monkey hooks and have a personal supply at home. A self-boring tip of the hook easily penetrates drywall with a twisting motion. The shaft slides through and self-locks.  

2. EZ Moves furniture slides for carpeted surfaces

Another mainstay, I have a set for staging, and one for home use. I have personally and solely moved heavy pieces over carpeting by tilting the object, placing the furniture slide under each corner or leg, then pushing or pulling it in place with ease. 

3. EZ Moves furniture slides for hard surfaces, hardwood, tile, luxury vinyl

Same as above, but for use on hard floor surfaces. Tilt the object being moved and place the furniture slide under each corner or leg. Then push or pull the object with ease. 

4. EZ Moves PowerMaxx furniture lifter

This tool is useful when you need help with extremely heavy items that you can’t lift by hand. It lifts the item a few inches, allowing you to use your free hand to place a furniture slide beneath. Picture a jack lifting a car to change a tire, same concept. You can actually DIY it yourself.

5. IKEA Schottis pleated shade, in white or dark gray

The perfect staging solution for swapping out dated draperies or for windows without window treatments. I measure, cut and apply right at the house. Easy to attach with adhesive backing, 

6. IKEA Lill Sheer Curtains, 1 pair in white with rod pocket

Another easy staging solution for a window option is pocket sheers, which create a sheer, billowy look if that’s the style you’re going with. I double them up for a fuller look, and measure, cut and hang right at the house. Pool the sheers a bit on the floor for a design effect. 

7. Tension no-drill curtain rods

A DIY tip that spares needless drilling — a tension curtain rod to refit and restyle a window by rotating the rod to the desired length. I chose a finish to align with the furnishings and hung my go-to affordable IKEA pocket sheers from it.

8. IKEA shower curtains, neutrals and patterns, below $5 & $10 price options

IKEA is my go-to for its large selection and affordability, but a local store will do to stay within a budget and have certain choices, from a fun pattern for a child’s bath to glamming up a luxurious, spa-like bath in stark white.

Tip: I double up with two curtains for a fuller effect.

9. Adhesive hooks for shower and tiled surfaces, various finishes, $10 range

I consider a stager’s DIY bathroom incomplete without fresh towels, a spa bathrobe and other spa accouterments hung from no-drill hooks, in luxurious finishes or inexpensive plastic. 

10. Walmart 12″ queen air mattress with built-in pump, under $30

As far as air mattresses and staging go, it’s all “for show” and the cheaper the better, being that no one actually sleeps on them. The best part of Walmart’s inexpensive models, in all sizes, is that they are plug-in, blow-up and ready in two or three minutes. A storage bag is included for easy DIY transport.          

Tip: Four repurposed large storage bins are ideal as risers, covered with bedding. Add a warning sign: “Do not sit! This is not an actual bed! Unsteady base!”

11. Sticky dots as furniture inventory labels

So much of DIY Staging is furniture editing. Use these ‘green means go’ inventory labels for pieces to be sent to the curb, donated or taken away. Select an alternative color label for pieces to be stored or relocated. The different color labels speak for themselves.

12. Benjamin Moore neutral paint colors

Every major paint brand has its color trends chart of the year, with bestselling whites and neutrals. Stay within the greige palette, softer and more interesting than a stark white.

13. ‘5 living room rug placement rules that always work‘

While the best rule of thumb for rug placement under furniture is “the kiss” — the front of the piece should “kiss the rug” by about 3-4 inches — rules can be broken. I found five rug placements based on room size, room configuration, sectional versus single sofa, etc. Read this article for more on rug placement. 

Tip: Don’t be afraid to suggest uninstalling a worn wall-to-wall carpet, even if it exposes a plank floor. Old wood, such as non-hardwood floors, can be painted gray if it fits with the decor; the same applies to old wall paneling — paint changes and updates a look with minimal effort. You may even be able to assign the paint job as part of a DIY checklist to a willing and able homeowner. I have.

14. The Rule of 3

This simple design rule, arrangements of objects in groups of three, brings not only style and balance to a room, but I also use the rule to edit a cluttered space or fill a very spare space.

15. Home Goods for items that cost less than you expect for DIY home staging 

Frequent DIY scouting sprees always take me to Home Goods. I pick up red-tagged items, good enough for staging but not good enough for decorating — items that elevate an entry, mantle or seasonal tablescape; cozy up sofas and bedding with pillows and throws; and add pops of color where needed, especially the front door, right up to a new welcome mat.

There is much to learn to qualify as an expert

Clearly, a staging toolbox with the above tools of the trade is just a start. Talent alone doesn’t cut it. The certification course I invested in provided me with advanced knowledge of room configurations, scale, placement mistakes, color hues and saturation, focal points and visual clutter.

I encourage agents to get inspired and potentially acquire a new certification and skill set to boost their careers further.

Annette DeCicco is a real estate broker and director of growth and development at Berkshire Hathaway HomeServices Jordan Baris Realty in Northern New Jersey.