Staging without a budget?

Recently, I was asked to stage a home that saw its last remodel sometime in the seventies. The wall-to-wall carpeting and chandelier were completely outdated! This was a bit of a challenge because no updates could be made as the elderly home owner literally had no staging budget. Luckily, most of the furniture had already been moved to storage, except for a large sofa and a dining table with 6 chairs.

We cleared the entry way of its old discolored doormat and random planters. We re-positioned the furniture and had the carpet professionally cleaned. To finish, we brought in some colorful flowers, attractive wall art and a floor lamp. The dining table was staged with its leaf put away and a coffee maker in the kitchen took care of the very important aroma of fresh coffee. All-in-all a very minimal staging job for under $400.