Staging vs. Styling: The Simple Difference

Home Staging & Photo Styling are two terms you'll hear when selling your home. Both are important, but they mean very different things.

Staging works for both empty houses and homes where people still live. Stagers can use your current furniture or swap it out for new pieces. For the purpose of this article we'll start from scratch.

This kitchen is ready for Home Staging and Photo Styling

Home Staging: Setting Up the Whole House

Think of home staging as furnishing the house for the buyer.

A stager brings in furniture and decor to make the whole space look its best for the target buyer. It’s a big, long-term change.

• What it is: Bringing in or moving furniture, decluttering, and decorating every room.

• When: Weeks or months before photos are taken and furnishings remain for showings & open houses

• The Goal: To help buyers imagine living there.

• Result: A beautiful, organized house that feels welcoming.

Photo Styling: Perfecting the Picture

Think of styling as touching up the scene for the camera.

A photo stylist focuses on small, fine details right before a photo is taken. It’s a temporary change that only lasts for the shoot.

• What it is: Placing items like a bowl of fruit, a coffee cup, or carefully adjusting pillows and blankets.

• The Goal: To make each photograph look perfect and appealing online.

• When it happens: Right before the photographer takes the shot; items may be moved around or removed afterward.

• Result: High-impact photos that stand out in a listing.

The Bottom Line:

Staging sets the beautiful scene (the big picture).

Styling makes the photograph of that scene look amazing (the small details).

For pictures that will stand out and have the impact to sell homes, you need both AND a premier photographer that can capture both artisticly!

The VSI Group provides one hour of complimentary photo styling on each photography shoot. We have a list of preferred home stagers. Contact me for more details. tiffany@thevsigroup.com