Selling a house is about selling the dream of the perfect life to be lived within that new home. To make that dream a reality requires thoughtful home staging—the perfect balance between smart, on-trend decorating and a blank slate that lets buyers imagine themselves living there.

Professional home staging can make a real difference in how fast—and for how much—a house sells. So what should you pay for home staging services? Let’s dig into the data.

The only wrong way to stage a home is not to stage it at all. Light furnishing and decorative touches that create a warm, welcome space are ideal—and paying for the upgraded look can have big benefits on the bottom line when you sell.