How much does it cost to "stage" your home for sale?

... and what exactly does the term "Staging Your Home" mean?
In short, it  means optimizing your home for sale to broaden its appeal by implementing neutral and /or aesthetic changes so that your home shows as well as it could to as many buyers as possible.

Yes, once a real estate agent mentions staging to a seller, the "how much is this going to cost me" antenna goes up. Relax, "staging your home" doesn't have to cost a cent!  Are there Realtors who charge for this service? Yes. Realtors who offer a one hour complimentary service, but anything after that has a fee attached? Yes. Are there companies that offer staging advice? yes. Do they charge for their services- yes, they do. Personally, I don't ever charge a client for advising them on how to sell their home for the most money. It's part of my job.

So, that being said, ask your real estate agent UP FRONT whether they offer that service, and how much they charge for it. I want to be clear, the advice  should be included in your contract, at no cost. Sometimes, and this is not all the time, I might advise to you to do some minor repairs, or buy (or rent) some furniture, depending on the property. Then, and only then, there might be a cost, but never for my advice. I have a number of affiliate partners who I refer business to, who discount their services to my clients.

Here are a few tips on staging your home that won't cost you anything but time.

Clean! make sure your home is as spotless as you can make it.
Make sure all of your lights are on and opreational for showings (lamps, recessed lights, sconces, etc)
Remove as many "personal effects" from view as possible. By personal effects I mean family photos, trophies, beauty and hygiene products, personal papers, and clothes.
De-clutter wherever needed. That means remove as many items as you can from the kitchen countertop, remove the magnets from the fridge, pack away some of those magazines and books so they are not distracting to buyers, and don't forget to pay some de-cluttering attention to your basement!

These are just a few of many tips. When you hire a Realtor, they will most certainly let  you know exactly what you need to do in order to optimize your home for sale. ... and I hope that Realtor is me!