Home Staging Books and Reviews

Looking for just the right home staging books to teach yourself how to stage or learn about a new career? We've reviewed for you the top home staging books on the market -- unbiased and informed reviews.

Just a note. We don't have a book for sale. Our "book" is this website which we feel is about as comprehensive as it gets. However, we do understand that more information is always better and that you might be looking to expand your staging book library.

With that thought in mind, here are our opinions and reviews of several of the home staging books available on the market today. All books are rated on a 1 (lowest) to 5 (highest) scale taking into account these factors: completeness, quality of information, quality of photos and examples, relevance and uniqueness.

Overall Score: 3.0

This book is illustrated with scores of color photos depicting staging jobs at 8 different styled homes, from a California Ranch to a Luxury Lake Home. The content of the book consists mostly of an introduction to the project home with photo captions describing what staging was done. Many before and after photos tell the story. Although the book was published in 2004, many of the photos depict interiors that are typical 1970s decor and would be considered "tired" in most U.S. city markets by today's standards. The tips given, however, are worthwhile. Given the cost of this book, it wouldn't be our "only" pick but perhaps a supplemental choice once we had a fairly complete library.

Overall Score: 4.0

This is a small, unassuming little book with a lot of very good information. It is written in a brief, outline style and what we would call a "quick read". There are few photos, but the photos that are used illustrate some key points that might be difficult for the reader to visualize. The addition of some floor plans is very helpful for those who are "space challenged" and need to see how rearranging furniture can help a room feel and look more spacious. A good choice for an "only" book.

Overall Score: 4.5

The "for Dummies" entry into the home staging field is a complete guide to home staging written by two stagers. The authors have covered almost all the bases with good information and a few, well-placed photos. Our only complaint about this book is that it is almost an advertisement for CSP stagers and the degree program which we feel detracts from the book somewhat. If you only have one staging book, this should be it.

Overall Score: 2.5

No photos, non-relevant illustrations and just not enough information to make the purchase process worthwhile is our assessment of this book. There are a few good pieces of information in the book and the outline is educational, however, the book is lacking depth and examples. This might be a good "bookstore" read, but once you've skimmed through it, there's not much else.

Overall score: 4.5

This book is quite comprehensive and covers all the important steps to getting a house market-ready. Unlike most home staging books, this book also gives advice on selling and marketing strategies and working with real estate agents. The book covers, in great detail, the fix-up steps before staging begins. We would consider this book as much a real estate book as a staging book, but well written and by a well-known real estate author.

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