Twenty years ago, nobody worried about "staging" their home before putting it on the market. Giving it a good scrubbing and hiding the kitty litter box was considered sufficient preparation for putting out the "For Sale" sign. But all that has changed, as more and more home sellers in many parts of the United States enlist the services of home stagers.
As with many trends, once the standards have been raised, it's hard to go back. Your home is no longer your "home", it is a product on the market and staging makes it appeal to all levels of buyers.
Member of Real Estate Staging Association, Atlanta Chapter.