Inside a standout occupied staging project from RESA® member Liz Pensiero who is a part of the RESA® Sold Over List Price Club and owns a RESA® Accredited Staging Business you’ll find a clear example of how to prepare your home for sale with impact and intention.
Selling an occupied home always poses a unique challenge, one that a talented home stager is uniquely positioned to solve.
How do you take a space that’s being lived in and transform it into something that feels fresh, welcoming, and move-in ready for today’s buyers?
Liz Pensiero recently staged a Stamford listing with great bones, charming details, and homeowners still living in the space. By the time the home hit the market, it sold for $280,000 over the asking price in just one weekend.
Liz Pensiero of Liz Pensiero Staging and Designs, LLC is a top-tier professional home stager based in Fairfield County, Connecticut. Known for her comfortable, buyer-focused approach to design, Liz has staged everything from empty bank-owned properties to mid-century condos and historic carriage homes.
Her guiding principle is simple: homes should feel inviting, informal, and livable. With every project, Liz considers how the future buyer might use the space—whether it’s a young family, an empty-nester, or a remote worker—then tailors her staging to highlight functionality and warmth.
As a RESA®-Accredited Staging Business™, CE-certified instructor, and three-time recipient of the RESA® “Top 10 Redesigner of the Year” award, Liz brings a collaborative mindset to every project—positioning herself as a marketing partner to the listing agent, not just a decorator. Her work focuses on real homes, real buyers, and real results.
The Paint Consultation
As the first step, Liz walked through the home with the family and recommended paint colors that would modernize and brighten key spaces. The goal was to create a clean, cohesive look that would photograph well and appeal to a broad range of buyers.
Liz’s paint selections helped elevate the overall aesthetic while honoring the home’s traditional charm.
Thoughtful Enhancements for an Occupied Home
This wasn’t a full redesign, no furniture was removed, and the layout remained true to the family’s daily life. Instead, Liz layered in subtle but impactful enhancements in just a couple rooms:
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She brought in select accessories and soft goods from her own inventory.
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She edited existing furnishings to reduce visual clutter.
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She rearranged key pieces to improve flow and balance throughout the home.
Liz’s approach focused on maximizing what was already in the home by editing down furniture, simplifying accessories, and thoughtfully rearranging each room.
After occupied staging (R) and the photo before staging above.
In the living spaces, she created clear walking paths that made it easy for buyers to move through and take in focal points like the large picture windows, the fireplace, and built-in shelving.
In the dining room, a modern table and chairs replaced heavier traditional pieces, allowing the natural light and spacious layout to take center stage.
These layout adjustments helped the home feel open, intentional, and easy to navigate both in photos and during showings.
An Incredible Sale Joins the Sold Over List Price Club
In just one weekend, the homeowners received an offer for $280,000 over the asking price. Their total investment in staging and the paint consultation was under $4,000.
This project is now part of the RESA® Sold Over List Price Club, which celebrates home staging projects that significantly exceeded their list price with the help of professional staging services.
This home is a great example of how to prepare your home for sale with a limited budget and timeline.
What the Data Tells Us About How People Prepare Their Homes for Sale
Liz’s project, an occupied home staged with a mix of homeowner items and stager inventory represents a growing segment of the industry.
While vacant staging remains the most common service real estate agents think of when they hear the word “staging”, the data from Q1 2025 submissions to the RESA® Sold Over List Price Club shows that occupied staging continues to drive strong results, especially when paired with services like a paint consultation.
Here’s how staging services broke down:
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36.5% of the properties in the Sold Over List Price Club in Q1 of 2025 invested in Vacant staging services.
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15.1% of the properties in the Sold Over List Price Club in Q1 of 2025 invested in a staging consultation.
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11.9% of the properties in the Sold Over List Price Club in Q1 of 2025 invested in a color consultation.
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8.2% of the properties in the Sold Over List Price Club in Q1 of 2025 Invested in occupied staging services using a mix of rented inventory + homeowner items.
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7.5% of the properties in the Sold Over List Price Club in Q1 of 2025 Invested in occupied staging services using only the homeowners items.
Who covers the cost of staging?
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Homeowners: 75.6%
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Real estate agents: 17.8%
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Builders/developers: 4.4%
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Shared cost: 2.2%
This reinforces a key point: Most sellers are investing in their own home preparation, and it’s paying off.
How to Prepare Your Home for Sale: Tips from the Real Estate Staging Association®
Understanding how to prepare your home for sale is especially important if you’re staying in the home while it’s listed.
Here are five expert-approved tips to help you prepare effectively:
1. Start with a stager who offers occupied services
Not every home needs a stager to bring in a bunch of inventory. A blend of your furniture and a stager’s curated touches can often be more than enough.
2. Schedule a paint consultation
Color updates are low-cost but high-impact. Even a simple refresh can make a big difference in photos and showings. According to the National Association of REALTORS®, painting the interior of a home brings high satisfaction and broad appeal, earning a perfect Joy Score of 10 in their Remodeling Impact Report.
3. Let the architecture lead
Show off key features like fireplaces, windows, hardwood floors, or built-ins by opening up space around them.
4. Keep transitions smooth
Buyers should be able to move easily from room to room. Arrange furniture to allow clear walkways and sightlines.
A Final Thought
This project is proof that preparing your home for sale doesn’t have to mean starting from scratch. With the right home stager and a clear plan, even lived-in homes can stand out no matter the market. Whether you’re working with what you have or blending in a few finishing touches, staging is one of the most strategic steps a homeowner can take to maximize their sale.
If you’re wondering how to prepare your home for sale this season, start with a stager and a paint consultation.
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Felicia has a background in production design and studied at Academy Of Art University where she had a focus in Motion Pictures And Television. In her free time you can find her reading about the latest marketing trends or hanging out with her husband in Disneyland.
