What virtual staging costs in Australia

The short answer

Physical styling is the most expensive option and the only one buyers see in person. Hand-edited virtual staging is priced per photo. AI staging costs the least and is the fastest, and it changes only the photos.

Third-party prices are typical ranges, not quotes. Get quotes from local stylists and editors for your property.

Physical styling

A stylist brings hired furniture, art and soft furnishings into the home and collects it after the sale or the hire period. In Australia this typically costs $2,000 to $5,000 for a whole property. The price depends on:

• the size of the home and how many rooms are styled
• how long the furniture stays, and whether the hire period has to be extended
• delivery, installation and pick-up
• the stylist's time and the quality of the pieces

It is the only option that also helps at inspections, because buyers walk through furnished rooms. It also takes the longest to arrange and needs access to the property.

Freelance virtual staging editors

An editor adds furniture to your photos by hand in editing software. Most charge per image, and some charge extra for revisions or faster turnaround. Prices vary a lot between editors and marketplaces, so compare a few quotes and ask what a revision costs.

Per-photo pricing adds up on a whole home. For example, a three-bedroom home with a living room, a dining area and a courtyard is six photos to stage. At a per-photo price, you pay six times over, before any revisions.

AI virtual staging with ListingSight

ListingSight stages each empty room in about two minutes. It keeps the walls, windows, floors, light and camera angle of the photo, and adds furniture in one contemporary Australian look. You can steer the look with a short note and restage any photo.

• Free: two properties a week, up to 5 photos each, as watermarked previews. No card needed.
• $30 per property: up to 15 photos with clean full-resolution downloads, plus the listing description, floor plan and elevation, and a brochure PDF. That is about $2 a photo if you stage all 15.
• $45 a month: unlimited properties with the same inclusions. The first 14 days are free when you add a card.

In the six-photo example above, the cost is $30 for the property, or part of a $45 monthly plan.

When paying more makes sense

• Physical styling suits premium homes where the inspection experience matters as much as the photos, and the vendor will pay for it.
• A freelance editor suits a photo that needs a detailed, custom brief, such as matching a particular furniture range.
• AI staging suits vacant homes, rentals and investor stock, where buyers first meet the property online and the budget is tight.

For a fuller comparison, read virtual staging vs physical staging. Before you publish, read how to label staged photos so they don't mislead buyers.