Getting your clients’ homes ready for the market requires a pretty long to-do list: cleaning, decluttering, renting a storage unit, and making repairs, to name a few. However, staging is often forgotten about despite being an integral part of the process. It can often get lost in the shuffle, not to mention the added cost of hiring a professional stager. If you’d rather save money by taking on this responsibility yourself, here are some tips that will have you staging like a pro in no time.

Set a budget.

Staging can quickly turn into an expensive undertaking, even without hiring a professional to take on the responsibility. Make sure you sit down with your clients and set a realistic budget for this aspect of selling a home. If this means lowering their expectations so they don’t think the result will be a Kardashian-worthy home, then make sure to have that conversation early on.

Depersonalize (but not too much).

This is an aspect of staging that results in different opinions, but generally speaking, your client’s home should be depersonalized to an extent. You don’t want to strip the home to be completely void of color, art, and character, but it still shouldn’t be a total reflection of their personalities. Prospects want to be able to envision what their life would look like in that house, not just see the people who live there currently.

Focus on lighting.

If there’s anything that should be replaced or shined, it’s the lighting fixtures. Lighting is a crucial part of open houses and private showings—people want to be able to see the home they’re thinking of buying. This can also be a focal point of the room, so if you want to add a decorative element while increasing light at the same time, going with a more ornate fixture can help kill two birds with one stone.

Know the clientele.

Based on neighborhood comps, you should have a pretty good idea of who the potential home buyers are. Stage the space accordingly! A home in the city would have a different feel from one you’re trying to sell in the countryside—the staging should reflect that.

Liven up the space.

This should be taken in the literal sense. Plants and fruits add an element of liveliness to the space that won’t go unnoticed by prospects. Anything that adds freshness to the home is a win, and they’ll appreciate the extra effort.

Heed these staging tips for when you want to take on this crucial home selling responsibility yourself, and know that you’re one step closer to a closed deal.