She maintains that staging is affordable and can fit into anyone’s budget. “The investment of staging is far less than the cost of the first price reduction if the home doesn’t sell within sixty days,” she said There are several approaches that can be taken she said, one is to use the existing items in the home and just redo the rooms to make it more appealing. Another option is to bring items into the home including lamps, rugs, mirrors, pictures and bed coverings. She said she very seldom has to do an extreme home makeover. Livingston, a member of the International Association of Home Staging Professionals, suggests “If a home is empty the flaws will be more obvious but a furnished home is more inviting,” Livingston said. She also suggests that you have your home staged before you contact a Realtor. Livingston, who works in Harford, Baltimore, Cecil and Carroll counties, said, “You only have one chance to make a first impression.”