
Staging a house hasn't caught on all that much in the Merrimack County area of New Hampshire. And I suspect even less in the "North Country."
Many Sellers take the suggestion as a personal criticism and an inexperienced Agent may be uncomfotable in pointing out anything other than the obvious!
I consider myself to have reasonably good taste. And I definately have the sense of when a room is "wrong", but not the gift of how to make it right!
I do ask my Sellers to remove most personal pictures, knicknacks,to store the clutter and deal with any "odors" and of course... clean, clean, clean. But, that is the extent of my expertise.
In an effort to explain the value of Staging I ask the Seller to recall the last time they were at a Model open house. If it was done properly a person would leave with the desire to move right in as soon as they could, but if you asked them any particular features of the house they liked they wouldn't be able to remember any one thing. What they are left with is an IMPRESSION. That is what I want my Sellers to achieve. I don't want a prospective Buyer distracted by "cute" things or adorable pictures and baby toys. And they do get distracted. I want them to see the house. Their house.
I want to see Stagers in Merrimack County....Merrimack County and beyond! They would certainly make my job a lot easier.
If the Stager sets the stage. And the Buyer absorbs the IMPRESSION.....I'll get the Sale!
It's a win/win !! 
Concord NH Realtor Area Information
Joan - I think staging is a great tool for marketing a property. It has long been said that buyers have no imagination when viewing a vacant property or one with too much of the current seller in sight. We have a couple of excellent stagers in our market and they serve our Realtor partners well.
Great post!
James