Staging vacancies

[Josh L.]

How do you stage vacancies? 

Are there any inexpensive tips or hacks on how to stage a vacancy?

When I google this topic, they assume that the place isn't vacant so suggested cheap ways to stage a home are more about decluttering and moving around existing furniture.

I know about the air mattress trick that will look like a bed for the bedrooms, but are there any similar tricks for living rooms? I have a long and empty large living room that needs something in it to give it some sense of the scale of the place.

I was thinking about hiring a professional to take pictures because I don't have the equipment- DSLR camera, wide angle lens, tripod, etc..  

But, I don't know if its worth the cost if the place is vacant because those real estate photographs really don't pop when the place is vacant. At the very least, I want to be able to stage my vacancy just for the photographs.

Some people might just borrow and bring their own furniture from home to stage a vacancy. But, that really won't work for my situation. I have a 4 door sedan so a sofa won't fit in it. Plus, I have to carry all the stuff up a flight of stairs just to get to the living room. 

And, how do you stage the kitchen?

Do you clear everything off the countertops to show off how large those countertops are? Or, are you supposed to leave a bowl of fruit on the countertops?

For the bathrooms, is it just some white towels and that's it?

Any other staging tips that you do?