If the house will sell with out staging because it is a hot area, I don't bother hiring a professional, I will stage lightly like the kitchen cook books, wine classes, plates and silverware at a sit up bar etc., bath with towels, fireplace mantel with my HOME sign, drop a comforter and pillows in the master on the floor and some stuffed animals in the kids rooms.

For a kitchen, I ask when the last time it was updated or remodeled was.

The house is a 1920s house on a corner lot but hasn't had big improvements (outside of a minor reno on the kitchen) - there's no central AC, for example.  

I scheduled a time to look into the home and when the time came we went to see it... kitchen had caught a fire and is in complete ruins, there is mold on the ceilings around the place, fire in kitchen went thru the roof and they placed a cardboard over it but from the inside you can still see outside, critters have come thru and torn up the place, the floorboards are all crumpled and lifted, garage is full of trash, the land hasn't been touched for any type of landscaping or lawn maintenace, inground pool is full of sea-like-weed but the biggest issue that I seen was when as soon as you go thru the backdoor into the home are stairs that lead to the basement.

THIS EXCELLENT,THREE LEVEL TOWNHOME,FEATURES 2 BEDROOMS,2.5 BATHROOMS,WITH SPACIOUS BEDROOMS,AN OPEN KITCHEN,HARDWOODS THROUGH OUT THE MAIN LEVEL,AN UNFINISHED BASEMENT THAT'S STUBBED OUT FOR A FULL BATHROOM AND BEDROOM,THAT'S NESTLED IN A GREAT IN A GREAT LOCATION.SOL AS IS, NO REPAIRS OR REPAIR CREDIT.Now here is an example of one done by J Scott's wife Carol.  

The kitchen is rampant with roaches, flies and gnats.

The biggest debate is what to do in the entry, living, kitchen, hallway and utility areas.

I have seen pictures of it and the description in the MLS says that the kitchen has been remodeled.

Hi,We do put carpet in bedroom and living rooms, not kitchens or dinettes.

Everything I had been reading up to this point led me to believe a rehab was to fix the broken things, paint, and maybe redo an out dated kitchen or bath.