Yes on both counts: staging costs are negotiable with your agent, and you can absolutely stage a home that's been sitting. If we were doing it, we'd usually pull the listing off market, stage it, get fresh photography, then relist, often paired with a price improvement, so the home comes back as a new opportunity instead of the same tired listing buyers have already scrolled past. One local detail matters if a clean slate is the goal: in many markets, a listing has to be off market for a set period, commonly around 90 days, before the days-on-market counter resets. That rule varies by market and MLS, so confirm it where you are before counting on the reset. As for who pays for staging, practices differ. Some agents cover it, some split it, some have the seller pay directly. It's typically settled during the listing presentation as part of the broader conversation about services and compensation, all of which is negotiable. Ask the question directly when you interview agents so you know exactly what's included before you sign.