General condo staging advice, declutter, depersonalize, fix the small stuff, still applies here. I've covered that ground in the seller resources section. What that generic advice misses is the one asset a waterfront unit has that almost nothing else on the market can compete with. The view. Staging here means protecting it, not just tidying around it.
Furniture placement is a sightline problem first
Before you think about style, think about what a buyer sees the moment they walk in. If a sofa, a bookshelf, or a dining table blocks the direct line from the entrance to the window, you've buried your best asset behind furniture. Walk your own unit from the front door and notice exactly when the water first becomes visible. That moment should happen as early as possible, not three rooms in.
Window treatments matter more than usual
Heavy drapes, patterned blinds, or anything that visually competes with the view works against you here. Simple, light-filtering treatments that can be fully opened for showings let the water do the selling. If your current window coverings are dated or bulky, this is one of the higher-return small fixes available to a waterfront seller specifically.
Light behaves differently near water
Reflected light off the lake shifts through the day in a way inland units simply don't experience. If you can, time your listing photos and your open house for whichever part of the day shows your specific exposure best, whether that's soft morning light on an east-facing unit or a dramatic sunset on a west-facing one. This is a genuine advantage most sellers don't think to use deliberately.
Don't over-stage the balcony
A cluttered balcony with too much furniture, planters, or storage bins reads as lost square footage instead of usable outdoor space with a view. Keep it minimal, a small seating arrangement at most, so buyers can picture themselves out there rather than working around your stuff.
The mistake I see most often
Sellers sometimes overcompensate with heavy, formal staging, trying to make the unit look luxurious, when the view itself is already doing that work. The units that photograph and show best usually lean simpler than sellers expect, letting the water be the statement piece instead of competing with it.
If you're getting ready to list, I'm happy to walk your specific unit and flag exactly where the sightlines and light work in your favour, and where they don't yet.