I really don't think you should gel stain just the railing and treads darker, while leaving the balusters a lighter stain color. Not only would that look odd, but if you paint the risers white, then you have 3 different colors/finishes going on.

This kind of staircase is meant to be noticed. Apart from the carpet, I would leave it and let new homeowners change it if they want. I don’t think it will be a liability. As for carpet, there are some really interesting patterned yardage that are designed mainly for this sort of installation. Some of them remind me of the hideous 70s era indoor outdoor stuff our parents put in the basements, but some are worth considering. They range from animal, geos, florals, bold, subtle, flat, textured, modern, traditional oriental - really many options. This antelope print has become one of the most popular of the bunch. Your local flooring shop will show you what I mean. There are multiple brands offering them now. Doing something like this in one of the more subtle colors or patterns might help distract from the red oak color and give the stairs a more grand look.

The most dated part of your stair is the balusters. Either paint them or don't bother to do anything.

Agreed completely. I’d change balusters and Carpet otherwise leave as is for new homeowners

Thank you for the comments.

To clarify, my plan was to also gel stain the balusters same as the railing and treads since it would be easier than painting (no taping, multiple primer coats, etc). To save on costs I would do itself.

Optionally I could leave the treads, rail, balusters as is and just paint the risers.

No if you stain the balusters you’re where you are now

The do nothing option is certainty the easiest for me:). I think we will just change the carpet runner.

If the runner is grimy or worn change it othere wise just clean everything twice , declutter and move on . I agree if you want to do somthing paint those baulesters white to work with the molding on the walls . How does that runner relate to the rest of the main floor decor? IMO the runner is not a stand alone item but needs connection to the rest of the space .

We'll be replacing carpeting in the living room and possibly upstairs hall and

thinking doing all the same and use it on the stairs.

Your staircase isn't going to be the deal maker or breaker on the sale of your house. From what I can see in your photos, you have white doors and trim already, something a lot of buyers are looking for now (not a pro, but I have friends that work in real estate and I like to look :) ) so I bet your house already has a lot of nice features. The staircase isn't off putting so I honestly would not spend a lot of time worrying about it.

I personally don't really care for statement carpet on stairs. Not my jam. We just replaced our living room/dining room carpet and went with the same runner for our staircase. It looks clean and cohesive.

I would take off the carpet, clean up everything to show off the fact the stairs are in great shape, then put simple non-flashy stair treads on it so nobody touring the house slips and sues you and it muffles the noise of people tromping up and down.

Simply Home Solid, Gray, Stair Tread · More Info

It is much better to leave things alone yet sparkling clean rather than alter things to ”update” them. The first thing your buyer will notice is whether anything needs repair or is dirty. If it looks solid and well maintained, that will be a great introduction to the house.

Here we have a few of our staircase designs. Please notice the trim, colors, and carpet. In your case the only thing we might update would be the carpet.

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