The purpose of staging is to prepare a home for selling, making it appealing to as many buyers as possible so it spends less time on the market and sells for as close to asking price as possible,
if not more.
As the majority of buyers are searching online for their next home, you have to ensure that yours stands out to appeal to the most amount of potential buyers which will make them to want to view your property and not just click past your listing.
Styled Living can offer a range of very affordable Staging services including not only full home furniture rental services but advice on how to define rooms, furniture placement, choosing complimenting colour palettes, design updates and all the information you would need to maximize your property’s potential.
To give you an idea of where to get started, here are our top 10 tips:
1.Declutter and Clean
It might sound so simple but giving your home a really good deep clean and clearing away unnecessary clutter can make a huge difference. An unclean house can be extremely off putting and turn buyers away immediately and cluttered spaces can make rooms seem smaller and can make it hard for buyers to see the rooms potential. Just make an early start on packing and store away any items that aren’t needed before you move out to reduce the clutter.
2. Depersonalize and Neutralize
The main aim of Home Staging is to make a buyer feel like they could move in the moment they walk through the door. If you have too many of your own personal belongings on display the buyer feels like they are walking through your home, not their potential new one, so limit the amount of personal items you have on show. Preference to colours can also put buyers off. Loud, bright colours don’t appeal to everyone and it could mean the difference between a sale if the potential buyer feels that they already have the cost and job of repainting to do once they move in. To appeal to the masses keep every room a neutral colour. Stick to off whites and warm, light tones of grey and beige.
3. Curb appeal
First impressions count and if your home doesn’t look appealing from the outside, a buyer can already be put off before they even walk through the door. Ensure that your front door and window frames are in good condition. Any wall cracks are sealed and painted. Neaten up your garden and move dustbins out of the way if they are on show.
4. Repairs
Fix any repairs throughout the home. Wall or ceiling cracks filled and painted. Leaky or broken taps fixed or replaced. Replace cracked tiles etc.
5. Define rooms
The main living areas of your property should be defined so it is easy for buyers to see the potential of each room and not get confused as to what a space should be used for. Don’t double up functions like an office in the Dining room or leave rooms empty. Give buyers a clear indication of exactly what each rooms function is.
Styled Living – Staging Before & After
6. Furniture placement and scale
To maximize a rooms potential, furniture should be placed correctly and should be the right scale for that room. Having too many pieces of furniture in a room can make it feel crowded and smaller than it actually is. Furniture that is too large and bulky can have the same effect.
7. Main rooms to focus on
If you feel you can’t tackle your whole home the main rooms to focus on would be: Kitchen, Living area, Dining room, Master Bedroom, Main Bathroom.
8. Modern updates
Most Buyers are looking for modern, move in ready homes. If there are any areas of your home that are dated and need modernising there are some inexpensive ways to do this.
Kitchen – Paint cabinets and replace handles. Tile stickers can cover a dated backsplash.
Living areas – Throws can be used to cover dated sofas / armchairs. New scatter cushions or rugs instantly modernise and add warmth.
Bedrooms – Plain white bedding with colour accents make a bedroom feel bright and clean.
Lighting – Change outdated light fixtures and add extra lighting in the way of standing and table lamps where possible to create more light and ambiance. Adding mirrors will also increase light and can make spaces feel bigger if positioned across from windows.
Art – Inexpensive modern art prints can instantly update a space.
9. Remove signs of pets and children
Where possible remove all signs of pets; food bowls, beds, litter trays etc. as this can be off putting to some buyers. Try to limit children’s toys to one or two areas, their bedrooms and a playroom. Move all toys, books etc. out of adult spaces like the living area and dining room.
10. Set the mood
Adding a scent in the home will make it feel clean and fresh. Add fresh flowers, scented candles, diffusers etc. but make sure the scents are not too overpowering.
We hope these tips will get you well on your way to selling your property but if you feel that you could benefit from our professional advice we can offer our services completely online. All we require is photos of the property, interior and exterior and following a telephonic / skype consultation we can then determine the best service for you.