What's Property Staging and Should You Do It?
Switch on any property show and you’ll see a beautifully styled home with no clutter, immaculate worktops, artfully thrown cushions and shelves full of dust-free ornaments – a dream home (even if completely incompatible with a busy life).
However, beautiful home interiors aren’t just for TV. More and more property sellers are choosing to ‘stage’ their homes to appeal to as many buyers as possible.
While home staging has always been done in America and is common for new-build show homes, it’s growing in popularity.
What is home staging?
It’s basically a temporary makeover for your home with the aim of attracting potential buyers. Home staging strips away all your personal items and creates a space that buyers can imagine themselves living in.
You can stage a single room, a couple of rooms or an entire property. And there are hundreds of home staging companies that will help you to get the look just right.
What are the benefits of home staging?
Last year, research by the Home Staging Association UK and Ireland found that property professionals believed that a styled home attracted more viewings, and that people took more time looking round. In addition, 87% of property professionals thought that staging a property allowed buyers to visualise themselves living there.
New homes are most likely to be staged, but more and more properties that are occupied are also benefitting from being styled for sale. The research also found that a staged property sold quicker than a non-staged one.
Why should you stage your property?
While it might seem like a lot of hassle, staging a property can help your home stand out in a crowded market. This is essential if you’re looking for a quick sale and want to maximise value. It also gets you packed up and ready to move ahead of time.
Also, if your agent is holding an open day, it’s a good idea to present a staged property so you can get lots of buyers seeing your home at its best in one go.
How do you stage a property?
You can find home staging companies online, but this can be expensive. Typically, they’ll find out your budget, what areas you want to stage and how long for. It’s then up to you how you proceed.
If you want to stage a property yourself, add touches such as throws and cushions to your lounge, hide electric cables, use mirrors to reflect light and add colour with plants and flowers. A tried-and-tested home staging trick is to dress your dining table as it conjures up images of cosy family meals or fabulous dinner parties. In the bedroom, add fresh bed linen and colour-coordinated cushions to make it feel comfortable and intimate.
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