Home staging is a powerful tool that can significantly enhance the appeal of your property, potentially increasing its market value and helping it sell faster. By carefully arranging furniture, decor, and other elements, you can showcase your property’s strengths and allow potential buyers to envision themselves living there. Book a property valuation to understand how these improvements can impact your property’s worth. Here’s how home staging can increase your property’s value and some tips on how to do it effectively.
1. First Impressions Matter
Curb Appeal
- Exterior Appeal: The exterior of your home is the first thing potential buyers will see, so it’s important to make a strong first impression. Ensure that your lawn is well-maintained, the pathway is clear, and the front door is clean and inviting. Adding potted plants, a fresh coat of paint to the front door, or updating the house numbers can enhance curb appeal.
- Outdoor Spaces: If you have a garden, patio, or balcony, stage these areas to showcase their potential. A well-placed seating area or a small dining table can help buyers imagine enjoying outdoor living spaces.
Entryway
- Welcoming Entrance: The entryway sets the tone for the rest of the home. Keep it clutter-free, well-lit, and inviting. A console table with a stylish lamp, a mirror, and a small decorative piece can create a welcoming atmosphere.
2. Highlighting Space and Functionality
Declutter and Depersonalise
- Remove Personal Items: Potential buyers need to picture themselves in the space, which can be difficult if it’s filled with personal items like family photos, trophies, or children’s artwork. Removing these items creates a blank canvas for buyers.
- Declutter: Clutter makes spaces look smaller and less functional. Remove unnecessary items from countertops, shelves, and closets. Aim for a minimalist approach that makes rooms appear more spacious and organised.
Furniture Arrangement
- Maximise Space: Arrange furniture to highlight the flow and space of each room. Avoid overcrowding rooms with too much furniture. In smaller spaces, use appropriately sized furniture that fits the room without making it feel cramped.
- Create Focal Points: Identify and enhance the focal point in each room, whether it’s a fireplace, a large window with a view, or a piece of art. Arrange furniture in a way that draws attention to these features.
Room Functionality
- Define Each Space: Clearly define the purpose of each room. For example, if you have a spare room that is used for storage, stage it as a guest bedroom or a home office. This helps buyers see the full potential of the property and how the space can meet their needs.
- Flow and Movement: Ensure there’s a natural flow from room to room. Paths should be clear, and furniture should be arranged in a way that doesn’t block movement or create obstacles.
3. Neutralising and Modernising
Neutral Colors
- Neutral Palette: Use neutral colours on walls, such as soft greys, beiges, or whites. These colours appeal to a broader range of buyers and make rooms feel brighter and more open. Neutral colors also provide a blank canvas that allows buyers to imagine their own style in the space.
- Consistency: Maintain a consistent color scheme throughout the home to create a cohesive and harmonious look. This makes the property feel more polished and well-thought-out.
Modern Touches
- Update Fixtures and Hardware: Replacing outdated fixtures, such as lighting, faucets, and cabinet handles, with more modern options can instantly refresh a space. These small updates can make a big difference in the overall appeal of the home.
- Incorporate Trends Sparingly: While it’s important to keep the home neutral, adding a few trendy elements, like a modern light fixture or stylish throw pillows, can give the space a contemporary feel without overwhelming it.
4. Enhancing Light and Brightness
Natural Light
- Maximise Natural Light: Open curtains and blinds to let in as much natural light as possible. Clean windows and remove any obstructions that block light, such as heavy drapes or bulky furniture near windows.
- Light Colors: Use light, reflective colours on walls and furniture to enhance the effect of natural light. Mirrors can also be strategically placed to reflect light and make rooms feel larger.
Artificial Lighting
- Layered Lighting: Use a combination of ambient, task, and accent lighting to create a warm and inviting atmosphere. Ensure each room is well-lit, with no dark corners or harsh lighting.
- Bulb Choice: Opt for warm-toned light bulbs that create a cosy and welcoming environment. Avoid overly bright or cool-toned lighting, which can make the space feel sterile.
5. Lifestyle Experience Development
Set the Scene: Stage each room with a specific lifestyle in mind. For example, set the dining table as if for a dinner party, or put a book and a soft blanket on a chair by the window. These little things will help the buyers connect emotionally with the space.
Sensory Experience: Consider the overall sensory experience of the home. Employ subtle, pleasant odours such as fresh flowers or a light fragrance diffuser. Soft background music playing can also work to set a calm mood during showings.
Showing Off Key Features
Highlight Unique Features: If your property has unique features such as a fireplace, inbuilt shelving, or a stunning view, be sure these are made obvious. Arrange furniture and decor to draw attention to these features.
Outdoor Living: If the property has outdoor space, make it an extension of living with the inclusion of comfortable seating, plants, and other outdoor decorations to make it inviting.
6. Photography and Virtual Staging
Professional Photography
High-Quality Images: Once your home is staged, you need to invest in professional photography. The high-quality photos have become more important in online listings, where most of the buyers would experience your property for the very first time. Professional photographers know just how to capture the best angles and lighting of a home to make it look great.
Virtual Staging: If your property is empty, or if you want to show different possibilities of a space, then virtual staging is the way to go. You will be able to digitally furnish and decorate rooms to show potential in your property without the cost of physical staging.
Web Presence
Web Listings: Ensure your internet property listing is well-constructed, placing major focus on the staged highlights of your home. Add value to each room, the flow of the house, and the lifestyle that will be lived in the property.
Virtual Tours: Other than photos, you may consider virtual tours or 3D walkthroughs of your house. This will give buyers a wide chance to view your property from afar and imagine the space more accurately.
Conclusion
Home staging is a strategic investment that will appreciably increase the value of your property by making it more attractive to would-be buyers. This will help buyers to feel welcome, appreciate a well-organised home with attractive visuals, and more importantly, be able to perceive living in your home. This opens up the chance for quicker sales at higher bids. Whether you stage the home yourself or choose to have it staged by a professional, the key is to present the property in its best light so it stands out among competitors.
