I would like to share a story about the power of staging and marketing in real estate.
Homes that have been staged tend to sell faster and for considerably more money. Home staging is a marketing strategy. It’s all about capturing your target market or, more accurately, your buyer. This is done through beautiful photography, strategic videos and smart furniture and decor staging.
I was asked to help stage a little maisonette in Highgate that sold in record time for a record price after I completed the project! Before staging, this Pond Square listing had sat on the market for six months without any interested buyers.
I am used to working in top locations with incredible properties that already tick all the boxes on my very first visit. However, when I stepped into this particular home, I felt a bit disappointed. This felt like a hobbit house. The ceiling was low, the staircase narrow, and the doors small. Despite it being in a fantastic location, directly facing the famous Pond Square in Highgate, the price (to me) seemed a bit too high – especially since the back of the house was right on the high street. A very charming high street but a busy one.
However, I was determined to make this work. I knew that if we furnished the house in a smart, stylish way it would become appealing; after all, it had plenty of charm.
That’s where Atelier ADA and home staging came into play. Home staging helps buyers to see themselves living in a home. Having more people who can picture themselves in the space means better-performing home listings. Moreover, home staging allows you to highlight the best features of your home. You get to frame your home’s narrative, accentuating positive aspects and distracting from any negatives in the space.
To draw attention away from the negatives of the house, we reframed the spaces positively by using home staging techniques to make the interior feel larger, cosier and more inviting. We also helped the property look its best through beautiful photography and strategically shot video footage.
Looking at the ‘Before’ and ‘After’ images above, the difference between the two images is stark. These images look like two completely different homes, and that’s entirely the point. While the ‘Before’ image (right) is uninviting, cold and bare, the ‘After’ image (left) is inviting, warm and cosy. It would be easy for anyone to see themselves in this space after staging. Although we know that staging hasn’t changed the amount of space available, the ‘Before’ image looks smaller and more confined.
When working with homes with physical aspects that cannot be changed – such as fireplaces, flooring or, in our case, the staircase – the next best solution is to highlight the feature (if it’s visually appealing or interesting). If it’s not, it’s best to work around the feature – to incorporate it and make it, in a sense, disappear. As the staircase was quite dated and awkwardly positioned, we opted to blend the staircase into the design rather than turning it into a focal point.
This meant that buyers could now appreciate the space for what it was, and what it could be, without zeroing in on the staircase as they had previously.
Venture a guess: which space do you think buyers would prefer?
While the previous images demonstrated the importance of photography and perspective, these images are a testament to furniture placement and interior design.
While the images are of the same room and taken from the same angle, it’s clear to see which room is the winner. The first image is drab, dark and bare; the second image is lively, light and full of character. This is all thanks to proper staging of the space. Not only does the room in the ‘After’ image look better, it also looks bigger. We created the illusion of space by including a large rug, solid furniture pieces and a glass coffee table as opposed to a wooden or solid table.
Home staging achieves these kinds of success stories through using expert design choices within clever strategies to capture the given target market. Staging optimises interior decor and enhances all aspects of the space while concealing any less-than-ideal characteristics.
Staging is not interior design, although interior design does play a major role in the home staging process and its services. Instead, staging is marketing at its finest. It’s a combination of property enhancements that appeal to buyers both physically and emotionally. Staging ensures the property puts its best foot forward through photography and videos. These marketing tactics help owners find tenants or sell their property faster and at a higher price point.
I also knew that we had to link the house to its wider area – to the fantastic parks, first-class schools and local historical landmarks. Great photography wasn’t going to be enough; we needed a video that “tells the story” – and a very special one in this case! An outstanding one.
I will not say any more. Please go to our YouTube channel and watch the ‘Before’ and ‘After’ videos. They speak for themselves!