When thinking about buying a property, the online space is generally the first point of engagement. The experience is visual. The last thing a seller needs is for potential buyers to scroll right past their home because they got distracted by something more enticing.
At the same time, most viewers make the physical journey to stand outside that very same home that they saw online. Once those feet cross that real-world door, it’s imperative to make the best impression possible. If a home has been on the market for some period of time, buyers will subconsciously question whether something is wrong – no matter how perfect it looks.
It can be both disappointing and frustrating to receive an offer that does not match one’s expectation of the value of one’s home. It can also be quite stressful waiting for that perfect offer when one has already moved on in one’s own mind. Here’s where home staging can make the process that much smoother.
Home staging is about doing the marketing properly the first time
Research has shown that 82% of potential buyers are unable to visualise themselves living in your space. Whether you’re selling a completely empty space or a functioning home, the majority of buyers and renters need to be guided to see the bigger picture and imagine the property as their own.
The goal of planned staging is to attract the most potential buyers within the target demographic and then sell the property in the shortest time frame. The aim is to accentuate the positives and guide buyers to make quick decisions while minimising the chance of nit-picking.
Staged properties fetch significantly higher returns on investments, matching or exceeding sale prices of unstaged or empty homes. Staging also decreases the time your property is on the market.
“Anna and her team at ADA Atelier staged my flat in NW London. Great communication and energy, which gave me so much confidence, in what was a very quick turnaround. They took care of everything and the flat looked great… I wish I had contacted her earlier, before I put my property on the market to have given the first viewers the much improved first impression.
Tal, Houzz , Average rating: 5 out of 5 stars, Client
What do I mean when I say that home staging takes careful planning?
It’s an art and a science that requires an eye for interior design, real estate knowledge and insights into human psychology.
Key Planning Areas in Home Staging
Defining the requirements and timelines
The start of home staging planning is fully understanding the seller’s needs.
Understanding where the property is located, the price point and the style of the home are all important factors. Professional stagers have an understanding of specific markets and their target demographics. They are experienced with dealing with competition in that same space. They also take cognisance of what the seller feels are the best attributes of both their home and the location. These attributes can be celebrated through home staging.
When seller and home stager sit together to define the requirements, a clear plan of action with concrete deliverables is the start to a good working relationship. Clear expectations make for a better outcome. Clarity allows the seller to confidently hand over the project to the professional home stagers.
Addressing the flaws and fixes
Buyers don’t want to take on other people’s problems. No matter the intricacies of staging required, any problem areas known to the seller must be addressed and repaired at the very start of the project.
Even the most beautiful of homes have daily wear and tear. That broken faucet or scratch on the wall can undermine the purpose of staging. A dingy dark corner or peeling paint can dramatically change how the property is perceived.
A buyer’s readiness to make an offer is directly impacted by that buyer’s perception of how well the property has been maintained. We want the buyer to feel that they can move right in.
Decluttering and depersonalising
Clutter is a distracting nuisance. It draws energy to where it is not needed. It can even make a space feel smaller. We want potential buyers to see what the space has to offer.
While personal touches make a home liveable and comfortable for the owner, a new buyer has no sentimental value attached to the owner’s items. Staging aims to display the home so the buyer can envision themselves just moving in. At the same time, the staging must appeal to their senses. This step is part of the planning.
Setting the scene
This is where we, as home stagers, spin our true magic and transform your property for that wider appeal.We work indoors and outdoors to repurpose space, create focal points and enhance your home for the final reveal.
I’ll leave the behind-the-scenes planning and process for this stage for another blog. It deserves a full blog of its own!
Going to market
Launching a home to market is all about transferring a consistent professional look to the various online and printed channels. No staging is complete without the follow-through. Additional services like professional photography of the home and virtual tours complete the home stager’s offerings.