Have you ever found yourself scrolling through house listings, only to be stopped dead in your tracks by that house? It’s the one where it doesn’t even look like the owners have had a quick tidy-up. The beds are unmade; there’s washing on an airer in the middle of the living room and dishes in the sink. Would you add it to your favourites list? Probably not.
Which is a shame. Under all the mess could be your dream home. You’ll never know it, though, because the truth is that first impressions count. When you’re buying a house, you want to be able to imagine a new and exciting life there, not be confronted with a week’s worth of washing up.
Why staging matters
Creating a great first impression might seem frivolous, but it can have a huge impact on your sale. Some studies have shown that a staged home can fetch up to 10% more and sell twice as quickly. We’re talking about a big amount of money, all from spending a bit of time and care to show your home in the best possible light.
Staging matters at every stage of the process. Photos of your staged home online are the first contact a potential buyer has with your property and could be the thing that sparks an initial interest. Once you’ve hooked people in, they need to have a further positive experience on a home visit.
The Basics of Good Staging
A well-staged home is beautiful but also neutral. Its purpose is to present a possible lifestyle, and that needs to leave room for a little imagination. Keeping decor light, bright and clean creates a calm and welcoming environment, but still leaves space for people to picture their favourite furniture, paintings and plants in situ.
Be prepared to spend some money. A fresh coat of paint can do wonders for any room, but you should be cleaning walls and woodwork at the very least. Think about taking things out before adding anything new. Most well-staged homes have had a significant amount of personal clutter removed.
Staging can be more difficult if you’re selling a tenanted property, where collaboration becomes key. Get your tenants on board with incentives if you can, such as allowing them to keep items you buy for staging like soft furnishing or even negotiating a rent discount while you sell. You can’t force tenants to overhaul their living space or put away their personal belongings, so working with them respectfully is key.
Consider all the senses
Staging isn’t just about appealing front gardens and carefully chosen soft furnishings. It’s much more holistic than that. Good staging should consider all the senses.
Temperature
Keep it pleasantly warm, but open a window or two if the weather permits for freshness. You don’t want anyone to come through the front door and start shivering.
Light levels
A dark or gloomy house can be very off-putting. Make the most of natural light by fully opening all curtains and blinds, and switch on lamps if you need to add cosiness. Avoid overhead lighting and absolutely no bare bulbs, please!
Source: Unsplash
How Does Your House Smell?
If you have pets, consider a professional carpet clean and have plenty of air purifiers around to take away as much smell as possible. Replace with welcoming scents like freshly baked bread or coffee. And yes, it’s okay to deliberately put the kettle on and bake a batch of shop-bought cookie dough just before people arrive.
Consider Sound
If you have noisy neighbours or live near a busy road, you might prefer to keep windows shut to minimise external noise. Estate agents have mixed opinions about playing music. Some say it’s distracting and suspicious, others say it can increase homeliness. If you do play music, keep it classical and low volume.
Add Textures
Texture can come in obvious forms, like sheepskin rugs and strokeable velvet cushions, but it can take other forms too. Think areas of wood panelling, marble worktops and textured wallpapers. Texture creates layers and turns your home from something flat into something full of interest and warmth.
Once you’ve attacked your home from all angles and have it looking, smelling and feeling relaxing and luxurious, you may even decide you don’t want to sell after all!