Why home staging is an important tool to get the best sale
British homebuyers are known to be fast decision-makers when it comes to viewing potential homes. Recent research suggests that the average time taken to make a purchasing decision is only 38 minutes, with a third of properties for sale last year receiving an offer within an hour of having been viewed. A market slowdown is widely forecast for 2023 – and whether this is a temporary reaction to the current cost-of-living crisis, higher mortgage rates and soaring energy bills remains to be seen.
Selling a residential property can be hard work if the presentation lets it down. On the other hand, a good first impression can do wonders for getting a quick sale.
Regardless of whether it’s a buyers’ market or a sellers’ market, the key principle stands: well-presented properties for sale will always attract more interest and should therefore fetch a higher sale price.
What can sellers do to improve the appeal of their home for sale?
Homeowners who wish to put their property on the market are routinely advised to spend some time preparing their home for sale, so that it looks its best when the photographer comes to take pictures for the listing. Sadly, not all sellers see the necessity to put in the extra effort, but those who do will typically be following recommendations to:
- Declutter the home to showcase the property’s space and light to best effect
- Depersonalise any quirky interior design choices to create a blank canvas
- Choose a neutral colour scheme to appeal to a wide audience
- Deep clean the entire property to create a fresh and welcoming atmosphere
- Address any obvious smells and keep pets away as much as possible
- Carry out home repairs and garden tidy-ups as necessary
- Focus on improving the home’s kerb appeal for a good first impression
There is certainly a lot a homeowner can do to optimise the appeal of their property for sale. That said, it is often much harder than it looks to ‘home stage’ your home effectively. Viewing a property through the eyes of prospective buyers may be second nature for an estate agent, but it may not come naturally to the homeowner.
In fact, many sellers find it extremely difficult to look at their long-term home from the perspective of a buyer. It can be very hard to detach yourself from your own home and see clutter instead of personal décor and favoured items. Unfortunately, it’s the first thing that will get noticed during a house viewing.
In recent years, a niche industry has developed to plug this gap. Professional home staging is becoming increasingly popular for residential property sales as well as new-build developments and show homes.
What is professional home staging?
Home staging is a service offered by professional interior stylists and designers. They will visit the property and optimise its appearance through the clever use of colour and paint, furniture and furnishings, mirrors, artwork and other accessories, using the latest trends to make sure the property stands out from the crowd. The brief is to ensure the property looks stylish yet not too personal, enabling the environment to appeal to as many buyers as possible.
By doing so, buyers will be encouraged to see beyond the bare bones of the property and instead focus on the lifestyle it offers and envisage themselves living there. Here is a great example of what can be achieved with clever home staging.
Empty properties, whether newly built or recently vacated, can particularly benefit from home staging. Rather than putting a soul-less space on the market, enlisting the help of a home stager can help to fill it with the right furniture and accessories and present it for sale as a stylish, ready-to-move-into home.
What are the benefits of home staging a property for sale?
Home staging is the secret weapon sellers can employ to ensure buyers see their property in the best light. In an industry where first impressions are everything, and purchasing decisions are routinely made without undue delay, it’s easy to understand how home styling & staging for sale is fast becoming an integral part of marketing residential property for sale.
· Home staging helps buyers to visualise the space
Most homebuyers struggle to see past the existing décor and visualise themselves living in a property that is cluttered, or unfurnished. Staging a home makes it easier to recognise whether the property meets expectations which, in turn, drives faster decision making.
· Home staging showcases the property’s potential
The process of transforming someone’s beloved home into a property for sale involves a degree of depersonalisation. It’s the buyer, not the seller, that the property must now appeal to. By styling for broad appeal, it’s easier for buyers to visualise the property as their future home.
· Home staging highlights key spaces
The most important rooms that sell homes are the main living room, kitchen, dining room and master bedroom suite. Professional home staging will prioritise specific areas in the home that make the biggest impact, creating a wow factor.
· Home staging can increase the sale price
Research by Rightmove has discovered that staged homes fetch around 8% more than non-staged homes for sale. Clever presentation, therefore, is not just a nice-to-have marketing concept, there’s a tangible benefit for the seller to invest in home staging.
· Home staging can get the property sold faster
Properties that don’t appeal to a wide range of buyers, or that have specific issues that may put buyers off, don’t tend to sell quickly and may struggle to fetch the asking price. Home staging is designed to maximise the property’s appeal and sale price.
How much does professional home staging cost?
The cost of professional home staging varies depending on location, expertise and the level of service offered. Average prices are around 0.5-1% of the asking price, with an expected uplift in the sale price of around 3%, which represents a healthy 300-600% return on the investment.
Whether it’s a seller’s market or a buyer’s market, home staging is a highly effective marketing tool that is well worth the investment. One might argue that it is the magic wand that helps attract maximum interest to a property, and get it sold faster and at the best price.
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