Home Staging - a few pointers

I'm always searching for my next project and just this morning I saw a few photos of properties, I'll explain as I go along, but firstly will say that I don't own any of these photos, they are all images on the internet*.   

Firstly, if you have a bedroom which is a little small, an oversized teddy bear does not help.  I'm not in any way advocating misleading buyers about the room size, but a small teddy would help to add scale to the room.

At first glance, there is nothing really wrong with this picture, my problem is that it is listed as a dining room.  I'm sorry, but if it's got a front door and the stairs, and other rooms off it, it's a hall (unless it's a traditional style terrace where the front door opens straight onto the front room).  

Also, a table pushed up against a wall just screams about a lack of space, I would suggest buying or borrowing a smaller table or removing the table and replacing with a large rug for a really welcoming large hall.

I'm not saying don't put up Christmas decorations if your house is on the market, but it's February and really your agent should have been back to take new non-Christmassy pictures.  Same goes for snow.  I saw a picture on rightmove last August that had snow, it just didn't give the right impression.  Of course there are now websites which anyone can look at to see how long a house has been on the market (or most agents will tell you) but it certainly doesn't make me think, "Wow, I need to go and see this property today before anyone else snaps it up!"

Remember that you are paying your agent a lot of money and coming out a couple of times to take new photos is minimal work for them.  If your property is on the market for more than 6 months, I would strongly suggest a new set of images anyway, maybe following some rearranging or decorating, and taken from some new or different angles.  If a buyer has been looking for a long time, maybe a fresh look would make them interested.

*If one of the pictures is your house and you would like me to remove it, please get in touch and I will immediately.  I will also offer you a free consultation to see if I can assist you in styling your home to its full potential.

House Staging - what is it all about?

While selling a home can be difficult, making the decision to sell is often harder.  No matter how much you love your home, there will always be things that aren't perfect for someone else.  But it isn't always easy to see or accept.

At the moment, people are stretching themselves so far financially that they can't afford to buy a property and make many changes. Which means that neutral contemporary properties are selling quickly, houses with lots of work required (but priced accordingly) are the next most popular and there are the majority of properties in the middle left hanging on the market.

If you are stuck in this middle ground, there are options;

1.  Reduce the asking price (the estate agents usual first suggestion). This is a tricky one, its never my first option, but there are cases where purely due to the local market, for example if a few larger properties come on the market for less, when this must be seriously considered.

2.  House staging - DIY, chances are if you are looking to sell you are also looking to buy, so get into your buying mindset and have a good look at your own property.  What would you love, what might put you off? Look online at similar properties that you are competing with, what makes yours better or worse? Are there any unfinished DIY jobs?  

You may notice I use the word property, not home; people don't want to buy your home, they want to buy your property to create their home. 

3.  House staging - professional, I can't speak for all stagers, so I will explain what I do.  My main aim is to help sell your property quickly for the highest possible amount.  I work out the the highest price that the property could reasonably achieve then list the changes that are required. Depending on budget, this can be a DIY list or a list that I project manage. These can be from simple decoration changes to more major layout changes and everything in between. I can also loan accessories and sometimes furniture to save the client buying temporary furniture.

Last week I staged a bedroom as a child's bedroom despite the owners not having children living there at the time, but the house is ideally located for top rated schools, so it will help buyers imagine their children in the room.