Have you thought about staging a property for sale? Have you heard that term?
Typically people buying houses are only in the house for ten to fifteen minutes so if they can’t see a room’s potential they will dismiss it. It is no good suggesting that dumping ground is a study if you can’t see the floor, let alone space for a desk. Ditto that corner of the lounge that you affectionally refer to as a dining room really isn’t that if it is filled with boxes and things that need to be put away.
So if you house is on the market you need to consider staging it for sale because not only will you sell it more quickly but you will also potentially get closer to the asking price.
But where to start?
Kerb appeal
You know, that first impression your potential buyer will get when they pull up outside with the estate agent. I have written my three top tips for increasing kerb appeal before but essentially fix the creaky gate, paint the fence, trim the hedge, jet wash the front door. You get the picture.
Do any DIY
You don’t want your potential buyer to see jobs that will need doing (unless you have priced your property as a fixer upper). If they see areas they think need to be fixed then they are instantly adding up how much it will cost and that will impact on the price they offer.
Define areas.
If you have put your property up for sale as a three bedroom property, do all the bedrooms have a bed in them? It sounds a ridiculous question but if your small box room is being used as a dressing room, or just a box room and doesn’t have a bed in it, your potential buyer will think it is a two bed. If you have an area or your lounge or kitchen where a dining room table would fit but you dont have one, consider putting one in. When we bought our house I dismissed any house that I couldnt get a table in the kitchen. With three small children under I didnt want to have to carry bowls of cereal to a separate dining room, I wanted them to be able to eat in the kitchen. If you dont have a table in your kitchen but there is space for one (even if against a wall with just two chairs) people might dismiss your house as not being suitable. Show them it is. Websites like FurnitureBox have lots of great ideas for this and don’t forget that you are taking it with you so it’s a good investment for the next place. Can you put a rug in the corner of the lounge with a desk on it, and a book case beside it? Bingo, a home office.
Set the scene
My mother in law taught me this expression as she has a background in amateur dramatics and it really does work. Setting the scene is selling the idea to your potential buyers that your house is the one for them. If you have a patio then why not lay up the table with place mats and glasses? Or string some fairy lights across the fence and add some hurricane lamps to the table. Leave a book and a mug beside the comfortable sun lounger? It creates a space for buyers want to be in. You are telling them “you could have this”
And who wouldn’t want that?!
Home Staging sign courtesy of Shutterstock
Sun lounger photo courtesy of Shutterstock