Dressed to Impress: Home staging to sell your property faster

Popular sentiment has it that you only get one chance to make a first impression. This certainly also applies when showing a property to a potential buyer – you want to make sure the space is immediately appealing and inviting. Enter home staging, as described by Wikipedia, the “act of preparing a private residence for sale in the real estate marketplace”.

Simply put, it’s the steps you take to make your home more attractive for potential buyers with the aim of selling it faster and potentially for more money.

Of course price plays a role too but potential buyers are likely to only look at properties in their price range anyway, so the cosmetic and aesthetic details are ultimately what helps to set one property apart from other.

“The final decision for a potential buyers is often about the experience and the feeling they get when they walk into a home, rather than about the price exclusively,” explains Bruce Swain, CEO of Leapfrog Property Group.

People need to be able to imagine themselves living in the space, and everybody wants to live in a beautiful home, so it’s about making it more desirable, which is where home staging comes in very handy.

Luckily you don’t necessarily need to recruit the services of expensive interior decorators to make a home look great. There are many small things sellers can do themselves, and a professional estate agent will definitely also be able to advise on ways to ensure a home looks the part for the market.

Here are some useful tips for making sure your property is the best dressed address in the neighbourhood:

Clear away the clutter

Nothings says chaos quite like clutter! It’s easy to overlook your own clutter, but rather essential to pack it away when potential buyers come for a viewing. “An untidy, cluttered home can be a major deterrent, particularly in high-use spaces like the kitchen and bathroom,” Swain notes. 

Sweetly scented

The way a space looks is only one part of its appeal. Make a home look good, but don’t forget to ensure that it smells great too, as scent has a surprisingly strong effect on our emotions. “It’s a good idea to have a pot of coffee brewing or something tasty baking in the oven. Similarly a scented candle or a mild, but refreshing, room spray can make a subtle difference.” Also don’t forget to take the rubbish out, wipe surfaces and clear the kitchen sink.

Inside out

While it’s the inside that seals the deal, the outside is not to be neglected. The outside of a home is the potential buyer’s first experience of the property, which is why it’s important to make a favourable impression even before they step through the door. “Make the wall and make sure the garden is neat and tidy. Even if there is no garden, make sure the veranda, balcony or walkway is clean and unobstructed. A potted plant also goes a long way in adding greenery and life to an outside area,” Bruce recommends.

From beyond the fence

It’s also useful to consider matters from the buyer’s point of view, Swain says. “A buyer has likely looked at tens of properties, with many of them starting to look and feel the same. Often the ones that stand out are those that have enjoyed some TLC in the form of home staging.”

In countless instance, the decision to purchase a property is made emotionally and later rationalised intellectually and financially, Swain concludes. “Home is where the heart sees itself flourishing, which is why it is so useful for the seller to encourage the potential buyer by employing the soft interventions mentioned here.”