Five home staging tips to get your home sold this winter
Tue 01 Sep 2020
While the UK combats the ongoing coronavirus pandemic, activity in the property market remains strong.
According to property website Rightmove, July was the busiest month for the housing market in over 10 years, with a huge proportion of people taking advantage of the stamp duty holiday and record-low interest rates.
Buyers are also relocating to outer-London areas for properties with larger living spaces for a potential home office and sizeable gardens.
As a seller, now is a good time to sell as the market remains competitive. First impressions are paramount and a few simple changes to your home can make all the difference when it comes to attracting potential buyers.
With this in mind, we lean on research by interior design company Vesta to reveal the top five home staging tips for viewings – virtual or otherwise.
Set the scene
With more people working from home as a result of the pandemic, properties with significant living space have become a priority for buyers, so you will need to show the potential for space in your home.
Once you’ve removed any necessary items – such as extra side tables or children’s toys/objects – set out furniture in a way that allows the maximum space in the room and bring it away from the walls slightly.
Potential buyers also like to see practical positionings such as the sofa opposite the TV and the bed in the centre of the room, against a wall, with bedside tables either side.
Clean and declutter
While this may seem like an obvious move, some sellers overlook the importance of decluttering. It can be easy to have collected a number of items over the years such as ornaments, tableware and books, but it’s worth minimising what's on show so people can get a true sense of what space there is.
The kitchen is a key room for buyers, so ensure that you spend time decluttering and putting away any large worktop appliances.
What’s more, with cleanliness and personal hygiene even more crucial in light of Covid-19, you must ensure that all surfaces, such as door handles, bannisters and kitchen worktops, are thoroughly cleaned before and after each viewing.
A fresh lick of paint
This isn’t to say that you must completely redecorate, but if you have an eclectic mix of colours or a particularly bold room, it can be beneficial to add some neutral tones to appeal to a wider range of buyers.
Try to keep the décor in key rooms as neutral as possible, adding colour through scatter cushions, throws, accessories and accents.
Similarly, if any rooms are looking a little scraped and scuffed then refresh the paint so it looks fresh.
Let the light in
Viewings are typically booked in the daytime to ensure the property is shown in its best light. However, with summer ending and the nights drawing in much earlier, you may need some extra light to present your home.
Add some flair by incorporating some statement lighting in key rooms such as a table or floor lamps – having these on can add a little atmosphere and make people feel more relaxed.
For smaller, trickier rooms or tight hallways, large mirrors are ideal for adding more light and creating the illusion of more space.
Boost your kerb appeal
Your property’s kerb appeal is what your home looks like from the outside – which, as it’s the first thing would-be buyers will see, is vitally important to your chances of selling.
For this, you need to make sure the outside of your home looks as good as the inside. This includes cleaning windows, mowing the lawn and trimming overgrown greenery. If the weather calls for it, consider putting some pots of plants outside your property to make it more inviting.
A lot of buyers will have outside space at the top of their priority list, so if you don't already, consider purchasing some outdoor seating for the front or back of your house depending on where the best space and light is.
By incorporating the above tips into your marketing strategy, you can improve the overall appeal of your home and increase your chances of selling quickly in the new normal. Of course, having an established and knowledgeable agent on hand can make the process that much smoother.
Here at Eden Estates, we are working alongside the government guidelines to make your selling journey safe and seamless. For more information on our services in Kent, please get in touch with us today.
Additionally, we provide a free and instant online valuation so you can find out how much your home could be worth on the current market.