“81% of buyers find staged homes easier to visualize as a future home.”

— NAR Profile of Home Staging

Let’s state it clearly since the beginning: Home Staging - we bet you’ve already heard about this term at least once - is not fundamental to sell a property, but could be crucial to sell it FASTER. Why? The answer could be multifaceted, but let’s make it simple: it enables buyers imagine themselves living in the property.

The key is to make clients feel that house can become theirs. As realtors, we have the task to help a prospect feeling a connection with the property, and here’s why Home Staging is important.

Remember that first impressions can make all the difference! And… buyers’ first impression is the only impression that matters.

Some stats could help you in understanding the power of Home Staging.

A survey carried out by the Home Staging Lovers Association and the Home Staging Italy Professional Association shows that, when the building is staged, it’s possible to find a buyer on average in 49.9 days, more than 4 times faster than the average (source: Survey of the Italian housing market – Bank of Italy, 4th quarter 2018).

But what does Home Staging consist of exactly? Generally speaking, it mainly includes some non-structural, temporary but strategic changes in the look & feel of the interior: a new arrangement of the furniture, a lot of (healthy) decluttering, a better lighting, the right colors on the walls and throughout the property, and a special care to the so called “curb appeal” (a real estate term standing for how cool your home looks from the outside at first glance).

Let’s now have a look at some strategies that we generally recommend our sellers to implement before a prospect visit their property. Their house will look at its best!

9 Home Staging tricks and tips

#1 Lighting. We always ask our sellers to open all windows, curtains and blinds before a visit. That's very important: all rooms must look airy and bright. Lighting is what makes a property animated, somehow; light is poetry. So, let there be light!

Adding a lamp in any dark corner is also a good idea (that can even help in adding more personality to 'anonymous' corners like a hallway).

#2 Go neutral. Do we all agree that a dark purple wall can distract on the other more important features that a room can have? When it comes to colors, neutral midtones always win, as they look sophisticated and really “on the background”. Some examples could be gray, white, and taupe. Better if hues are warm!

#3 Declutter. Getting rid of clutter is always recommended. A potential buyer needs to see the framework of the house, not your décor! Sometimes we enter in beautiful properties that are literally flooded with dusty knick-knacks that end up hiding the actual available space.

The importance of declutter applies specifically to the living room, which is most frequently the hub of the house. In general, it's important to show off all the space available in the property, especially the most functional one (e.g. the one in storages, under-roofs etc.). The emptier is the house, the bigger it will appear.

“But it’s my style! Guess what? It may not be the style of those seeking to buy a house in your neighborhood. So even if you have an awesome vintage-chic look going on, rein it in for the sake of appealing to the most number of people. You can bring your personal style back into play in your new home.” Laura Gaskill, Houzz

#4 Cleaning. It’s ridiculously obvious: if you really want to you put your home on the market, well, that home should be sparkling clean! It’s really important that prospects feel that the current owners are taking good care of the property.

From shining floors and gleaming windows to clean counters and scrubbed grout, every surface should sparkle. Everything needs to be spotless, especially in the kitchen (where the olfactory component is crucial!) and in the bathroom (here it's highly recommended the use of scented candles).

Pets: here at Lakeside we love all kind of animals, BUT we recommend our sellers to keep all floors cleaned from their hair. Not everyone like pets, after all.

#5 Position of furniture. We suggest to position chairs and sofas away from walls, to leave most of the perimeter free. In the living rooms, symmetrical arrangements usually give a soothing sense of order. It’s also interesting to create welcoming conversation areas in which the future buyer can be seated relaxed.

We know all this could be difficult if you sellers live in the property, but remember: prospects should have the possibility to reason about the size of each room. Once again, bear in mind the golden rule: the less furniture, the more appealing the house!

#6 Let clients experience the beauty of enjoying a super view. On Lake Como you can find properties with just incredible views. We always recommend our sellers to place at least a café table with two chairs to let clients experience even for a few seconds the amazing effect of enjoying a stunning lake view from one’s own terrace/garden! It’s all about creating the lifestyle buyers are looking for… and let them taste it.

Browse the listing of this property here!

#7 Finishing (hominess) touches: decorative fresh flowers, old photos… We often ask our sellers to put season's fresh flowers in the house. You may think it’s an unnecessary finishing touch, but it’s not: they add a touch of life that is always appreciated, especially in old properties. If you have fake flowers around, make just one thing: throw them away!

Another smart idea is to keep a basket of fresh farmer's market produce on the kitchen counter.

Photos from the past: this is a finishing touch that clients especially love on Lake Como, where we have a lot of historic properties with great stories behind. This helps in stimulating curiosity about the past of the house itself.

#8 De-personalization. We know that some properties are inhabited, BUT it's never nice to see (very) personal stuff like toothbrushes or clothes or shoes or contact lenses around!

Regarding the master bedroom, try to keep a gender-free vibe: the right move here is to put a folded blanket at the foot of the bed plus layered fluffy pillows. This gives an immaculate and pleasant sense of order.

#9 Curb appeal: there's nothing more sad than a porch or a garden without two chairs and a table or a bench. It's always important to let prospects see how they can actually enjoy each space of the property!

Planting flowers and fresh greenery is also a good way to let the the entrance of the house say “welcome home”. Other important questions you should put yourself are: is the lawn mowed? are your windows cleaned and painted?

TAKEAWAY

Staging a home to sell doesn’t always mean to spend a lot of money, rather to make smarter decisions.

At Lakeside, we help our sellers to make specific changes that will add value to the property and entice the buyers who come for viewings.

Because creating the emotional connection between buyers and properties is one of our missions!

Do you own a property on Lake Como you want to sell?

Get in touch!

9 Of The Fastest And Easiest Tricks to Stage A Property For Sale

9 Home Staging tricks and tips

TAKEAWAY