The goal of home-staging is to make the house marketable (able to be sold quickly and for a good price). This entails presenting the home in the best possible way to attract the highest number of prospective buyers.
Some of the homes we get to stage are already in a picture-perfect condition. All we need to do is add a few finishing touches, bring in some knick-knacks and artwork and it’s good to go!
Other homes need a bit more TLC. In these instances, we harness the power of optical illusions.
“There is no truth. There is only perception.”
– Gustave Flaubert
The idea of what a dream house should look is unique for each and every one of us. Despite our different needs, requirements, and expectations, empirical evidence suggests that most buyers gravitate towards the same aspects – ample natural light and abundance of space.
As Home-Stagers, it is our responsibility to enhance these two features, even if the property doesn’t have enough of either. Impossible? Not if your Property Stylists are part-time illusionists, bwahaha! (evil laugh)
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Okay, on a more serious note – it’s important to mention this before we continue.
Illusion ≠ Deception
People sometimes assume that home staging is deceiving and that the only purpose is to hide holes in the walls and cracks in the flooring in front of the buyers.
The truth is, that any good and professional Home-Stager can showcase the potential of the house without hiding any imperfections.
When we talk about creating illusions, we mean making the most of what we’ve got.
If you are in the market as a buyer – why not use staging as a template? Get inspired! You can easily recreate any of our “tricks” regardless of the size of your budget.
They say “A good magician never reveals his secrets” … well, good thing we are Property Stylists! Here they are, enjoy!
1. ILLUSION OF MORE LIGHT
Is there anyone out there who would actually enjoy living in a dark and dingy home? No, really… is there? If it’s you, please send us a message. We won’t judge, we’re just curious.
It’s in human nature to be surrounded by a lot of light. Letting more brightness into your home helps the body produce melatonin, which is a hormone that regulates our body clock, sleep pattern and digestion. Exposure to more sunlight also increases serotonin, which can reduce the symptoms of depression. Oh, and did we mention saving $$$ on the electricity bill?
Creating a bright environment before you put your house on the market is the ultimate hack to make people fall in love with your home. And the best thing? It doesn’t have to cost you an arm and a leg!
Our tips for creating the illusion of more light:
- Furnish your home with light-coloured furniture
- Repaint your walls white (a relatively cheap way to instantly increase the brightness)
- Decorate your place with mirrors and glass-top surfaces to reflect the light
- Change your lightbulbs for cool white
- Open the curtains or get rid of them altogether
- Don’t let your furniture block the windows
- Increase the number of light sources – floor lamps, bedside lamps, etc. (we know this sounds obvious, but it really does make a huge difference)
- Bring in more greenery – this brightens the space up and gives it a fresh feeling
- Incorporate bright or light-coloured artwork
- Opt-in for a white-coloured rug to lighten up dark floors
- Keep the lights on for the open day
2. ILLUSION OF MORE SPACE
When it comes to selling properties, the formula is quite simple. More space = higher value.
There’s a common misconception out there, that if you have a smaller home, you should leave it unfurnished during the sales campaign, so it appears bigger.
This is false.
Smaller homes benefit the most from being staged, because it helps the buyers visualise how much furniture can fit in the space. Check out this post on our Instagram to see how much of a difference staging made to this thoroughfare.
Our tips for creating the illusion of more space:
- Make sure the furniture is the right size for your room – an overly large sofa can take up a lot of space, but a sofa that is too small might seem too puny
- Add mirrors – we recommend placing it near a window so the views can be seen from the inside
- Get rid of unnecessary furniture – especially dressers as they indicate a lack of storage
- Keep sofas off the wall to create perception of depth
- Use bigger rugs to make the area seem larger – ensure the corners are 10-15cm longer than the furniture on each side
- Put a double bed in your spare bedroom – single bed makes the room look smaller
- Declutter & Depersonalise
- Utilise see-through furniture – wicker, wireframe, glass-top, etc.
2. ILLUSION OF DESIRED LIFESTYLE
This is where the magic happens!
At Foxy, we stage every property targeting a specific demographic (based on the suburb, type of house, price point, etc.) and style the home congruently with the vision of their ideal lifestyle.
We select our accessories with this in mind, from the type of furniture to the smallest details, like the colour and title of the book we place on the coffee table. All these items need to resonate with the potential buyer at a deeper level, pulling at their heart strings. You know you did a good job when you hear buyers say: “I don’t’ care how much it costs, let’s get it! I’ve got to have that armchair and the reading nook, or my life won’t be complete!”.
This emotional connection is what seals the deal 99% of the time.
Our tips for creating the illusion of desired lifestyle:
- Know your demographic of buyers and style according to their wants, needs and likes
- Staging the home with high-end furniture increases the perceived value of the entire house (CAUTION: Do not emotionally price out the buyers “This looks nice, but we probably can’t afford it”)
- Don’t underestimate the power of “fluff” – details create the big picture, don’t skimp on the knick-knacks
- Pay extra attention to creating an amazing first impression to create a “wow effect”
- Keep a continuous flow throughout the house – same design and colours across all living areas, across cushions, artwork and accessories
- Ensure the home smells nice before the open day
Thanks for reading!
Some of the tips we’ve mentioned above are easy enough for you to DIY, other ones (especially the lifestyle-related tips) may be a bit more difficult to re-create.
If in doubt, do not hesitate to reach out to us, we are more than happy to help!
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