Yes, you read it correctly, home staging is on the rise in the UK and is very much going to be another ‘thing’ we should consider when choosing to list our properties!
It is common practice in America for people to have their ‘Condo’s’ dressed (aka Home Staged) before marketing.
But should us Brits follow suit? Is this really a necessary additional cost to sell or rent my property? The answer, a big fat YES!
It is becoming more and more important to present your property in a ‘dressed’ manner to get it rented or sold faster and more often than not, if the home staging is completed prior to marketing, you can expect to increase the value of the property by anything from 3% - 10%.
My British friend, who lives in Miami ( yes I am very jealous!), explained when she has been property searching, all properties she has ever viewed to rent or buy have all been staged.
She describes the experience as walking into a Showhome in the UK, clean, no clutter and certainly no kids toys hanging around!
Having personal experience selling property, after various degrees of renovation and staging our rentals, I can tell you first hand, that home staging 100% makes your property stand out in a busy rental and selling market.
Since dressing our properties, it has not only made a difference in the time it takes to be reserved, we also achieve a better asking price, with no negotiation (touch wood!).
We find a lot of people these days want that ‘finished’ look, that Turn Key feeling, whether your selling or renting.
I have had clients that have needed to move out of their existing house before its sold, due to change in circumstances, therefore leaving a property empty.
Many vendors have said to me, ‘oh Kate it will sell quicker now it’s empty, people will be able to see the space better without all our stuff getting in the way!’ Wrong! It actually creates a negative effect. The property becomes soulless, uninviting and almost abandoned... just because its empty, it really doesn’t make it more enticing (even if its all new) interestingly the space doesn’t depict its actual size as there is nothing in it! Viewers can struggle to visualise how to furnish the space themselves.
Now you know why New Build complexes always have a staged Showhome.
Home Staging can be as simple as decluttering and simplifying your space (reducing the personal touches). If the home is dated, a small investment to revamp the property would increase interest, therefore will sell quicker, best of all more likely to reach a higher asking price. Makes sense if you think about it, of course you want to show off the investment at its best. You want new buyers to be calling the estate/letting agent the minute the property is marketed and the first person who views your property to make an offer, right?
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Happy Listing!