When it comes to selling or renting a property making a good first impression is vital. Beautifully styled hi-res photos are what makes people choose to view a property for sale, rental or to book an Air BnB.
If you don't have a property for sale or rent you may just want to consider restyling a room for a bit of a refresh and revamp. So the question is how to stage your home to create photos fit for a coffee table magazine? Interior designers and stylists have this down to a fine art so let's take a look at some tips on how to stage your home
The art of home staging is about creating camera-ready scenarios. These are perfect for estate agent's web sites or to promote a holiday property on Air Bnb. Think of it as creating the feel and luxury of a hotel room but with the style and personality of something far more unique. You are in effect selling a lifestyle and there’s is no limit to how creative you can be.
Here's some 5 essential tips to consider when thinking about how to stage your home
1. Kerb appeal Let's start at the entrance. Does your home look inviting from the pavement? Is your front garden tidy and your path weed-free?
Image: Create Perfect
If you have a porch area make it inviting. A plush welcome matt, some concrete pots with evergreens on either side of the door, a brass door knocker and a great front door colour. I’ve seen houses with stacks of wood logs piled on each side of the porch - lending a real rustic touch. Take a look at this earlier Create Perfect blog for tips on how to improve kerb appeal
2. Creating a lifestyle This is about creating lifestyle sections within each room that will photograph well and communicate the kind of lifestyle the prospective buyers, tennants or guest can expect. A fireplace decorated with stacks of logs to give the feel of sitting by a cosy fire. A dining table beautifully laid ready for entertaining. Your bathroom could be a sanctuary of calm with lots of plants, scented candles and woven baskets. Creating a series of vignettes will help you set the lifestyle theme that flows through your home - and from this, you’ll be able create a focal point in each room using its best feature. For example a beautiful well dressed bed to take the focus away from the practicalities such as wardrobes and storage.
Image: Create Perfect
Lighting is also crucial in creating an atmosphere. Firstly make the most of natural light with curtains and blinds all fully open. Ensure each room has mood lighting, task lighting and pretty lamps or light fixtures. It is important to ensure you're not reliant on just one source of overhead lighting. Soften the room with light from softly glowing dimmers, floor or table lamps.
3. Clutter This is a big no no! We all want clutter-free homes. Decluttering is something we need to do constantly throughout our lives not just for moving or reselling. However, it is hugely important when it comes to presenting your home to prospective buyers. Follow the wise words of designer William Morris to have nothing in your home that is not beautiful or useful. Check out these decluttering tips for more ideas of how to remove clutter. Once you are down to keeping just what you need make sure you have adequate storage to house it all, keeping your rooms clutter free and your cupboards firmly closed!
4. Accessorise your decor Each room should have a purpose and you need to accessorise and co-ordinate the decor accordingly. Additionally if there is something that you just can't fix accessories come in really handy to hide it - or at least distract the viewers attention. Here's where my holy grail of quick DIY decor comes in handy:
Cushions and throws - choose high contrast textures in neutral tones and good quality fabrics.
Baskets - anything goes: rustic, classic or tribal - and these will help to hide clutter.
Image: Create Perfect - Robyn's Nest, A Create Perfect House Tour
Rugs - Floors make a huge difference to the look and feel of a home so if you can’t change your worn-out fitted carpet, use rugs! These are an affordable option to replacing flooring and can add character to your decor
5. The Garden and outdoors
make the most of any outdoor space you have try and achieve a continuous effect of bringing the outdoors in and visa versa. The garden should be tidy and weeded. Style up a garden area for entertaining if you have the space.
Image: Next.co.uk SS19 outdoor collection
If it’s an apartment with only a balcony, try and make it look appealing with plants in pots and at different levels using hanging baskets and shelves. Of course, a wicker sun lounger wouldn’t look out of place either.
Finally bear in mind that creating an appealing home style will help you to attract the best price for your property sale as well as the best rates for your rental. Calling in a professional to help you get the job done can save you time and money. If you'd like to find out more about how to stage your home or rental property contact Gina for more information.
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