As the UK property market is falling, home staging company Decoresidence, winner of the UK’s Best Vacant Home Staging Award, reveal their best tips on how to maximise the selling price.
Nationwide has reported that house prices have seen their biggest month-on-month fall for over two years. With the price growth falling to 4.4% in November compared to 7.2% in October, the lender also said that the slowdown in the market is likely to continue for the coming months as we are seeing the effects of September’s mini-budget.
Estate agents have for the last few months reported a decrease in enquiries and the Bank of England said this week that they in October approved the lowest number of mortgages since June 2020.
If we have learnt anything from the previous two years, it is that we need to adapt in order to succeed in these changing times. Home staging is a powerful property marketing tool and can help industry professionals to thrive in this challenging market by increasing the value of the property by as much as 10%.
The UK Home Staging Association reports that 77% of buyers’ agents said staging made it easier for buyers to visualise the property as a future home. Furthermore, staged homes spend on average half the time on the market than non-staged homes. Whilst the investment is typically between 1 to 3% of the home’s asking price, it often generates an ROI of up to 8 to 10%.
Charlotte Hussein is the founder of multi-award-winning staging firm Decoresidence, whose stylishly designed homes can be found across the London property market. She says: ‘Home staging is common practice across the pond in the US as well as in the Australian and Scandinavian markets. It has more recently begun to take off in the UK and can make a vast difference to both the sale price and the time it takes to sell a property’.
Whilst getting a professional home stager in to do the job may be the preferable option for some, there is also a lot that potential sellers can do themselves. Here Charlotte shares her best tips:
De clutter and de personalise
Getting rid of clutter makes your home look bigger and more appealing. A clean look also helps to eliminate stress and brings a sense of calm to a space. The kitchen is often a major selling point and clearing the countertops of any small appliances such as the kettle and blender will make it seem larger. Everyone loves lots of countertop space so only leave out a few select pieces of décor.
Potential buyers also want to imagine themselves living in the home. Charlotte, therefore, advises packing away the wedding photos, toothbrushes and removing any children’s drawings from the refrigerator. Also make sure to put away any pet-related items such as food trays, dog beds and cages.
Clear countertops and beautiful decorative pieces in this North-West London kitchen
Emphasize
Start by asking yourself the question: “What is the best feature about this property”? Is it the impressive entrance, the original fireplace or the sociable entertaining spaces perhaps? Or even the morning sun shining through by the sofa? Then focus on emphasising these experiences both inside the actual property and in photos.
However, don’t forget about the small spaces and rooms which at first glance may not look so promising. While the tendency is often to shove leftover bits of furniture in there and ignore them, with a little imagination they can quite easily be transformed into useful home office corners or cosy reading havens with bookshelves.
An unused window corner transformed into a valuable home office space
Go neutral
Strong bold colours tend to take over a room and detract the attention from other beautiful details such as wooden floors or high ceilings. These also tend to divide opinion which is not desirable when trying to appeal to a wide target audience. Instead, work with light and neutral colours that give a calm harmonic feeling without being distracting.
Charlotte said: ‘Once you have achieved a bright, airy look you can choose to add one or two accent colours to create effect. These should complement the other tones in the room and can for instance be in the form of pillows, paintings, vases or even hanging clothes. Rather than dotting them all over the room, try to place the accent colour items in small clusters’.
Neutral colours and linen textures making this London living/dining room serene
Make it homely with details
Although it is crucial to have a clean neutral space, it is equally important to allow potential buyers to get that homely feeling. Once you have decluttered, depersonalised and neutralised the space, it can easily feel a little cold and sterile. A lot of pillows, leisurely thrown blankets and green statement plants can make wonders.
New luxurious products and fresh towels in the bathroom can transform an otherwise rather bland room. Think about what hotels do to make you feel like you are the first-ever guest although a thousand others may have stayed in the room before.
Charlotte said: ‘Lighting can also make a huge difference. While a cold bright light can reveal all the little nail holes and defects, too little light can make the space feel cramped. Instead, aim for several warm and pleasant light sources in each room to create that homely and spacious effect’.
Family bathroom turned into a hotel-esque haven with luxurious shower products, candles and statement plants
Dress your outdoor space
Although it is drawing towards winter, with lock-down fresh in mind, having outdoor space is currently very desirable among potential buyers. Charlotte said: ‘Even the smallest patios or gardens can be transformed into inviting al fresco sanctuaries. Add greenery to balconies to make them feel more like a garden and soften the areas with outdoor-resistant pillows and rugs. Again, don’t forget about the lighting as we are heading towards darker seasons. LED or solar-powered line lights can add an atmospheric touch.’
Small balcony at Canary Wharf riverside apartment transformed into a desirable outdoor space
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Millie is a perfectionist with a passion for property and writing articles. You’ll find her researching the latest housing trends and the newest up and coming areas worth investing in. Read more about Millie here.
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