Home staging a flat: how to stir emotions in a client

Drawing the attention of potential buyers or tenants to the property on offer is one of the biggest challenges facing its owner. That is why it is worth considering home staging, which can make it easier to stand out from the competition.

What is home staging?

In a nutshell, home staging is the professional preparation of our property for offering it to potential buyers or tenants. A home stager focuses on the aesthetics of the flat; the aim is to make the property not only catch clients' eyes, but also keep them there for longer. Skilful arrangement of a flat significantly increases its appeal, thus helping it sell or let faster.

Home staging should not be confused with renovating a flat. Although part of the service may be, for example, repainting the walls, home staging relies on quick fixes that do not require large financial outlay. A home stager is not an interior designer either; their task is to increase the appeal of an already existing space, not to reinvent it.

What home stagers do

One might ask here what work falls within home staging. It turns out there is quite a lot, and home stagers use a variety of tricks to make our flat more attractive.

The foundation is cleanliness and tidiness. However richly furnished a flat is, dirty smears or dust on the wardrobes can spoil a good first impression. They also do not reflect well on the owner. Visual order counts too: it is worth removing unnecessary objects and accessories from the flat being shown and replacing them with ones that complement the interior design.

Speaking of accessories, a good home stager will make sure, with decorative cushions, wisely placed plants and well-chosen colours, that the flat has its own character. Thanks to this, potential buyers will remember our listing for longer. But nothing in excess: most clients want to be able to personalise their new four walls easily and feel at home quickly.

When presenting a flat, it is worth appealing to our clients' senses. In a property prepared for sale or rental we will often smell fresh flowers or scented candles. Lighting plays a particularly important role. Soft light from the window will show the flat in the best possible light, quite literally. But well-thought-out lighting of the rooms with lamps or lanterns can also help build an atmosphere that is pleasant for the senses.

When preparing to sell or let a flat, it is therefore worth turning for help to a specialist with experience in home staging. Such support is often offered by estate agencies, drawing on their knowledge of clients' needs and preferences on the market that interests us.