When is it useful and what does it consist of?
You can take the initiative yourself to carry out home staging if you wish to rent or sell your property. In general, this alternative will be proposed to you by the professional who accompanies you in your real estate project, if your decoration is too pronounced, ageing or if your property has been available for several months and does not find a buyer.
The purchase of a property is often the result of a crush, so the first impression is decisive for a potential buyer. This is why he must be able to project himself into your property. However, not everyone has the same tastes and generally, an interior style that is too pronounced is a hindrance.
Home staging consists of depersonalizing your accommodation so that it can appeal to as many people as possible. This decision can sometimes be difficult, especially if you are particularly attached to your furniture and/or decoration. However, it is important, when selling a property, to try to detach yourself from it as much as possible.
How to start? Is it expensive?
Generally, home staging will consist of clearing up the space, standardising the furniture, limiting overly bright colours and modernising the decoration.
Depending on the budget, which can range from 0.5% to around 4% of the selling price, the work to be undertaken will vary. The first and easiest step will be to de-clutter the rooms. You will have to remove the knick-knacks and family photos that take up space and represent a hindrance to visitors trying to project themselves into your property.
The next step will be to rearrange the layout of the furniture. Sometimes you just need to move the sofa to make your living room look more spacious. For this, it is preferable to place the furniture against the walls and not in the middle of a room, so as not to break up the volumes.
If you notice that some of the furniture is too big and does not enhance your interior, we recommend that you remove it and store it somewhere else for the duration of the visits. The same goes for small electrical appliances, prefer to store robots and other appliances inside your cupboards; this will make your home appear more uncluttered.
To go further
If you are a handyman, you can also give some of your old furniture a makeover by repainting it in a more discreet or modern colour. For example, light grey, white or black tones are very fashionable, but be careful not to darken your furniture too much if your home lacks brightness. Changing furniture handles is also a good trick; it allows you to rejuvenate them at a lower cost.
The bathroom is a room not to be neglected; a faded tile in bright colours will probably not be very reassuring for visitors. Today there are special paints available to cover tiles and earthenware, which can provide cheaply and easily, a more modern look.
It is essential that you keep your kitchen clean and tidy, wooden kitchen units can be repainted for a more modern look. Also, remember to put away cleaning products, degrease the oven and the hobs. It is important that your home is healthy and inspires confidence. The same goes for the other rooms, remember to tidy up and clean before visitors come. It is important to avoid at all costs presenting them with dirty, dusty or untidy rooms.
For outdoor areas
Finally, if you live in a house, the exterior is essential. Make sure you maintain the lawn, pick up dead leaves and pull out weeds. Pay attention to the health of the plants on your plot; a tree that threatens to fall is never reassuring to a potential buyer.
It is essential that the exterior of your property makes a good impression, it is often the first view visitors will have of your property. It is therefore an important point that is often decisive for the rest of the visit. With proper maintenance of the façade and garden, you will start the visit on a positive note.
If you are not a handyman you can always hire a decorating agency or an architect who will offer you tips and different home staging projects according to your budget and your needs.
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