Homestaging has been an expected part of selling New Zealand upscale houses for some two decades. But it’s only been in recent years that presenting your home with some design verve has filtered through the whole market.
Bayleys agent Victoria Bidwell should know. The 15-year veteran was a judge on the first season of The Block NZ.
“The television shows have had an influence,” she says. “People now understand the importance of staging a lot more, but are not confident in themselves about interior design. They’re witnessing that staged houses are selling for a lot more, a lot quicker.”
Bidwell, who markets multi-million-dollar properties, says the rules are the same at any price point: think about who the target buyers are for a property and present the house to match their expectations. So, for example, if it’s all about families, then stage bedrooms as kids’ rooms (not glamorous queen guest beds).
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“Create an environment that people can imagine themselves living there with ease.”
Trish Love, from Premium on the Point, points out that a lot of houses are already beautiful, so giving the “wow factor” is more than trucking in a load of designer furniture and accessories.
“Buyers want a feeling of coming home, but in an inspirational ‘magazine experience’,” she says. “Look at Pinterest and see what people are frothing about. At the moment it’s greenery, inside and out, so we bring in mobile gardens – like a stylist for your garden, with pots, even mobile water features, and trendy inside plants.”
Home-staging company Living Edge has been doing this for 18 years, but owner Sharon Laffan says trends have changed. De-cluttering and de-personalising a space is important, but that doesn’t mean the stark minimalism of the past. Buyers today want to see more cosiness with cushions, accessorising and layering that are repeated through the house.
“An interior designer can get a complete flow through the house,” she says. “Now that agents are videoing for marketing, each room has to have a wow factor, but consistent through the house. And outdoor spaces are an extension of that – you want proper furniture, sofas and lanterns, rugs, cushions. Especially in small apartments, the outdoors is an extension of the living room.”
Love advises her clients to go through the house photographing each room, as looking at a picture on your screen gives you an idea of how the house is seen by strangers looking at pictures on-line: clutter, busy layouts, shabby window dressings are more obvious. And it helps you think of small ‘scenes’ you can create, such as a cosy sitting spot or a parent retreat in the bedroom.
Top five tips:
1. Start at the street
Using Love’s tip, take photos of your house from the street, walking to the front door, the entrance. Potential buyers will drive by a house (and not stop) if the first impression is not clean and welcoming, so spend the time and money out front: clipping, sweeping, water blasting the house and paths. Laffan says a striking designer pot or two adds wow to the front door; Bidwell says even if you’re not redecorating, at the least give the front door and steps a fresh coat of paint in a modern colour.
2. Light, bright and spacious
Focus your effort on a thing that makes a house seem light and bright, says Love. That means de-cluttering (including getting rid of space-hogging furniture), cutting back greenery-blocking windows and removing tired or fussy curtains or blinds.
3. Green up
Everybody loves big sculptural pot plants in the living room, fresh pots of herbs in the kitchen and plenty of greenery in every room of the house. Rental companies now have very good fake plants and even green ‘living’ walls.
4. Backyard living
A barbecue and a tired table and chairs won’t cut it any more. Create a complete outdoor sitting room with sofas and accessories.
5. Think stories
If families are your target, add kid-friendly accessories or for trendy urbanites, check Pinterest or Instagram for what is pulling the most likes. All three experts say magazine touches – a pile of books, candles, cushions – are always on trend and easy to add for wow.
