Property staging is all about preparing styling, decluttering and furnishing a home to show it off to its best advantage when it goes on the market to be sold or let out.
While interior design is more about personal preferences and lifestyle, home staging is a marketing tool which gives a house or apartment a neutral yet welcoming feel and, crucially, allows the largest number of potential buyers possible to imagine themselves living in the property.
What is the UK’s housing market like in the autumn?
There can be a rebound in activity on the property market come September, often dubbed the ‘autumn bounce’, as buyers return from their summer holidays and the shift in the air causes many to reflect on their lives and homes and contemplate changing their circumstances.
What’s more, many potential buyers and tenants are serious, motivated and keen to complete their property transaction before winter sets in or in time for Christmas. (Indeed, the nearer we get to December 25, the more the market, along with the weather, cools down.)
It’s true that autumn is still outside the peak season for property transactions of the late spring and summer, when corporate relocations are usually at their highest and many want to move ahead of September to be settled in time for the new academic year.
Yet, at the same time, the relatively crowded marketplace of the fall can mean you have to be cautious on asking price, and you could feel forced into a speedy reduction if your home isn’t accurately and realistically valued from the outset.
And in London or the south at this time of year, the affordability hurdles can be even greater, making sales or lets slightly slower and giving potential purchasers or tenants more leverage. So presentation really matters at this time of year.
What home staging can do for a property in the autumn
· Lighting: Layered lighting via table lamps, spotlights and so on will create a gently welcoming glow and brighten otherwise dim nooks and crannies as the hours of daylight shorten. This is more atmospheric than just having an overhead light. At the same time, spotless windows maximise natural light.
· Kerb appeal: Home staging includes the removal of leaves, mud and debris outside a property so that it looks cared for and creates a great, welcoming first impression. Potted chrysanthemums, evergreen plants or a seasonal wreath on the door can help complete the look.
· Highlighting best features: Lucky enough to have a fireplace? Staging makes the most of it and makes it a focal point.
· Layered soft furnishings: Earthy tones for layered soft furnishings create a cosy feel.
· Appeal to the senses: Scent can be part of home staging. Think in terms of seasonal aromas such as spiced orange, cinnamon or apple, although, of course, you’ll need to keep fragrances subtle.
Lastly, don’t forget the finishing touches, from making sure your home is warm enough to throwing open blinds and curtains to maximise daylight.
In short, autumn home staging can replace the potential gloom of shorter, cooler days with warmth, comfort and a sensory experience.
Use a professional home staging firm and your home is likely to sell more quickly and for a better price than an unstaged one. It will drive more viewings from the time when possible buyers are browsing online, where most start their hunt for a new home.
Professionals know how to maximise otherwise possibly awkward layout and space, while optimising natural daylight at a crucial time of year for doing so.
Professional home staging this autumn with McGlashans Interiors
At McGlashans Interiors, we create beautifully furnished homes in London on time and to the client’s exact brief, every time, and have done so for decades for clients whose properties need to stand out in a crowded market.
Our stunning furnishings are available to buy or rent with immediate delivery, and you can see the stunning range of pieces for yourself at our Marylebone shop and showroom. Meanwhile, our professional London home staging services take you from initial site visit through to celebrating a successful sale or let of your home.
Get in touch with us this autumn and learn more about what we could do to make your next property transaction a speedy and profitable one.