These days we’re all striving to simplify our lives and create spaces for rest and repose at home. These same priorities feed into the work of a home-stager, as we re-imagine interiors so that they make sense and feel calm and inviting to prospective buyers.
If you’re looking at selling, take note of our top tips for realising the potential of your house. In a few words it’s all about flow and feeling and keeping it simple.
Spaces that make sense
When prospective buyers walk into a space, they need to be able to recognise the functionality of different areas and how they work together. It needs to make sense. A home-stager can help make sense of spaces and create flow between them, which largely hinges on the layout of rooms. Recently we worked with a home where the dining room was in the living space, which may have worked for the homeowner, but from a selling point of view didn’t work. Ideally a four-bedroom house should have two living spaces.
Less is more
We all benefit from decluttering and simplifying our lives. Imperatives that also go along way when it comes to making spaces flow. It’s often the case that a two- plus three-seater combination is ample, and additional seating makes a space feel busier than it needs to. If a room is smaller, sofas should be on legs to create the illusion of space.
The illusion of storage
When it comes to the kitchen, don’t compromise premium bench space. The same principle applies to shelves and drawers. If prospective buyers can see clean space on the pantry shelves, it’ll make them seem spacious. Which is a big tick!The same with linen cupboards. Everything needs to be neat tidy and there shouldn’t be too much of it. Similarly, with a walk-in robe, there needs to be plenty of hanging space.
A feeling of calm
A calm, harmonious space invites prospective buyers to momentarily put the stress of home-buying aside and lose themselves in the restfulness of a room. How can we achieve this? Through the use of neutral colours, along with a little bit of texture. Creating a feeling of calm is particularly important when spaces are smaller. With larger spaces, there is more room to push the boat out in pursuit of achieving that “wow” feeling, but creating a sense of calm and cohesion is a strong starting place.
The impact of colour
Some houses call for a more dynamic treatment, which we achieve through the clever use of colour and the injection of artwork. Colours don’t need to be bright to freshen up a space: natural tones are really in right now and lend interest and liveliness to a space, while contributing to that feeling of calm.
Location and style
The location and style of a home influences the kind of feeling we want to achieve, as we imagine the sorts of buyers the home might attract. We recently staged a beautiful rustic home in Governor’s Bay, which begged for a more artistic treatment. To add impact, we brought in stacks of art that was offset by the home’s wooden floors.
