Furnishing homes to sell is all about showcasing the house and capturing the buyer’s imagination, and not about me! BUT, so you can see where my passion for home staging comes from, I thought I’d share a little more about my background and the business.
“How did you get started in home staging?”
I am a qualified interior designer. When I graduated from my studies, I went straight out on my own and started The Finishing Touches. We have been in business for eight years now, building up our extensive range of furnishings and working with homeowners and agents to get the best result when it’s time to sell.
“What do you love about your work?”
Mostly we just love transforming homes and giving them a lift. It’s lovely to see an empty house come to life and look its best to attract a broad audience of buyers.
And of course, we love seeing a big SOLD sign. That means we have done our job
– it’s worked!
How do you decide what furnishings to use?
We visit every home personally to measure and get a feel for the space and style of the home. First and foremost, I am an interior designer, and it’s my job to find that perfect combination of pieces to maximise the home’s appeal.
“How does the process work?”
A lot of my work is a juggling act with logistics, design, and scheduling. We often have many houses on the go at a time. Here are the basic steps of how we do things:
1. We get a call from a homeowner or real estate salesperson. We visit the house and take photos, notes, and measurements.
2. We confirm costs and dates. The homeowner approves.
3. We plan the furniture package and layout to best suit the space and tag the items to complement the property perfectly. (This is a tailored process for each home).
4. We install. The staged home is ready for real estate photography and listing for sale.
5. When the hire period ends (and the house is sold!), we remove all the furnishings and ideally re-use them for a new project and swap out the furnishings we don’t use for ones better suited. Otherwise we return them to the warehouse!
“What if the house is older and a bit tired – can you help?”
Dressing homes in need of a bit of love are some of my favourite projects. Well-chosen furnishings and accessories can transform the space and exceed the clients’ expectations. With the doer uppers, it’s so important to show buyers the potential
of the property.
We have a huge range of furnishings, so there’s no home too tough.
PS: I am always happy to chat about how we can help make your home shine! And our Frequently Asked Questions page has even more answers about our tailored home staging service.