When it’s time to invest in a new place to live, people look for several traits: safe neighborhood, quality schools, and beautiful surroundings. Although these are undoubtedly priorities, typically, the key for buyers is a functional floor plan with character. Even an enticing locale minutes away from the beach, like the homes for sale in League City, TX, may not always be enough. With so many communities vying for buyers, it’s not uncommon to employ a wide range of styling techniques inside the home to attract consumers. Focusing on the interior design of a house can give the seller an edge by showcasing its possibilities.
When prepping a new home for sale, sellers naturally want to reveal its full potential. Some may even aspire to varying levels of interior design fantasy. However, there’s a delicate balance when it comes to the creation of an appealing design that makes the best use of existing space and available upgrades, while still offering a realistic price point to the buyers. A common misconception is that this effort to intrigue house hunters can be a costly undertaking when in reality, a significant portion of the home staging process is based on illusion. By attempting the following tricks, sellers can find ways to minimize the money and effort spent to outfit a new home.
Furniture Placement
The primary objective of staging is to make the home appear larger while accommodating the furniture that occupies the space. Just placing the furniture closer together in an organized fashion will help. Standard furniture placement generally involves pushing large pieces against the walls, while in fact, moving them toward the center offers the illusion of additional space. Focusing on the middle of the room requires fewer and smaller components to create the desired effect.
Ensuring every room has a function crucial as well, and the selected furnishings are essential to defining the space. A multipurpose room isn’t a strong selling point, though most people usually end up with one. As the potential buyer moves through the home, there should be a clear delineation from one room to the next, as the furniture identifies the range of possibilities in store.
Lighting
Lighting in home staging is just as important as lighting in a movie. Proper illumination promotes a welcoming environment for the buyer. When lighting a space, always make sure everything is bright, and capitalize on natural light when available. Then, decide whether warmer or cooler tones are needed to accentuate the design. Traditional lighting tends to be bland and can discourage buyers who may already feel indifferent, so customizing light fixtures to maximize the luminous effects room by room can pay off.
Paint Color
Painting offers several of the greatest illusions in home staging though it is the most time-consuming. Do you need to make a room appear bigger? Paint it the same color as the connecting rooms. Need a more intimate or cozy feeling for the bedroom? Paint the walls a darker tone. Need the walls to look timeless? Paint them using neutral colors that don’t pop.
Accessorizing
Having the home as empty as possible while still looking occupied is the goal. Once the furniture has been strategically placed within proper lighting and paint schemes, it’s time to accessorize. In this case, less is more. For instance, having just a fruit bowl, knife block, and spice rack on clear counters in the kitchen is sufficient. Or, moving a chair into the bedroom makes the space more inviting, and adding spare towels or baskets into the bathroom creates a spa-like feel.
Contrary to popular belief, symmetry isn’t always the way to go. Three is the magic number when it comes to accessorizing. Odd numbers and organized asymmetry give people a cozier feeling while still being aesthetically pleasing.
Some of these tricks of the trade employed by designers in the model home market can easily be leveraged, either by homeowners wanting to sell their own homes, or new buyers anxious to try out cost-saving ideas in their dream homes. When applied properly, these tools enhance the blank canvas of the new homes, turning them into windows for prospective buyers, with a view to the full potential of the house.
