As a small developer or builder, you may be keen to grow your business, elevate your offering or build a company identity for your business. Perhaps the time is right to think about the presentation of your properties, you are aware of other developers with marketing materials that showcase their properties as opposed to simply marketing the finished build. Are you aware that according to a recent survey, 84% of property developers said that the property they staged sold faster than non-staged ones (source – Home Staging Association Report 2022)?
Home Staging
Property Developers Were Asked …
“Did The Properties You Staged Sell Faster Than Non Staged Ones?”
84 % said Yes
Source – Home Staging Association UK & Ireland 2022
What is home staging? Home staging is a tool that you might not have heard about or considered. New builds are traditionally marketed empty. You probably consider showhomes as being the preserve of the volume builders who can afford to employ a team to create the showhome.
You don’t need to employ a full-time designer. Utilising the services of a homestager on a project by project basis (or potentially a retainer) enables you to achieve the showhome look without employing a full time member of staff. Essentially, home staging is furnishing and dressing a property to create a home that potential buyers can imagine themselves living in. Why does it matter?
The House Buying Process
Quite simply because of the way we look for properties to buy. The way in which buyers search for a property has been revolutionised by the advent of the internet, the property portals and Social Media. Most buyers start their search for a property online even if they follow that up by registering with local estate agents. Property searching is a bit like online dating – buyers scroll through the images and click on those they like. Prospective buyers are looking through Instagram and watching shows on Netflix that feature stunning properties. Expectations are high. Your property needs to look appealing in its marketing. Images of empty rooms tend not to be very interesting so properties may often be discounted without a click through. Your property needs to stop the scrolling.
Financial Success
We all have a vision of what success looks like for our business. Creating and then growing a successful business is probably high on our list if I’m honest. If your aim, or one of them, is to build a successful property development business you will probably have set yourself financial targets. Ways of increasing revenue or the financial success of the business include:-
- Improving cash flow
- Adding value
- Improving profit margins
Company Awareness
You might want to build awareness of your business. What is your company’s ethos, its values, how does it do business? Although every project that you undertake will be different but you might want certain elements that are consistent across all projects, a signature if you like, by which buyers will immediately recognise that this is a project by XYZ company and will immediately be reassured that they know what they are getting. I am not in the business of creating your brand but once your brand has been established that can then be reflected in the staging of your properties.
Design Input
It’s easy, particularly at the outset of a property development business to focus on the actual build, the construction rather than the aesthetics. Obviously you install bathrooms and kitchens but going further and actually furnishing, styling the property is maybe something that has you stumped. This can also impact on practical decisions made during the build such as placement of sockets and switches. You need to think about furniture placement etc.when determining where these should go.
Delivery
Would you have the time and energy to undertake the styling of a property yourself? Would you know where to go to source the products you needed? Ask yourself whether undertaking the process would actually be a productive and cost-effective use of your time. Is it even something you want to do?
So assuming that the answer to some, or all, of these questions is “no“ then here are some ways in which my home staging service can help
Standards
Let’s say that one of your company values is quality. You use, or intend to use, a certain standard of materials in your build. So when you are styling a property I will work with you to understand what the idea of quality means to you and, if necessary, help identify how utilising appropriate fixtures and fittings, furniture, accessories etc in staging your properties reflects the quality message that you wish to convey.
Lifestyle
People don’t buy bricks and mortar they buy a home. This means that the properties you create need to showcase the lifestyle your prospective buyers are looking for. They need to sell the dream whatever that dream might be. The lifestyle message will differ according to the target market for the particular build whether that is the young professional buying a city centre apartment or a young family looking for the dream home in the country. Which brings me on to…
Bespoke
I mentioned above about establishing awareness for your company, certain elements that will feature in every development even if those developments differ from each other. I offer a design service that is bespoke to each individual property. I will create a scheme for each property in accordance with your brief. That scheme will be consistent across all rooms and areas.
If you would like to find out more about how home staging could help your business then I would love to have a chat. Call me on 07745 876182. I cover the Wirral, Cheshire and North Wales.