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Finally you are ready to put your home on the market to sell or rent out. But with a wide range of properties available in Malta and Gozo in the same price class as yours, with similar specifications and furnishings, the competition is truly fierce. So how does one go about standing out from the rest, securing that long-term rental or a good offer? We have the answer: stage your property like a pro!
Staging a property simply means making a property look its best to potential clients.
Never underestimate the importance of staging your home, whether you are selling or renting it out to a prospective tenant in Malta or Gozo. Gone are the days of just vacuuming and arranging a few things for the place to look decent. Both buyers and tenants have become very picky and insistent on getting value for their money. With a wide variety of similar properties available, clients are more likely to reject a property if it is not well presented and looked after.
Home staging in a nutshell is essentially the process of showcasing and merchandising your home. Think of it like this: similar to how a well-dressed mannequin in a clothing store can influence your purchasing decisions, staging aims to sell the overall potential and lifestyle that your home has on offer to clients. It allows clients to envision themselves living in the space and it must ignite their imagination.
Staging also helps to accentuate the best features of your home while minimising any potential drawbacks. For example: you can transform a dark corner into a cosy area by using the right lighting, thus making it more inviting and appealing. Additionally, staging enhances the visual appeal of your home for professional photographs, which play a crucial role in today’s digital age of real estate marketing.
Absolutely! If you want to maximise your returns when selling or letting a property, home staging is definitely worth the initial investment. By making your home look its best and come across as irresistible to potential clients, you will not only recoup the money spent on staging but also attract higher offers, sell your property faster or getter better tenants and rentals.
Any agent will be more than willing to give you an honest opinion if your home needs more attention to increase its chances of selling or getting rented. So do not hesitate to ask them what they think, especially if the property has been on the market for some time. Of course other factors such as price and location will play a role, but if you have had a lot of people through the door and the property still remains on the market, just ask what you can do aesthetically to improve its chances.
Tenants and prospective buyers do not simply want a space to live in; upon inspecting any property they will automatically associate their lifestyle expectations with the property and with what they see. If a property and its furnishing and appliances come across as dated or neglected, they will more than likely walk away and go for something else that is more contemporary and updated in the same price range. That does not mean the property has to be newly built, as many older apartments and centuries-old houses are extremely sought-after due to the fact that they have been modernised and in an immaculate state. As said, the current market is very competitive and a wide variety of very well-kept properties, similar to yours, are available.
In today’s market social media and online listings dominate everything so it is crucial to have visually appealing photos of your property. Staging will set your home apart from the competition and will increase your chances of drawing in potential clients. By investing in staging, you align your property with a client’s expectations and increase the property’s desirability.
Homes that have been professionally staged tend to sell or rent more quickly than those that haven’t. Staging enhances the overall presentation of your home, improving its curb appeal. When buyers visit a well-staged home, they are more likely to make an offer promptly or agree to the rental amount, reducing the time your property spends on the market. Conversely, a property that hasn’t been staged may sit for an extended period, leading potential buyers to question if there’s something is wrong with it.
Staging can influence the price buyers or tenants are willing to pay for your home. A well-staged property often receives offers close to or even above the asking or rental price if there’s a waiting list as a result of its desirability. In some cases, multiple clients may end up competing for the staged home, driving up the final sale/rental price. Your property may even end up looking so good that clients may express additional interest in purchasing the furniture too, thus potentially adding further value.
The cost of staging all depends on what you are prepared to spend and how eager you are to achieve your goal. Some people prefer to stage only specific areas of the home to save money, but it is recommended to stage the entire property. Remember, clients will evaluate the overall presentation of the home. Expert stagers charge by the hour or per job, but maybe your real estate agent has in-house stagers available for an additional fee. With the advent of AI, virtual staging is another option gaining popularity. This involves digitally enhancing your property’s photos but once again, clients will likely be disappointed if they do not find what was promised or shown in the online photographs of your property when they visit it in real life.
Some owners may have a flair for interior design, but it is probably better to consult a professional when it comes to staging your home. Rather make sure your home is properly staged for your target market and consult with your real estate agent for recommendations on where to find reputable staging professionals.
Here are our top tips to get your property into a league where it is appealing and attractive to tenants or buyers.
People may say “next!” simply upon seeing the exterior of any property. The exterior needs to be good enough as a first impression as to make it absolutely worthwhile for them to explore the interior space as well. Here’s what you can do regarding the outside of your property:
Show off the potential of a spare room by assigning a function to it: make it a home office, a gym or an inviting guest room. Never use it to dump stuff in or lock the door during a viewing as this will leave clients uneasy, wondering what’s behind the door.
A death knell for any viewing is toys strewn all over the house! If you MUST have them on view, make sure they are packed away and organised like a library, in boxes, neatly stacked.
Always draw clients in and around corners, to explore the house by placing items of interest at the top of the stairs, in a corner where a passage leads off to bedrooms or onto a balcony. Do this with a painting, a rug, lights and more.
Renting out a property or selling it successfully can be derailed by something as simple as a bad smell! Pet odours, cigarettes, mould, seafood, spices and garlic pongs emanating from a property is a guaranteed way of see the client’s back within minutes of walking through the door. Before a viewing open doors and windows and make sure the property smells fresh.
As we said, people want lifestyles, not properties. Show them how they can live, not how they will live. For instance, maximise the views, let in sunlight and never forget to stage a balcony or terrace too. This will show them the full potential of the property and charm the pants off them. Adapt this to whatever the season: make the property cosy and warm in winter and cool and fresh for the summer!
The cost of staging is typically far less than facing a potential price reduction that you may have to make if you don’t stage your home. Investing in home staging is a very smart decision that can have significant impact on the success of your property’s rentability or sale.
If you are interested in letting or selling your home and want to stage it, contact us!
With more than 50 years of successful sales, lets and staging of all kinds of properties in Malta, you can rest assured that your interests will be best served.
Frank Salt Real Estate Staging Service: The Frank Salt Home Interiors team of specialists will be able to assist you with your property’s staging, whether you want to rent it out or sell it. Home Interiors: 2, Paceville Avenue St Julian’s | Tel +356 2277 0119 | [email protected]
Frank Salt Real Estate Sales: Frank Salt Real Estate Head Office: 2, Paceville Avenue St. Julian’s | Tel +356 2277 0110 | Email: [email protected]
Frank Salt Real Estate Rentals: Philippa Tabone, 212A Tower Road, Sliema | Tel +356 2276 5211 | Mob+356 7962 1984 or email: [email protected]
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