When you move house, household storage can be advantageous, not just for holding your items during the move, but also in the months leading up to your sale if you opt for home staging.

Home staging may be a term you’re unfamiliar with, but if you’ve been brought up on a diet of interior design shows, you will understand the concept.

Or perhaps you are aware of it, but can’t see the point of styling your home for sale?

So why bother?

When you are being shown a home, estate agents and sellers often assume you don a magic pair of glasses that will show you a vision of your future home. This is despite the presence of worn furniture, dirty carpets and a musty smell.

If presentation is how we judge candidates at interviews, book covers in shops and food in a restaurant, why do we mistakenly believe that people are not swayed by a stylish living room?

Home stagers enable you to display your home in a way that makes it more attractive to viewers, enticing them to make an offer.

It’s not simply a case of cleanliness and good taste luring people in. Marketer Ryan Deiss once said that people only want one thing: transformation.

It’s true, people see a house and they are transformed by the idea of their perfect selves living in their perfect home.

Home staging, also referred to as property styling involves using props and furniture items to create this illusion.

What is home staging?

After the initial preparations of cleaning your house, decluttering and fixing instances of wear and tear, a staging expert will help you organise your home furnishings to make the property appear more spacious and attractive. The idea is to remove personal effects and establish a canvas.

Advantages of using a pro:

Home staging is not cheap, so it’s hard for sellers to justify spending money sprucing the place up for someone else to reap the benefit.

However, Right Move conducted a survey that revealed you can increase your selling price by 8% if you style your home ahead of putting it on the market.

Pricing models can be an agreed amount depending on the number of rooms that need dressing. Other some experts may ask for a percentage of your sale.

If you choose to pay for a pro, you can expect the following:

• Interior design expertise that you might not possess yourself;
• Someone who knows the latest trends, and yet can create a display that has universal appeal;
• The ability to rent props and furniture instead of purchasing them yourself;
• More time to concentrate on other aspects of your imminent sale rather than decorating;
• A neutral pair of eyes can help you depersonalise your home in a way that may be difficult for you to see.

Can you do it yourself?

Yes you can, and people are opting to do this.

If you choose to go over your walls in Magnolia before a house move, then you have already experienced home staging at a simpler level.

If you are considering the DIY route, here are some tips to take on board:

• Remove personal effects from the space so it looks more like a show home – Use a Rent A Space home storage unit to keep everything out the way while you prepare your house for viewings;
• Tidy up the insides of your cupboards in case people want to see inside;
• Each room should have one primary use i.e. bedroom, dining room;
• Add some tasteful props, but don’t go over board;
• Remove any faded window nets or blinds, or anything that is perceived to be worn or outdated;
• Fix any snags;
• Clean your carpets to freshen the place up and remove unsightly coffee stains;
• Paint your walls with a light colour – Light colours make a space more airy;
• Use Pinterest or style blogs to inspire your decorations;
• Style your home for the person you want to sell to, not yourself.

Props you can use:

• A few select jars of cream and toiletries in the bathroom;
• Rolled up towels in one or two colours (hide the day-to-day football themed bath towels);
• Throws and cushions to add colour and cosiness;
• Attractive hardback books strategically placed on your coffee table or sideboard;
• Baskets and ottomans;
• Candles;
• Extra lamps to create pools of light in different parts of the room;
• Plants and flowers.

Last thoughts:

• Think of all the senses – Coffee smells and fresh bread are appetising and homely. Try not to burn your toast on the morning of the viewing, however.
• Think outside the house – Don’t forget to clean the outside of your house, refreshing the paint and weeding the driveway.
• Think Rent A Space –  A storage unit from Rent A Space will keep your belongings safe and secure until you move into your new home. See what sizes we have available.