Whether you are listing a $1.5 million estate with 4.3 acres or a $120,000 starter condo, luxury home staging will give you the marketing advantage resulting in any of the following: increased online views, more frequent showings, higher offers, etc. Staging allows your smaller spaces to shine to their full potential, creating a more luxurious atmosphere, while also creating purpose to larger spaces that are hard for potential buyers to visually imagine how they would use them.
One common “issue” that we hear over and over again in apartment and condo listings is the lack of space present. What many buyers learn is that most units are not really as “tight” as one might think. Most buyers just have a hard time visualizing. The key is the placement of the larger furniture pieces. For example, the standard bed size in most units is a queen bed, but did you notice in the example above its not a queen but rather a KING! You could easily have a queen and fit two nightstands on either side, or stick with the king and opt for a single nightstand. We chose a layered end table look to add interest while still staying visually light. The matching ottoman at the foot of the bed add in another layer, as well as the tray. It brings in a “vibe” to cause potential residents to visualize how they could come home here after a long day to relax and unwind. Finally, we selected a mirror for above the bed for several reasons. One, it draws attention to the high ceilings. Two, the size or a larger mirror accentuates the larger size of the king headboard. Finally, the mirror also acts as a great reflector of all the natural light coming through the larger windows. Playing up the amazing feature of the extra tall ceilings. Also, it inherently redirects your attention from the worry about square footage size, when you have so much space vertically!
Bedrooms are not the only tight spaces when it comes to apartment living. In the same unit as the master bedroom above, was an open concept kitchen, living, dining with only one wall of cabinetry. An island in the Kitchen would have really hindered the options for residents brining in a dining table, as well as cutting into the living space right next to it. For our luxury home staging we were able to capitalize on this feature by utilizing a full size dining table in the unit. We decided against a bar height table, because it would block the open view between the kitchen and living. The living room side was able to stay visually open by simply placing the sofa along the longer wall, rather than facing the console and TV. Add in a couple visually smaller accent chairs, a glass coffee table, and layer an open metal console with poufs, and the space has all the necessary furniture without feeling cramped!
The grass isn’t always greener on the other side though! While it may seem like visualizing a small space would be difficult for buyers, sometimes the most difficult spaces for buyers to imagine themselves in are actually larger ones. One of our key pieces of advice in our luxury verbal consultations for these types of spaces are splitting the larger space into smaller areas. Let each stand on its own, while still tying them together. Fill each space, while also allowing for enough walking room between. Don’t be afraid to use larger furniture pieces to allow for less visual business. In the example above you can see how we separate the large open concept lower level into two larger areas (the living and the bar), and then went one step more to separate each of those spaces into two more “areas.” The bar area has a large bar and island, with a custom table coming off of the island. Additionally, a pub table next to the shuffleboard creates a gaming space on the same side. While the living space is focused around an oversized sectional, with additional bench seating space underneath the stairs. These separated areas give purpose to the lower level, allowing potential buyer’s to imagine their own family’s sitting down and lounging back for movie night, or gathering around the bar as they host friends.
Whether a large space lacking a purpose, or a smaller space demanding multiple functions, each have their own challenges when marketing to potential buyers. Luxury Home Stagings give your property the best chances at getting top dollar!
Want to know more about the in’s and out’s of luxury home staging? Check out some of our recent blogs like A Day In The Life Of A Luxury Home Stager – One Moment At A Time and Home Staging vs Luxury Home Staging – The Benefits Of Choosing Luxury. If you have a topic you want us to discuss further? Shoot us a message or email and let us know! Don’t forget to check back for new Katie’s Corner blogs here to stay up to date with all of the latest home staging tips and tricks. You can also always reach us during business hours at 515-986-1895. Or check out any of our social media handles like: Facebook, Instagram, Pinterest, or Linkedin.
Until next time!
