Apartment Staging – Tips To Stage Your Apartment For Sale
Home staging is a well-known concept in the real estate sector; however, most homes on single-family TV or Pinterest are single-family dwellings. Despite this trend, almost 39 million Canadians choose to dwell in apartments! Whether your aim is selling an apartment, it’s essential to try apartment staging correctly and appeal to the right set of people for the best results.
Staging apartments is just as essential, if not even more so, than staging single-family homes. To address the most frequent questions and qualms regarding apartment staging, let’s delve a little deeper into them.
Staging An Apartment vs. Staging a House
Is apartment staging much different than when you stage a house? Setting up an apartment to look its best is a mystery. Yet the ultimate objective remains unchanged with either option – whether it’s an abode in Beverly Hills or a mere studio flat – and that’s getting the home sold for top dollar within no time!
From a marketing viewpoint, apartments and houses generally differ in their available space and location. Generally speaking, houses are typically more spacious than apartments; however, there are always exceptions to the rule! Apartments usually situate themselves within cities or suburban areas around them.
Moving large furniture items into an apartment can be quite a painstaking task, especially when the building has many floors. To make matters worse, apartments and other similar types of housing typically only provide a little space in terms of the exterior to leverage for staging during the selling process.
Despite their differences, staging an apartment and a house have similar steps: cleaning, decluttering, repairs, and design. The main discrepancy between both is encountered during the actual time it takes to prepare them for staging – bringing up challenging issues that need addressing.
Three Ways to Stage an Apartment
When it comes to apartment staging, there are three primary techniques:
- Vacant Staging: One of the most renowned types of staging is complete room transformations, where all existing furniture and decor are removed, and entirely new items are brought in.
- Occupied Home Staging: This type of home staging is known as “traditional home staging.” It can be done even when people live in an apartment.
- Virtual Staging: Transform your property photos with virtual staging! Easily add digital furniture and decor to a vacant space or replace existing pieces, bringing them to life instantly.
Ultimately, the purpose of both traditional and virtual staging is to expedite the process of obtaining a buyer or tenant who will pay top dollar for your listing.
Although virtual staging is still a relatively unknown concept to many real estate professionals and property owners, its advantages for apartments, condos, and townhomes are evident.
Virtual staging is the ultimate way to present your space in an attractive, cost-effective manner. In only 24 hours or less, you can show potential buyers a detailed view of their new property without moving any furniture around! Plus, with virtual apartment staging, you’ll save thousands on rental fees and labor costs accompanying traditional furniture moving services.
Whether you opt for physical or virtual staging, many techniques that will yield the best outcome remain unchanged.
What Does Staging an Apartment Mean?
Within the Chilliwack real estate industry, apartment staging is a necessary part of showcasing an empty unit. Property owners can help prospective home buyers envision themselves living in it by selecting furniture and decor pieces that best accentuate the space – increasing their chances of selling the apartment out quickly!
Apartment Staging may include:
- Decorating your property’s exteriors for curb appeal
- Placing artwork and fresh flowers in the lobby
- Arranging furniture in each room
- Removing odors such as from smoke or pets
- Hanging curtains or installing new blinds
- Upgrading appliances to newer models
Whether you choose to do it yourself or employ a professional, the most successful apartment staging is accomplished before photographing and listing an apartment online.
How Much Does Apartment Staging Cost?
Each square foot of an apartment will cost $2 per stage. This means a 600-square-foot unit would cost approximately $1,200 while staging a 2,000-square-foot space could cost roughly $4,000.
However, the costs associated with apartment staging vary depending on your location and the services you choose to invest in. Professional stagers usually charge for their design consultations as well. When it comes time to rent furniture, your expenses suddenly add up quickly.
If you’re hoping to save money, staging for selling can be done without the assistance of professionals. Moreover, various virtual staging software solutions come with a cost-effective price tag; some services provide static staged photos starting at just $30 per image!
For an even more advanced approach, consider utilizing augmented reality technology to give potential home buyers a realistic glimpse into what their space would look like fully furnished.
How To Apartment Staging Like An Expert
It pays to be strategic if you’re looking to maximize your return on investment when staging an apartment model. Prospective buyers have certain preferences regarding the rooms and features they gravitate towards; thus, focusing on these spaces while allocating resources accordingly is paramount for a successful selling outcome.
Top 5 Most Valuable Spaces To Stage
- Bedrooms: If you’re looking to attract prospective house buyers, leave no room for doubt – measure the bedroom space and select the largest bed size that can fit comfortably. Considering two feet of walking space on all sides, a 10×10 bedroom could accommodate a queen-sized bed!
- Outdoor spaces: In this post-pandemic era, outdoor spaces are necessary for people. Make your units stand out by showcasing all the fantastic amenities that can be found outside – from patio furniture to lanterns and even plants. It’s sure to leave potential buyers impressed!
- Living room: Create the illusion of a larger space by using an area rug. The best way to do this is to position the rug to fill most of the room but still have about 10-12 inches of gap between its edge and the wall. Just like in your bedroom, make sure you also leave two feet around all sides of your couch for people to walk through – this will prevent overcrowding and create more breathing space within your living room.
- Kitchen: A sleek, minimalistic design is perfect for making your kitchen look chic and inviting. To maintain this aesthetic, be mindful of what you place on the counters – try to keep it manageable with items that can create a manageable mess! Additionally, for people who love entertaining at home, consider adding stools around an attractive breakfast bar or investing in a stylish dining table set with four to six chairs. Finally, upgrade your kitchen with some smart appliances that allow for convenient automation of tasks – sure to please any home buyers!
- Bathrooms: To stage your bathroom, tidiness is of the utmost importance. Add features like eucalyptus plants, natural wood accents, and an ultra-soft rug to make it inviting and relaxing, like a spa.
Simple Staging Tips Everyone Should Follow:
- Streamline your space to make it appear more expansive.
- Freshen up your space instantly with new light fixtures, cabinet handles, and curtains!
- Ensure your appliances are always well-maintained, and don’t be afraid to upgrade them whenever possible.
- Eliminate any pet odors and make the unit smell pleasant with air fresheners and essential oil diffusers.
- Make sure to take out any personal decorations, such as pictures of your family, so that prospective buyers can visualize the space as their own.
Apartment Staging Overview
Preparing an apartment for sale requires the same approach as staging a home or office, yet it can be even more complicated due to its smaller dimensions. To attract your desired buyers, try apartment staging – it could make all the difference in getting people interested!