Home staging is all about decorating a home to sell quickly and for more money. In fact, home stagers have been called the “dream weavers of real estate.” We achieve this by showcasing the property’s best features, especially those that will appeal to the likely target buyer of that particular real estate property.
For a home stager to be most effective, our first step should be forming a clear mental picture of who this home will appeal to, and why.
Otherwise, a home stager risks trying to appeal to “everyone” or “anyone.” This results in bland and boring home staging that won’t offend, but also won’t get anyone excited to purchase the property.
One person’s “dream house” could be a nightmare for someone else. Here’s how to inspire your home staging project with a clear mental picture of the home’s likely target buyer:
1. Consider the neighborhood.
What’s the profile of this neighborhood? Is it young families, retired couples, young singles, gay men?
Is there a particular ethnic or religious group who lives in that neighborhood?
2. Consider the property you are staging to sell.
Factors that influence the target buyer are:
- Price point for that neighborhood and for that particular property.
- Whether it’s close to public transit.
- Whether it’s an area known for great schools (high school, primary school, college?).
- Number of bedrooms and bathrooms.
- Square footage.
- Whether it’s an income-producing property (basement rental apartment, or 3 kitchens on different floors, etc.).
- Whether it has a family room, playroom, workshop.
- Whether architectural features make it an “adult house” (eg: modern open stairways with no risers or railings and nowhere to put up a baby gate)
- Whether it’s close to nightclubs, restaurants or food shopping.
- Whether it’s close to parks, bike paths, playgrounds, etc.
- Whether it’s a quiet cul-de-sac or a busy street, or something in between.
- Whether there is a big garden to take care of, a yard with lots of grass to run around in, etc.
- The age of the home or whether it’s been newly renovated and in what style.
3. Start with buyer demographics.
Is it likely a single person or a couple who would buy this property? How old are the people who would likely buy this home? Do they have kids? How many kids, and what age range are they in?
4. Think about target buyer’s stage in life.
Retired empty nesters are going to be drawn to a very different environment than a young, newly married couple.
Someone with time for hobbies may be looking for different features.
To help refine your mental picture, and inspire your home staging, think about what type of careers they might have, whether they’re likely to throw dinner parties and/or huge BBQ parties.
Would there be a Mom looking for a quiet sunny corner to read a book, or a Dad hoping for a “man cave“?
5. Find home staging ideas that will make an emotional connection.
Home buyers start with a logical list of criteria for the house they’re hunting for, but the home they actually buy is heavily influenced by emotions. That’s why home staging works so well.
What subtle (or not so subtle) things can you do to pull on the heart strings of this target buyer?
How can you help them make an emotional connection with this home so that they’ll be motivated to make an offer to purchase?
6. Make your home staging recommendations.
Once you have a clearer picture of who would likely want to buy this home, then you can make your home staging recommendations.
You’ll have a better idea whether you should show that extra bedroom as a nursery, guest room or home office. You’ll know whether the basement should look like a media room, play area, or both.
As for style choices, I’ve always felt walking through a home that the house speaks to me about how it needs to be staged. I thought that might sound “crazy” until I wrote a story about it and got feedback from other home stagers.
Home Stagers, what do you think?
I’d love to know your thoughts on this approach. Please share in the comment section whether you use this process. Is there anything you would add to my list?
Debra Gould, The Staging Diva®
President, Six Elements Home Staging and Voice of Possibility Group Inc.
Author of the Staging Diva Ultimate Design Guide: Home Staging Tips, Tricks and Floor Plans, Debra Gould has staged hundreds of millions of dollars of real estate for her clients. She developed the Staging Diva Training Program to teach others how to earn a living from their own decorating talents.
Debra, totally agree with your thoughts. One of the first questions I ask a client is ‘who do you think will be your most likely buyer?’ This, along with the methods you outline help me to paint a picture of the potential buyers and inform all my decisions from the purpose of a room down to the title of the magazine on the coffee table. Added to this, you’ve said before that houses ‘talk to you’. Houses tell me who will buy them too – it’s an instinctive thing and fun to see who actually buys the house! My first career was in advertising so I was well versed in Target audience. Your readers might find the attached link useful: “What the advertising industry can teach home stagers” http://bit.ly/OTa6u5
Thanks for commenting Imogen and reminding me of that story I wrote about homes talking to us. I think I’ll revise this article to include this.
Interesting that we both come from the world of advertising 🙂
Thanks for sharing.
So true Debra. I staged 3 of 4 Capitol Hill row houses for an estate a few years ago, and one of them had a particularly difficult situation to address. As with all row houses, this one had a long narrow hallway and staircase to one side running front to back of the house. So, first up on the left was a smallish room with a fireplace, a gorgeous period fireplace I might add. Then going along, next you came to completely new gourmet kitchen with beautiful high end cabinetry, granite, all the extras, the works. However, it also had the largest granite topped island ever, way bigger than necessary, ostentatious even, a grazing station. Beyond the kitchen was an okay sized dining room.
In order to come up with a staging plan, I needed to create a story line for the likely buyer. Since it was steps from the US Capitol building, I projected a lobbyist, possibly a marketing executive, maybe from the Midwest would buy it as a pier-de-terre and use it to entertain when in DC. So I suggested the small living room as a place to start a party with drinks, then the huge island as a place where a personal chef would locate an elaborate appetizer spread as s/he cooked the dinner, which would be served in the dining room. The REA and Trustee were impressed with the plan, and as luck would have it, a Midwestern marketing exec is exactly who bought it for full price and exactly what he wanted it for. I fully believe without my “storyline” that house would still be of the market!
P.S. the 4th house in the estate was staged by the Trustee…I did TOO good a job educating him!
Patricia, that’s an excellent example of how to determine your target market. Thanks for sharing it.
Patricia, I was thinking your story would also make an awesome follow up blog post to this one. It would be great to write about you and give you some extra publicity. To make that happen, I’d love it if you could share the same comment, along with a couple of photos I can use at this link: https://stagingdiva.com/homestagingbusiness/staging-success-stories/
Thanks again for commenting!
I believe it is this aspect to home staging, defining the target market for a home, is what separates a professional, full time stager from a realtor who asserts he or she also stages homes as part of the listing services. Strategically placing Architectural Digest magazines in a home along with fresh towels in the powder room and flowers in a vase on the kitchen island are helpful but not what makes a professional staging job so different and ultimately much more successful.
Thanks for sharing your comments Jennifer! I agree that staging goes beyond those “obvious” yet not always appropriate techniques. I’m sure most Realtors would say they also understand the target buyer for a home. They should, but having been forced to find 3 or my own homes when multiple agents couldn’t seem to “get it”, I’d say they don’t always really know.
Great article! I totally agree that unless and until you know who the buyer is, that there is no way your staging can be successful or accurate.
Young, old, kids, no kids…ETC. all play such a huge part in the selection of what a room will be as well as what style will be used.
Thanks Page! Writing this article reminded me of a situation when I totally got it wrong. I’m writing about that in an upcoming story.
Yes I strongly agree very nice article I agree with everything from above knowing the type of people that the neighborhood is there any children are they retired what are they looking to do in this picture got home so great article.
Thanks Sandra!
Do you have a particular contract that you use?
I cover that extensively in course 3 of the Staging Diva Home Staging Business Training Program, called “Taking the Mystery Out of Home Staging Consultations.”
When you follow my business model, there is way less need for paperwork than you’re currently imagining, though I make sure your interests are protected and you’re getting paid along the way (even getting deposits upfront for some aspects).
Thanks for explaining how to stage a property well. It’s nice to know that factors that could influence a buyer’s decision is if it’s close to food shopping or playgrounds. Knowing what’s in your area could be a good way to learn what features of the home you should focus on.
I’m still in the training process, although I’m making some forward progress, but I have a question concerning this topic. How do you know for sure who the target audience is if the neighborhood is somewhat “eclectic”, in that the styles and sizes of houses vary, and it’s very possible that the house could appeal to a single person or a young couple starting just starting out or empty nesters/retirees? I live in a rural area near several small and mid-sized towns where this could very well be the case, and I wouldn’t necessarily know whether to stage an extra room as a guest room, office/hobby room or nursery. A small/medium fenced yard could appeal to a single person who liked to entertain, a young couple with a child, or an older couple who liked to garden and have their grandkids over to play. Thanks for any advice!
You will never know for sure who will end up buying a particular house. One thing to do would be to look at stats for the neighborhoods you’re considering staging in. You can also talk to realtors who sell a lot in that area.
You can also get a sense driving or walking around the immediate vicinity of the home. For example, are you seeing lots of kids bikes and toys in front of houses or are you seeing carefully manicured gardens, screen doors that look like they went up in the 1960 and little garden gnomes?
Then consider the architecture and the price point.
It’s unlikely that you’ll have retirees moving into a two or three story home surrounded by families with young kids. While that would be very appealing to young families. If the price is bottom end for that neighborhood, you’re also probably trying to attract first time buyers. They may not have kids yet, but they’re likely planning on it.
Hope that helps.
You might also enjoy this article about when I totally guessed wrong staging a house!
Thank You!