The purpose of home staging is to sell or rent out a property faster and for a higher price. When done well, it has proven to be very effective.
According to the report ‘State of the Home Staging Industry 2023‘ presented by the US The Real Estate Staging Association for staged vacant properties:
- 60.94% of properties sold over the listing price in 2021
- The average percentage over the list price was approximately 20.64% in 2023 and 18.13% in 2022.
The ‘Schweizer Verband für Home Staging und Redesign‘ states that:
- Staged properties sell on average 50% faster
- Between 80-90% of all staged properties have sold within 3 months
- Staged properties sell for 15% above list price
The term was coined in the early 1970s by Barb Schwarz, a Real Estate Agent with a background in theatre. Although the practice of preparing houses for selling goes back further than that, Barb formalised the concept and helped turn it into an industry.
In the late nineties and early noughties, home staging television shows showed how transformative staging could be for a property, and it helped make the concept mainstream. It has since become a fundamental aspect of the Real Estate business.
Why is it important?
Home staging brings a property to life. It is difficult to get a sense of proportion without furniture. You want to make it as easy as possible for your clients to know how to utilise the rooms.
Image 1 and 2 : Packimpex Staging Project, Kriens, 2024. We transformed this previously empty space into a warm and inviting dining area.
You do not necessarily have to stage every room in your property. According to the ‘2023 Profile of Home Staging’ by the US National Association of REALTORS® The most important rooms to stage were the living room, the primary bedroom, and the kitchen.
What does ‘Home Staging’ entail?
Layout: The optimisation of the furniture arrangements to show the best use of the space, as well as creating a spatial flow. Considering how traffic moves throughout the space is particularly relevant if several people view the property concurrently. The layout can also bring extra attention to focal points.
Design: The idea is to allow the visitor to imagine living there. Neutral tones are usually recommended overall, but it is also important to not make it look too sterile, so some colourful accents can be useful. Setting the table in the dining room or adding wood to a fireplace highlights the intended use and adds comfort.
Lighting: An essential aspect of interior design. It sets the mood and impacts colour perception. It has a psychological impact, and most importantly, it affects the functionality of a room.
Sound & Scent: ‘Sensory Branding’ has been an integral part of the service and retail industry for a long time. Signature scents and background music can be essential parts of a brand identity. In fact, “Sensory branding has been one of the most important marketing tools used by the top successful companies like Apple, Starbucks, Singapore airlines, etc.” It has only relatively recently become part of the staging process. It is a powerful tool that can create positive associations for potential buyers/renters.
Images 3-6: Packimpex Staging Project, Kriens, 2024. Our furniture transformed the living room and the bedrooms into stylish and cozy spaces.
Cultural aspects to consider
There are culturally specific preferences to keep in mind, and in a globalised market, it is important to balance these preferences with more widespread trends to make the property appealing to a multicultural audience.
Virtual Staging and Real-time Augmented Reality
It is a practice that has increased significantly since the COVID-19 pandemic. It is a significant development in the real estate industry for enabling remote viewing. However, as this study shows, a realistic rendering requires quite some effort to capture the accurate lighting and the complexities of outdoor lighting, such as the effect on the sunlight sifted through trees. Accurately mapping the dimensions of a space in dimly lit environments can also be difficult. It is a developing field that will undoubtedly become more sophisticated. Presently, however, it does not yet replace the sensory and spatial experience achievable in person with actual furnishings.
Packimpex offers staging furniture for both homes and offices, at competitive rates. Let us help you maximise the sale potential of your building or apartment.
Images 7-9: Packimpex Staging Project, Kriens, 2024. The first image shows the building under renovation, while the second and third images reveal the interior preparations for staging. We take pride in carefully and meticulously setting up the space to create a welcoming and visually appealing environment
Images 10-12: Packimpex Staging Project, Kriens, 2024. A few additional highlights of the apartment staged by us.
The images above are from a staging project for a new building in the Lucerne/ Kriens area, completed in December, 2024. We enjoyed the close collaboration with our client, a property manager, who entrusted us with their vision and requirements.
The images highlight how our staging concepts can bring out the full potential of a property. For us, it’s always important to build long-term, sustainable relationships with our clients. Whether it’s handling last-minute changes or unexpected challenges, we remain flexible and solution-oriented, always focused on providing the best experience for our clients.