Sealing the Deal with Buyer Bait – The Secrets of Dressing Your Housing Project

For even the finest architectural gems, selling a new build is not just about selling cutting edge design. The property market relies upon selling emotions. How will the buyer feel when they live there, holiday there or build a business there? The only way to create these emotions for a buyer is to set the scene. Forget impressive open spaces, aim to dress your housing project to specifically entice your target audience. It’s all about creating the right buyer bait.

Here’s a look at some of the secrets to staging a property for sale:

Setting the scene from the start

Make an impact before a potential buyer even steps in the door. You know the adage, ‘You never get a second chance to make a first impression’ – it’s true! If you don’t get the outside of a property right, you’re potentially losing out on a sale before your customer has even set foot inside. If you’re working in construction, you’ve probably already had your eye on the finer details of paint finish, brickwork and hardware… but what about the personal touches that make a property look like a home? Perhaps: potted plants, a vibrant door mat and a house name plate.

Design vignettes

As your viewer is led around your property, have little vignettes set up that they can relate to and visualise their own use. Set up a comfy chair with glowing side light in a book corner or have plates out on the dining room table. You might wish for an aspiration feel too, try renting highend furniture for your property.

Light it up

Light is often overlooked when it comes to dressing a home. It’s not all about dramatic paintwork and designer furniture. The right lighting, both natural and artificial, can set the mood for a space and help highlight any architectural features. Play around with layered lighting options, mains lights and side lights as well as dimmer switches allow for maximum flexibility.

If you’re going to put up curtains, choose light gauze designs which let as much natural light in as possible. This will help your rooms look larger.

Get art right

If viewers know they’re coming to see a new build, they’ll know any decoration is for show – rather than the choice of previous owners – which is fine, but there’s a balance between setting up a home to help buyers imagine the potential, and creating something that is cringingly contrived. Be careful how you use artwork. Stray away from stock photography of happy couples and model families. Instead opt for statement artworks. Create interest on the walls by hanging art on different planes of vision so that viewer’s eyes travel around the room.

Bring life into the place

Plant life is a quick and easy way to breathe life into a new build. House plants can bring a warmth and vitality to any room while flowers will bring colour too. The plants you choose should depend on the feel you are trying to create. Lavish and sophisticated? Try an oversized vase of lilies or expensive arranged bouquet. Modest and content? Opt for a bunch of daffodils or mixed carnations.