| Marketing photos taken with wide angle lenses combined with undersized and strategically placed display furniture to make rooms appear larger. Artificial lighting to make rooms appear brighter. Newly painted walls and architraves to hide what could be rising damp. Sensual aromas from plug in diffusers greeting you at the entrance. Welcome to the world of “property staging”, where what you see is not always what you get. Where the designer duvet is supposed to make all the difference. Where what’s lurking behind the false Rembrandt on the wall may not be what you, the buyer expected. Where, after the upmarket furniture and trendy paintings have been removed buyers have been heard to lament, “I paid that much, for this”? Property staging companies first surfaced in Australia about thirty years ago. It has grown to the point where now, most vacant properties on recommendation from the selling agent use this marketing technique. There was a time when buyers could walk in to a property and see it for what it was, warts and all. If nobody lived there it was vacant, if it had some cracks you could see them, if it didn’t smell the best, you knew it. We live in a world that’s constantly changing mainly due to advances in technology. Now, even the humble property inspection has changed forever. What once was labelled deceit and deception is now referred to as “innovative marketing techniques”. Property staging works because it makes rooms appear better than they really are. As buyers move from room to room their focus is manipulated. Aesthetically pleasing furniture pieces can distract buyers from the properties shortcomings. The reality is property staging can have an upward impact on price provided it is implemented in the right situation. For example, it would look out of place in an un-renovated property. Walking into a room that is totally empty can feel cold and characterless. Property buyers would be well advised to disregard the marketing bells and whistles. The focus should be on the tried and tested fundamentals that constitute a high quality real estate purchase. In regards to residential property this of course always starts with quality of location. |
