The importance of apartment staging for prospective residents

Whether you add a mirror to instantly make a living room feel more spacious or a potted plant to breathe some life into a dull corner, there are plenty of ways apartment staging can cast your real estate property in its best light. During the leasing process, when showing an apartment unit to prospective residents, you want the buyers to get a strong sense of what it has to offer and what it may be like to live there.

Before you book your next showing, use this guide to add a few spatial design ideas to your bag of tricks. Learn how to effectively stage an apartment unit and why you’ll benefit from doing it right.

What is apartment staging?

Apartment staging is the process of preparing an apartment to show prospective residents. Whether for rent or for sale, real estate properties of all kinds can benefit from a well-staged showing. Here’s why this could be the key to convincing prospective tenants or buyers to commit to a future in your space:

• It’s more personal – An empty apartment can feel a bit cold. Creating a warmer, more inviting environment through apartment staging can help you to connect with potential residents and make them feel welcome.
• It highlights the living space’s potential – A well-staged apartment can show prospective residents that the space is ready to live in and give them an idea of what it looks like furnished. Staging allows you to highlight features in the apartment like the benefits of IoT devices, for example.  This can help them envision themselves living there and making it their own small space.
• It enhances its appeal – Traditional staging creates an opportunity to show off the best features an apartment has to offer, but it’s also a clever way to highlight the services and amenities potential residents can enjoy. For example, when you partner with Alfred, integrating our resident services, you can show off a few rental property perks like package delivery, community events, local discounts and offers, laundry services, and more.

Temporarily staging apartments can be a terrific way to draw more attention to an apartment that’s been on the market for a while. That said, if home staging individual units isn’t a realistic option, a permanently staged model apartment could also be worth considering.

How to effectively stage an apartment

Ultimately, the value and effectiveness of apartment staging boil down to how it’s done. Keep these tips in mind to get the most out of your staging efforts.

1. Do your research

Every successful project starts with a little research, and apartment staging is no different. Spend some time looking into what home designers and stagers recommend to stay up-to-date with the latest trends.

In addition, learn about your target market, considering their wants and needs when making decisions. If you stage in a way that caters to who you want to attract, you’ll be prepared to give prospective residents a meaningful experience during their tour, no matter whether it’s virtual or in person.

2. Prepare the space

It may go without saying that a staged apartment should be clean and tidy, but make sure to take these steps as you prepare a model apartment or unit:

• Do an initial deep cleaning
• Consider what color palette will work best in the space
• Give the walls a fresh coat of paint
• Make sure any permanent installations are in good condition

3. Furnish and decorate

Taking what you know about your target market into consideration, choose furnishings and decorations that will complement the space and appeal to your audience. You can furnish the entire apartment if it’s feasible, or you can select key spaces to focus on.

In either case:

• Be efficient – Rather than trying to fill every nook and cranny, focus on furnishing the space effectively. Use the minimum amount of furniture and decoration needed to highlight the appeal of an apartment. This is more cost-effective—and it makes the space easier to imagine customizing and updating later on.
• Be neutral – Select furniture and decor that match the image you want to convey, but keep it neutral enough to be relatable to a wide variety of tastes. That said, if you’ve learned a good bit about prospective residents before a visit, feel free to add some extra flair to appeal to them.
• Make the entrance inviting – A good first impression is essential. Give the entrance a little extra attention so prospective visitors will be wowed as soon as they step foot through the door.
• Consider lighting – Take advantage of any natural light that streams into the apartment or select light fixtures that will complement the interior.

How to get even more out of apartment staging

Staging can help show off an apartment, but you can use that space to do even more before, during, and after tours. Here’s how to get the most return on your investment.

Take photos

Photos are a must when advertising a staged apartment and will likely draw more attention than photos of an empty home. Post these along with a few snaps that show off the community residents would be joining to give them even more insight.

Gather insight

Pay attention to reactions and comments (both online and in-person) on a staged apartment to get more insight into what your target market responds to and is looking for. Use this information to reevaluate how the space is set up and get ideas for other ways to appeal to prospective residents.

Simplify spatial design with Alfred

You already know how much you have to offer residents; apartment staging can help them see the perks of your unit more clearly. Another way to turn your space into an irresistible home that anyone would be lucky to rent is by partnering with Alfred.

We specialize in spatial design so that you can ensure each staging goes off without a hitch. Plus, we offer property management solutions, community programming, streamlined payment portals, and valuable data and insights to better understand resident needs and maximize operational efficiency.

Find your all-in-one solution with Alfred today.

Sources: 

• Forbes.com. Is Home Staging Worth It? www.forbes.com/advisor/mortgages/is-home-staging-worth-it/
• Fortunebuilders.com. Staging From A Passive Income Investor’s Perspective. www.fortunebuilders.com/staging-passive-income-investors-perspective/
• Mashvisor.com. Staging for Rent: Is It Necessary to Get Tenants https://www.mashvisor.com/blog/staging-for-rent-get-tenants/