Make that first space uncluttered, warm and welcoming. Even with a tiny entranceway you can add a floor runner, a skinny console table and hooks, or a chair or bench. Hanging a mirror (plain or patterned) opposite your front door will reflect great natural light every time the door opens, as well as reflect artificial light from fittings.
In addition to the entranceway, the two most important rooms to stage when tenanting are the heart of the home; the kitchen and living room.
It’s important when dressing a room to use a mixture of different shapes, heights and sizes in furnishings and decoration. You don’t want everything in a room to be at the same level or size, otherwise the effect can be confusing and make the room look small.
ENTRANCE The entrance to your rental will significantly influence potential tenants attitudes to your property the moment they arrive. Think about what you want them to feel as soon as they open the front door.
LIVING ROOM This room is important because it’s where people gather to relax, entertain and enjoy time with family and friends.
Decide on a focal point in the room (where does your eye naturally go when entering the room - french doors, a view, feature wall) and highlight that by arranging furniture and accessories in such a way that the eye is drawn to that attractive feature.
It’s a good idea to draw up measurements of your room, outlining where key features exist and take this with you when you are choosing furniture. Looks can be very deceiving - furniture will seem smaller in a showroom with massive ceilings than it will look like in your living room! And don’t hire all furniture to match or the house will look like a shop display.
Symmetrical arrangements usually work well, so use pairs of sofas, chairs, lamps and pull your furniture off the walls to create inviting conversation areas. You want to keep traffic areas open for good flow so make sure there’s space to manoeuvre around furniture and allow room for doors and windows to open.
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The strategic placement of a rug, along with cushions, throws and window treatments add texture, colour and warmth to a room. Make sure your rug is large enough for all the pieces of furniture to fit on it and at least 24cm of bare floor between the edges of the rug and the walls of the room. The wrong size can make a room look smaller or disjointed.
Remember the end result needs to be warm and inviting, showing good use of space.
KITCHEN The kitchen is possibly the most trafficked room in the house so it’s important this room is clean, well lit and feels homely. The kitchen’s main focus is food, so tenants want room for cooking, cleaning and storage.
You can spruce up a kitchen inexpensively by painting the cabinets (and walls), or cleaning and then shining wood with an oil to renew its sheen.
For homely, softening touches put out a large bowl of bright fruit on the bench-top, or a vase of flowers, and position an appliance or two. You could arrange a few colourful cookbooks on a shelf that may inspire ideas of cooking in your kitchen, and even put out place settings at a kitchen table which all adds to a more natural lived-in feel.
Home staging can be great fun so do your research, get inspired, keep it simple, and…... go for it!