Deja Vu Staging!! A common dilemma of new construction stagings

Have you ever been to a new construction and experienced the strong feeling of having been to the property before? The house, floor plan, furniture, and even the color concept looks and feels familiar? You ask yourself: what is going on here? You are experiencing a moment of Deja Vu. This is not unusual, as builders often try to appeal to consumers. Their goal is to build their homes according to the desire of their buyers. Thus you can find yourself going from one new construction to another and finding the same custom features, style, and luxury amenities. However, a problem arises when a buyer cannot distinguish between property A and property B, because nothing stands out. Often times this leaves the consumer disillusioned, as nothing is awe inspiring and no emotional connection can be achieved.

As professionals we know that unless someone experiences ‘Love at First Sight’, buyers will continue the hunt for the perfect home. This search could be a lengthy one, and the longer a property search lasts, the more of these Deja’s Vu moments occur in which the potential buyer walks into properties which look and feel alike, leaving them unsatisfied and your property crossed off their “want to have” list. So how do we address this dilemma? Builders’ hands are relatively tied, they have to keep their target buyers in mind, making certain to provide everything on their checklist. After all, the consumers want to be awed and to feel like they are buying the best property on the market; one they will take pride in showing off to their friends and family. Given that new construction is hindered from breaking away from a mold, how can builders set themselves apart from the competition? There are several ways, but here are three: the first is to make a name for themselves using top rated materials, as this lends to a reputation of quality, another is providing first class craftsmanship and going the extra mile for the consumer, and the third but least desirable option is to ask for a lower price. However there is one more very important tool that builders can use in the showcasing of their finished construction: Make certain to never show a house vacant. Less than 10% of buyers can visualize how a property will look furnished. If there are any square footage challenges or awkward areas, without furniture and decor, they hold no chance of going unnoticed, leading your potential buyer to walk away from what could have been the perfect home. The easy solution to this is to bring in a professional Property Stylist. A Property Stylist’s or Stager’s job is to recognize spaces which have a quirky layout, are size challenged, or have any kind of unusual deficit. Property Stylists can even make the smallest of rooms appear purposeful and visually appealing, thus making the house more marketable and attractive to the consumer. This is ultimately accomplished by determining which unique features should be highlighted and showcased to capture the sophisticated eye of today’s buyer. Its custom features, style, and amenities are all very important to the end product.

However, it is not as simple as hiring any stager. Do not make the mistake to hire a stager simply based on price. Keep in mind that you get what you pay for.

There are many Stager’s out there who will beat out their competition based on price. They can accomplish this by providing Template Stagings – especially new construction stagings suffer from this dilemma. With this method, they can simply move their inventory from one property to the next without much thought in regards to a customized staging concept. This may not seem terrible, but it means that they do not spend anytime planning how to showcase custom features or give an odd space a brilliant solution. These are quick and simple stagings, with very little thought to the right furniture proportions, color scheme, necessary artwork, and staging design. In the end they avoid financial expense by reusing old inventory, and the customer has an increased chance of having an under-staged property.

To choose the right stager, start by checking the Professional Property Stylist’s web-site. Consider if they have done their homework and addressed each property as an individual and not simply “dressed” one home to resemble another. Keep in mind that ‘cookie-cutter’ stagings are a potential dilemma for clients and Realtors, leading properties to start melting into each other and creating deja-vu moments. A great stager will create a design that emphasizes the property and showcases it to its best advantage. Each piece is carefully selected and placed in its location with the utmost precision to create the aesthetics that will speak to the most sophisticated buyers, create a connection, make them feel welcome, and ultimately leading to a quicker business transaction.

Just as people want to be recognized for their individuality, properties also need to be ”dressed” accordingly and one size does not fit all!

This cannot be achieved by simply reusing the same staging inventory, without much thought to the uniqueness of the target property or using corporate or pre-bundled department style furniture.

The goal of staging is to raise the perceived value of a home, creating a luxurious, lasting first impression, and an emotional bond. Providing clients with the chic, stylish lifestyle they aspire to.

Give us a call (203.807.4040) for your uniquely design-staged property.
BA Staging & Interiors has won numerous National Awards as well as HOBI Awards for our custom styling of properties that “wow” and sell!!