subject: Taking Home Staging to the Next Level: Lifestyle Merchandising [print this page] Taking Home Staging to the Next Level: Lifestyle Merchandising
Did you know that home staging is all about "lifestyle merchandising"?Yes, when you are selling your home, you are actually merchandising a lifestyle to potential buyers. Most buyers are trading up when they are buying a home, so the goal is to appeal to the lifestyle they are seeking.
Recently Igraduated froman advanced staging course given by Matthew Finlason, host of HGTV's"The Stagers".Here is what I learned in the course about how home staging is changing:
Casting a "wide net" with staging in order to attract the broad range of buyersis a thing of the past.
Crafting a "perfect lure" to attract the right buyer with staging representsa paradigm shift.
While it's fine to neutralize a home of its occupant's personality, don't sterilize it.
Home staging is now known as Target Staging. Target staging involves learning about who the specific buyer or buyers might be, and creating a design plan to appeal to that buyer or buyers.
Before you stage, it's important to first learn the demographics of the potential buyer (age,income, gender, marital status, etc.).
It's also important to focus on the psychographics of the buyer (the industry they're in, their leisure time activities and interests, the profile of retailers in the area which will be an indicator of the profile of the residents).
Stage this buyer's dream house with colors, shapes, textures, objects and artwork that will make them emotionally connect with the space. For example, if the profile of the likelybuyer is a single male who works on Wall Street, then the space should be staged to reflect the lifestyle and interests of that buyer profile. For example, if the likely buyer is a female working in the fashion district, then set up a desk with books on fashion and sketches of clothing.
Stage in order to"tell stories" based upon the buyer's profile.
Staging is"lifestyle merchandising" and"dialing in the buyer". Stage to create a life that buyers can aspire to and relate to.
Stage so that your company aesthetic shines through but not whereevery staginglooks like every other staging you do or other stagers do.
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