A Case Study of work completed by Younique Designs Ltd in May 2011. The property was relaunched with a new sale strategy, fresh decoration and staging and sold within 4 weeks.
Home Staging A Service That Really Works Case Study May 2011
1. A UNIQUE interior design company established to bring
a personal service to homeowners, landlords,
developers and estate agents
We LISTEN, OBSERVE, DISCOVER,
CONSULT, and RESOLVE
2. Wansunt Road, Bexley, Kent
4 Bedroom, 3 Reception, 2 bathroom detached property, with drive in, drive out driveway,
large garden and detached garage.
• Wansunt Road was first marketed in March 2010 when it was brought to the market by Park Estates in Bexley with an
asking price of £700,000. This was later reduced to £675,000 and reduced further to £645,000 in October 2010.
• At the beginning of October 2010 Village Estates were instructed to joint market the property and recommended an
asking price of £645,000.
• There were only a small number of viewings with two in October and November 2010 via Park Estates but none from
Village Estates. The level of interest was disappointing throughout the marketing period and no offers were received.
The main feedback from viewers was that ‘there is too much work to be done’.
• In November 2010 I instructed my clients to take the property off the market.
• Following this my was brief was to re-launch the property to the market, developing a sale strategy that would increase
the level of interest in the property, and ultimately result in an acceptable offer.
• This followed some refurbishment, decoration and home staging.
• The property is now ‘Sold subject to contract’ after only 4 weeks on the market
3. Overall Impression
Wansunt Road is one of the premier roads in Bexley. The houses are mostly detached and benefit
from large plots all with off road parking.
This is a 1950’s built property, extended by my client when they purchased it some 35 years ago..
Whilst the kitchen has been replaced since then, little re-decoration had been undertaken. The
property thus looked and felt dated and tired. In truth every room in this property needed some
work to enhance its saleability. Budgets would not allow for the full recommended works so the
following key areas were the prime focus.
Lounge | Dining Room | Shower Room | Bedroom 1 | Bedroom 3
All other areas of the house had a ‘House Doctor®’ touch which meant a mass de-cluttering and
fixing of small problems (e.g. changing light switch face plates, boxing in pipe work), which had a
great impact. All rooms had a touch of staging for the newly instructed Estate Agents
photography during which I was present.
5. lounge
Diagnosis
This room was used as both the main living room and the dining room
and consequently looked and felt cramped. Existing items of furniture
are not co-ordinated and are overfull with crockery and family photos.
The lighting scheme was very dated.
Prescription
Increase the sense of space and appeal to a young family along with
reducing the perceived amount of work needed
Walls
• Plaster breeze block wall (behind TV) and paint. Install skirting board
and paint white.
• Paint all walls (Orangerie by Little Greene was used)
Flooring
• Deep clean carpets and rugs
Furniture
• Remove display unit currently positioned on utility room wall
• Remove tea trolley
• Relocate dining table and chairs to ‘family room’ creating a new dining
room
• Reposition sofas and chairs and all other furniture to make better use
of the space
• De-clutter including ‘hidden’ storage areas behind the bar
Lighting
• Remove all pelmets and tube lighting around the perimeter of the
room, remove spot lights from ceiling, re-plaster ceiling and install 2
light fittings
• Add table lights
Accessories
• Artwork – rework existing artwork in the property
• Planting – add new plants and fresh flowers
• General – display minimal items in the display units
6. lounge
The new flat plastered ceiling has two new chandelier light
fittings to reflect the existing one in the dining room.
An abstract piece of art in just the right colours was found
hiding behind a sofa and hung to become a focal point at
that end of the large room
The small side tables were previously scattered around the
house but now reunited in the lounge.
Soft Furnishings - A splash of extra colour was added with
the cushions to bring out the tones in the rug
The curtains were cleaned and repaired where necessary
and re-hung
New plants and fresh flowers
7. dining room
Diagnosis
Currently used as a Sitting Room
this room should be redefined as
a Dining Room. It was feeling
dark and dull but there was no
budget to paint the walls and
remove the wood panelling.
Prescription
Present this room as a dining
room
Walls
• Clean all walls and woodwork
thoroughly
Flooring
• Clean carpet
Furniture
• Remove white unit from the
room and introduce the unit
from the lounge (storage was
needed)
• Add dining table and chairs
making repairs to chairs as
necessary
• Remove sofa, chair and coffee
table to storage
• Relocate 2 black chairs to
landing
Accessories
• Remove plates from wall
• Repair and re-hang curtains
• Re-hang artwork
• Add mirror above fireplace from
bathroom
8. landing
Diagnosis
This large space is underutilised and
has no spatial definition
Prescription
Define the use of the open landing
by the window creating a ‘reading
area’ using a chair from the family
room
Walls
• Clean all paintwork thoroughly
Furniture
• Remove desk to study and dispose
of chairs and wardrobe
• Using the 2 black leather chairs
from the previous family room and
a bookshelf from one of the
bedrooms create a small reading
area
Lighting
• Clean light fittings and upgrade
bulbs
Accessories
• Hang artwork from clients existing
collection
9. shower room
Diagnosis
This bathroom was very dated and
had 5 different tiles on walls and
floors. The suspended ceiling was
damaged and the lighting above
poorly fitted
Prescription
• Retain the sanitary ware which is
Duravit, but retile the walls with
large white tiles and feature
border – as the floor tiles were to
remain the colour for the border
was influenced by the brown
details tile in the floor
• Remove existing ceiling, re-
plaster and install spot lights and
an extractor fan
• Accessorise with bright and
cheerful towels, baskets and
plants
• Replace mirror – use existing in
dining room
10. master bedroom
Diagnosis
This is the largest of the 4 bedrooms
yet it is dated and was not being
marketed to its full potential
Prescription
Walls
• Repaint walls and ceiling making
repairs where necessary
Flooring
• Replace carpet
Furniture
• Reconfigure furniture to maximise use
of space
• Remove bookshelf to landing and
dispose of desk
Lighting
• Replace lamp shade and add matching
bedside lamps
Accessories
• Create new artwork and add
accessories taking colour scheme from
existing items and curtains
11. bedroom 3
Diagnosis
This guest room was full
of old and dated furniture
and very cluttered
cupboards
Prescription
Create a lively and light
room that could be
immediately used by new
owners
Walls
• Paint in a colour taken
from the marbled effect
fitted cupboards – Echo
from Little Greene was
used
Furniture
• Remove desk and
bookcases
• Reposition bed
• Add bedside tables
• Replace knobs on
cupboard doors
Lighting
• Change light shade and
add bedside lights
Accessories
• New white curtains and
bright tie-backs
• Bright bed linen and
cushions
• New handmade artwork
12. other areas within the property
As previously mentioned there was not any area of the house that did not
benefit from a ‘House Doctor®’ touch.
The kitchen and study are included here but styling and staging work was also
completed in Bedrooms 2 and 4. In addition the bathroom and separate toilet
were painted from blue to white, the shower area re-grouted and the toilet
itself reinstalled correctly.
13. kitchen
Diagnosis
The kitchen units and appliances are fairly new and well designed however the
lighting is poor. The area was cluttered with family mementos
Prescription
• Increase sense of space by removing the display unit
• Replace the lighting for matching fittings
• Remove window dressings to increase amount of natural light
• Remove items from work-surfaces that are superfluous
• Ensure kitchen units are tidy and ordered inside
• Fix drawer runners and level doors where required
14. study
Diagnosis
There were two desks both of which were dated in style, the shelves
were not styled and housed mainly clutter
Prescription
• Define the use of the room as a study and music room
• Relocate desk from upstairs to under small window
• Remove ‘dining chairs’ and other excess furniture
• Add a Piano stool and an easy chair to create a reading area
• Remove books from window sill and accessorise more appropriately
15. alfresco dining
The patio and garden are large areas. For the purposes of the Estate
Agency photography the table was set to enhance the lifestyle
imagery for the marketing material..
16. project costs
My client spent 1.5% of the last marketed asking price on preparing her property for sale. This
is far less than the next price decrease that her agents were pushing for.
Contractors involved included Plasterer, Decorator, Electrician, Handyman and myself as the
Project Manager.
Younique Designs pulled together the project team, delivered the results
and facilitated the sale of the property.
Are you struggling to sell your home?
Do you know someone trying to sell and yet all they do is reduce the price?
Talk to us before talking to an Agent, save yourself time and fulfil your dreams
quickly.
Already on the market? Still talk to us, we can help at whatever stage of the
process you are at.
