Home Staging: Small Changes, Big Impact

Buyers don’t buy square meters; they buy a feeling. Home staging is about consciously guiding that feeling: tranquility, space, and light. It’s not about making a home look better than it is, but about showing everything that can fit inside it.

Our own experience shows that staged homes are viewed more quickly and, on average, sell closer to the asking price. The main impact is seen in the number of interested buyers who actually schedule a viewing after seeing the online listing.

The first and most affordable step is to declutter. Remove anything that serves no purpose: excess furniture, decorations on the windowsill, magnets on the refrigerator. Put personal items away so the buyer can envision their own life there.

Do the same with closets. Buyers will open them, and a crammed closet suggests a lack of storage space. A closet that’s two-thirds full looks spacious. Temporary storage during the selling period is a small investment with an immediate impact.

Replace colored light bulbs with warm-white ones of the same color temperature throughout the home. Make sure every light is working, and turn on all the lights during showings, even during the day. Dark corners make a room look smaller than it actually is.

Neutral walls work best, but don’t strip away all the character. A single dark wall in a spacious room can actually add depth. Add textiles for warmth: a rug, a throw, floor-to-ceiling curtains. This absorbs sound and makes photos look much more appealing.

In The Hague, a garden or balcony is one of the strongest selling points. Prune, sweep, remove moss from the tiles, and set up a table with two chairs. That way, an empty tiled space becomes a place where someone can see themselves living.

Also keep the season in mind. Flowering plants in the spring and a well-maintained lawn in the summer make a better impression than an expensive landscaping project. And don’t forget the front yard: it sets the first impression before the door even opens.