A property stager has revealed how an empty bungalow that had been on the market for two years with no offers sold in just six days for its £449,950 asking price after she furnished it.
Liv Conlon, 25, originally from Glasgow but who now lives in Marbella, runs her business The Property Stagers which furnishes more than 300 homes a year to make them more appealing to potential buyers.
She was hired by the exasperated owner on January 30, and her team spent four hours staging the property – including adding a dining area, beds in the bedrooms and accessories such as rugs, mirrors and stylish artwork to show how the rooms could be used.
With new photos for the three-bedroom property in Barnstaple, Devon, estate agents then arranged three viewings just days later, and three offers were made with one accepted on February 5.
Liv revealed that, when it comes to selling a home, it’s all about sticking to neutral tones, clearing clutter and adding pops of colour, texture and pattern with soft furnishings.
The bungalow features an open-plan kitchen area. So Liv’s team added a chic dining area with a stylish glass-top table and grey chairs on top of a grey fluffy rug to highlight how the space could be used
Liv Conlon, 25, is the owner of ThePropertyStagers, which helps make properties seem more appealing to buyers
This empty room looked dull and unappealing with no furniture or decor (left). After it was staged to be a single bedroom with a bed, lamp and side table, it looked much more welcoming (right)
She said: ‘Multiple people had viewed this property when it was on the market before but there was no interest – it had been on the market for two years with no offers, and the owner was starting to pull out his hair. Once it had been staged, three people made an offer in just a few days.
‘It sold so quickly once we had got our hands on it and staged it because a furnished room looks bigger than an empty room.
‘People can’t envisage how they are going to live in a property when it’s empty, so we furnish it to make the most of the space, highlight key features and show potential buyers what their life in the house could look like.’
The bungalow featured an open-plan kitchen area. So Liv’s team added a chic dining area with a stylish glass-top table and grey chairs on top of a grey fluffy rug to highlight how the space could be used.
It was completed with a simplistic plateware set and cutlery so potential buyers could imagine themselves dining and hosting.
ThePropertyStagers then furnished the living room with plush, navy sofas and added a pop of brightness with yellow accessories.
They placed a glass coffee table on top of a mustard-coloured rug and added depth to the room with modern artwork, magazines and plants.
In the main room, the team added a double bed and side table. Another room was staged to be a single bedroom with a bed, lamp and side table.
The main room stood empty and hadn’t made good use of the space and doors to the garden (left). The team added a double bed and side table to enhance the space (right)
The house had been on the market for two years without any offers – but Liv’s team managed to get it sold within six days
Liv, who was crowned The UK Young Entrepreneur of the Year in 2019 after founding ThePropertyStagers at just 16, says staging a property to sell is very different to how people live at home.
She said: ‘There’s no television in the living room, there are no wardrobes in the bedrooms and what’s key is that there is no clutter.
‘Instead, everything is placed to perfection. We use our expertise to make the most of the space and create a ‘flow’ around the home to highlight particular features.’
The team at ThePropertyStagers, which has won 13 awards nationally and internationally, uses props including artwork and accessories to make houses more appealing.
Liv revealed that the secret to staging is ‘trying to appeal to the largest audience possible’.
She added: ‘The seller hired us for six weeks paying £2,497+VAT, and staging the property took just four hours. But the property sold in six days so our job was done!
‘We will leave the furniture there for the full six weeks until the client’s paperwork is completed.’
TEDx speaker Liv, who now lives in Marbella, also runs StagerBoss – coaching other women how to scale successful home-staging businesses to seven figures.
ThePropertyStagers then furnished the living room with plush, navy sofas and added a pop of brightness with yellow accessories
The bathroom after the Property Stagers team worked their magic
They placed a glass coffee table on top of a mustard-coloured rug and added depth to the room with modern artwork, magazines and plants
She said in order to sell a home in today’s climate, the furnishings need to stand out and catch a potential buyer’s attention.
‘There are so many empty properties on the market, so you need to try and stop potential buyers from passing by your property when scrolling online.
‘Having your property staged beautifully means they are more likely to stop, view your property and then book a physical viewing.
‘If you are not hiring the services of a professional stager you can declutter and remove as many personal items as possible.
‘You want the property to appeal to as many buyers as possible and you want them to imagine living in the property themselves.
‘Keep colours as neutral as possible on walls and large items of furniture then build colour, texture and pattern through accents like soft furnishings and artwork.’
Liv also revealed the main reason most property struggles to sell when they’re completely empty is because people cannot envisage how they are going to live in the home.
Another room was staged to be a single bedroom with a bed, lamp and side table
Liv was crowned The UK Young Entrepreneur of the Year in 2019 after founding ThePropertyStagers at just 16
She explained it’s why house builders also use showhomes to show the potential of the space to prospective buyers.
She said: ‘It’s why the house builders have showhomes – they are selling a lifestyle.
‘For example, by putting a table and a couple of chairs by a window, the potential client can then imagine themselves sitting there having their morning coffee.’
Some professional home stagers claim they can add eight per cent to the price of a property.
And Liv previously revealed what a daily routine in the life of a property stager looks like – from getting up at 4am to ‘no phone’ quality time with her son.
