The primary goal of staging a rental unit – whether an apartment or a home – is the same: renting it for the best value in the least amount of time. Staging makes this possible for all types of rental units. There are major differences between staging a home and staging an apartment.
It is essential to know how to make your home or apartment look its best for maximum occupancy rates.
Major Differences Between Apartments and Homes
The main difference between apartments and houses is the amount of space available and their location. In most cases, houses tend to be larger than apartments and are often located in a less populated part of town – usually a countryside, village, or suburb.
It is common for apartments to be located inside larger buildings with several floors. This will increase the process of moving heavy furniture to any property. In general, apartments don’t have a large exterior to the stage.
Regardless of these differences, the basics of staging a home and an apartment will be similar: cleaning, decluttering, making repairs, and simplifying the interior decor.
Staging a House
Let’s go over the staging process for a house.
This process starts by walking up to the front door and checking out the landscape. The garage and driveway will also play a role in the staging process. The type of furniture, artwork, and accessories should match the type of home: modern for contemporary homes and classical for older homes. Whether you are in downtown, a country home, or a particular suburb will also dictate how you stage the home.
The home will also have more rooms and more space. Therefore, the staging process will be slightly more drawn out and centered around making the space look as relaxed and inviting as possible.
Since budget may be an issue when staging a bigger property, we recommend prioritizing the bedroom, kitchen, and bathrooms.
Staging an Apartment
The logistics for staging an apartment are very complex – as mentioned earlier. And it may be more laborious (and therefore, expensive) if your movers have to climb several steps. You should consider booking the elevator to ensure that your movers have access to it when moving heavier items such as the furniture.
Apartments should look more ‘modern’ compared to homes. However, this will depend on the neighborhood your apartment is located in.
Since there is less space and fewer rooms, you will have to find a way to make the apartment look versatile to your potential tenants. Try to make your apartment look as useful as possible so that tenants can visualize their stay at the property.
Apartments are usually smaller. According to these Westminster property managers, this is where it pays to use more expensive accessories, such as a queen-sized bed in the bedroom, to make the apartment look more spacious (and expensive). This way, the tenants will be more likely to pay a higher rental price.
The apartment should look better if it appears smaller than average. We recommend staging the entire unit using perfectly scaled furniture that will make the apartment look large.
The Type of Renter
As a rule, homes are more likely to draw families looking for more spaces for their young ones. Younger people, on the other hand, are looking for a smaller space in an urban area of the neighborhood.
This means that the staging process should reflect the type of tenant even if the rental units are located in the same area.
Wrapping Up
In any case, it is highly recommended to fix the following issues with your apartment:
- Declutter the rental unit – this is the easiest to do and you would be surprised how spacious it will look
- Think about the type of tenant you are trying to attract
- Home staging should prioritize rooms with the most traffic, including the first floor, bedroom, bathroom, and kitchen
- Apartment staging should go for a minimal approach to make the space look bigger
Get in touch with your Las Vegas property manager for more tips on how to stage your rental unit.
