A home buyer looking to purchase a newly constructed property may want to consider offering a bid on a builder’s spec home. Many builders will construct spec homes based on speculation of what buyers will be looking for. These homes have been constructed with a number of options that are already included in the price.
The two main benefits of buying a spec home include a faster turn around time to move-in, and the ability to see exactly what the home looks like before purchasing it. The key to highlighting the new space is home staging.
Here at Staged Interior, we’ve helped set the scene at several area spec homes to showcase the lifestyle offered in a specific neighborhood. Our team creates a vision of how buyers are likely to want to live in these homes. Home staging helps potential buyers emotionally connect to the property and ultimately make an offer.
We recently staged this newly constructed home built by Sekas Homes in McLean, VA. The property features an open foyer, modern gourmet kitchen, elegant fireplace and a finished lower level complete with wet bar. Here is an image of the first room buyers will see upon entering the space, before and after staging.
Targeting the Potential Buyer
When staging a spec home, our team researches to find out who the potential buyer is likely to be. By determining the buyer, whether a family, retirees, a young professional or a couple, we can choose furniture and accessories to fulfill that particular lifestyle.
When planning the staging, we consider highlighting more than one floor plan to attract different types of buyers, especially if the developer has more than one floor plan to choose from. Often times, smaller floor plans will be staged for a single professional or a couple, whereas bigger units will be marketed towards families.
Our team creates a distinct look and feel, whether it be style, age appeal, or color palette. There should be at least one element that helps to distinguish each room in the property. In the transformation below, our furniture shows buyers that you can easily seat 8 people for dinner while still having plenty of space to maneuver around the table.
A Design Choice
Although most spec houses are 100% complete, some builders do offer a few finishing options for personalization. This gives buyers some control over how they want the property to look and feel. Builders try to predict what buyers want and how much they will spend on a spec house, rather than setting the base price and letting buyers choose how much they want to increase their budget with upgrades.
The McLean property we staged featured many upgrades, but it was important to bring in furnishings to give buyers a frame of reference when viewing the space. Our warehouse is stocked with quality furniture our team can choose from. We pay close attention to the architectural style of the home and the buyer’s demographics to create a design style that will work with the property. In the images below, we brought in furnishings to emphasize the airy, open layout and played up the neutral hues and warm wood tones.
Staged Interior’s Shannon Ries staged this home and was featured the same week in another post about her work!
Need help staging a spec home? Contact us today to learn how Staged Interior can be your trusted partner in making your property look its best for potential buyers!
