How COVID-19 Is Influencing Home Staging and Real Estate Trends

Over the last five months, people have spent more time than ever before inside their homes. As you can imagine, they’ve had a lot of time to notice every awkward space and design flaw. They are ready for a refresh and need the expert advice of a certified home stager like you more than ever! While no one can predict the future, here are some home staging design trends we anticipate seeing as a result of the ongoing coronavirus.

Watch our FREE webinar about how COVID-19 is impacting home staging and real estate trends.

Stage Defined Spaces Inside the Home

Modern, open concept floor plans are scaling back while traditional designs are making a comeback. With the entire family working, playing, learning and living under one roof, people are realizing that a clear distinction between spaces is essential for their productivity and sanity. 

Moving forward, as people continue to work from home, buyers will be looking for a home office space that can be dedicated to quiet work and privacy. In fact, multiple offices and possibly a school room may be required as well. Home stagers will be creating attractive backdrops for Zoom meetings, with great lighting and a sound-deadening rug. 

Three home offices staged by Staging Design Professional® Master Level students: Pamela Dowd at Designing Home (left), Deborah Flye at Staging by Square One (top right), and Lynne Rhea at Mombo Interiors (bottom right).

As at-home workouts continue trending, so will home gyms. A couple of hand-weights, a yoga mat, and a basket of towels can suggest an exercise area. Media rooms, which had been losing interest, are back. For staging, you don’t need to add cumbersome and expensive theater seating to your inventory. Comfortably deep chairs or sofas are more inviting and can serve more of your staging needs.

Another factor contributing to the move away from open floor plans is the need for designated quarantine spaces inside the home. Guest rooms are receiving elevated design with amenities like a mini fridge and coffee bar, in case a family member needs to isolate themselves. With a private entry and bath, this suite can also generate income as a short-term rental. 

Highlight Cleanliness and Storage

Entryways and mudrooms are about to experience the ultimate glow-up. More than just a drab place to drop shoes, people are now sanitizing themselves and their belongings the moment they walk through the door. We will be seeing sinks and increased storage in this zone.

As a home stager, you can make entryways look and feel a bit more clean with the perfect white paint color on the walls, an easy-to-clean surface to drop and sanitize bags, and a handy spot for masks and hand sanitizer, in lieu of a proper hand washing station. 

There will be a new emphasis on mudrooms and entryways due to COVID-19.

During quarantine, dining-in is often the only option, which is why kitchens are becoming the heart of the home yet again. Antimicrobial countertops and stainless steel appliances are in high demand.

As you can probably assume by looking down the aisles at the grocery store, extra food storage areas are a must as people try to avoid going out more often than necessary. For a long while, staging the pantry has seemed outdated, but it may be time to bring back the art of a few well-placed baskets and bottles. Draw attention to extra food storage spaces and easy-to-clean surfaces through your staging, since these features are now highly attractive to buyers.

Create an Outdoor Retreat

As these summer months come and go, many people have canceled their vacations and spent their sunny days at home. Stage an outdoor space as an expanded living area, even if it is just a small patio. You might even fasten faux greenery to a fence to create a green wall. Be generous with plants, indoors and out, as a stress-reducing reminder of life and vitality.

An outdoor space staged by Staging Studio.

Working from home means more leisure to care for plants and pets. Highlight any pet-friendly features like a fenced yard, dog-washing station, or built-in kennel. But remember, the pets themselves must stay out of the home during showings – along with food bowls, toys, etc. While pet-friendly features are desired by many buyers, signs of the pets themselves may make buyers think the house has unwanted stains and smells.

For more training on how to leverage current design trends in YOUR home staging or redesign business, watch our FREE webinar. Click here to watch the webinar now.

As a certified Staging Design Professional®, you have the skills to carve out work spaces and overcome flaws to create a home that people enjoy spending all their time in. We know that this pandemic has changed the way you’re doing business right now, but with that struggle there is so much opportunity. Think of all the ways your design skills can help others get through this. We’re all in this together, and Staging Studio is here to support you every step of the way.  

Staging Studio was created BY stagers, FOR stagers. Learn more about the accredited Staging Design Professional® training courses we offer, and find coronavirus resources for stagers.