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Home-staging: a must for real estate sales

As the name suggests, home staging originated in the United States. It was invented in the 1970&rsquo;s by an agent named Barb Schwartz for whom it was important to prepare and showcase homes for sale.

Her experience in the field of theater inspired her to create staging in homes to make them more attractive to buyers. Due to the success of this method, Barb Schwartz started giving conferences and home staging spread all over the world. In Belgium, there are now independent « home stagers » whom owners can call upon when putting their property up for sale, but at Inside Properties this staging is directly integrated in our services.
<h2>Enhancement at a lower cost</h2>
Home staging can be defined as all the steps, actions and resources to be implemented to prepare a property for sale and make it as attractive as possible.
Home staging must remain simple, be limited to a small budget and the decoration put in place must please the greatest number of people. In general, the staging of a property begins with the decluttering and depersonalization of the spaces. We remove everything that is superfluous or reminds too much the presence of the owners, then we reuse as much as possible the furniture and the elements present in the house to create an atmosphere, to fluidify the circulation and to put forward the strong points of the interior. A good cleaning and small repairs may also be necessary.
When the properties for sale are empty or require major renovations, home staging can be replaced by a virtual version in the form of 2D or 3D visualizations in order to limit costs.
<h2>Home staging is a vector of love</h2>
Home staging has made a place for itself in real estate because it offers real added value to the seller and the buyer. For the latter, visiting an apartment or a house that has been well highlighted allows them to project themselves more easily and to immediately identify its potential.
In practice, home staging is a vector of love and a great help to the decision to buy. For owners, it guarantees a quicker sale and allows them to avoid negotiations as much as possible, or even to increase the price in certain cases.
Here is an example: a few months ago, Inside Properties was asked to sell a magnificent mansion in the Brugmann district. Before working with us, the owners had met with 7 agencies who estimated the value of the property at around 1.300.000 and 1.400.000 euros. The house was particularly cluttered, so Arnaud and Cédric spent two weeks emptying out the excess and giving it back its shine.
This work paid off because the property was sold in 3 days, at a much higher price than that estimated by other agencies who had certainly been influenced by the poor presentation of the house. The owners and the buyers were delighted!

For Cathy Immelen, the search for her first property purchase was a rollercoaster ride for a long time. For about ten years, she scoured the Immoweb in search of her dream home. From periods of great enthusiasm to numerous disappointments, she thought she would never buy! But she didn't count on the expertise of Inside Properties: an encounter that will change everything...

« Real estate is not so complicated... as long as you are well accompanied! »

For Cathy Immelen, the search for her first property purchase was a rollercoaster ride for a long time. For about ten years, she scoured the Immoweb in search of her dream home. From periods of great enthusiasm to numerous disappointments, she thought she would never buy! But she didn&rsquo;t count on the expertise of Inside Properties: an encounter that will change everything&#8230;

«Honestly, I had made up my mind to rent until I got my pension, then I would have bought a flat on the North Sea for my old age! » Cathy admits nervously. And for good reason, the property market in Brussels is tight. «For a single person, it&rsquo;s complicated to find an affordable property in good condition. Some agencies don&rsquo;t even make the effort to value the houses anymore, as many buyers are ready to bid higher. As a woman, I was also afraid of being ripped off or finding hidden defects, » says the Brussels native.

Difficulties, to which are added legitimate criteria. « It&rsquo;s true that my standards were a little high, because I was renting a beautiful apartment in Saint-Gilles: high ceilings, terrace, mouldings, parquet flooring and so on, » explains Cathy, not without specifying that the rent was also «up to scratch». In her search, Cathy dreamed of a place that didn&rsquo;t require any work, that was well located and had sufficient outdoor space. «As the search went on and failed to find a place, I jumped the gun, just to keep my hopes up. But as a flower lover, the terrace was a sine qua non!»

One evening, Cathy fell under the spell of a photo&#8230; « I liked everything about this ad, the colours, the furniture, etc. So I dug around and, on the agency&rsquo;s website, I discovered a pretty video of the neighbourhood. It was love at first sight! » This agency is Inside Properties. Cathy immediately sent an e-mail, like throwing a bottle into the sea, with a glimmer of hope in her eyes. « The next day, first thing in the morning, I got an answer! This was (pleasantly) surprising, as I had unfortunately become used to being forgotten or ignored. » The contact with Inside was established and will not be broken again. See you the following Saturday to visit this gem, located on Avenue Molière in Forest and owned by Thaddé Plater Zybek.

«Without Inside Properties, I probably would never have bought, » says Cathy, reassured and guided from start to finish. «I was worried that they would think I was crazy, because I was so stressed by the process: a lot of emotion, a few naive questions and even a few blunders. But the Inside team put me at ease, with education, kindness and humour. » She also understands that buyers and sellers deserve the same attention at Inside. «The position of buyer is not always easy, but I felt a lot of kindness. But there is also a real passion for real estate, Brussels, materials, etc. And you can see it in the quality of the home staging!»
Cathy, who is about to move in, sums up this beautiful story with Inside Properties in three words: competence, benevolence and honesty. « Real estate is not so complicated&#8230; as long as you are well accompanied! If I had to sell? It would only be with Inside. Without hesitation! »  Happy ending.

Testimony of Cathy Immelen

The sale of a property is often a source of stress... Unless you entrust the process to experts. This is the choice of Sandrine and Nicolas, who have put their trust in Inside Properties. « It was an obvious choice! Especially since three years earlier we had already tried to sell our flat... in vain », explains Nicolas. But why try again?

« Inside Properties creates a fluid and positive human experience based on trust »

The sale of a property is often a source of stress&#8230; Unless you entrust the process to experts. This is the choice of Sandrine and Nicolas, who have put their trust in Inside Properties. « It was an obvious choice! Especially since three years earlier we had already tried to sell our flat&#8230; in vain», explains Nicolas. But why try again?

Having just returned from a year of travelling, the couple felt cramped in the flat where their children were born. « At this turning point in our lives, we didn&rsquo;t know what to do with the property: keep it, rent it or sell it ?», says Sandrine. In search of (good) advice, Nicolas contacted Arnaud, a long-time friend and co-founder of Inside. « Of course! He is the most knowledgeable person in real estate in my circle. Together with Cédric (editor&rsquo;s note: the other co-founder), they helped us to put our cards on the table, but also to have a realistic perspective on a possible sale. »

Already convinced by the Inside method, Nicolas had the opportunity to experience it personally. « It&rsquo;s a unique concept that is completely different from the work of other real estate agencies. Cédric and Arnaud are almost like coaches, accompanying both the seller and the buyer. We have to admit that they have more than fulfilled the contract », explique-t-il.he explains. Quite logically, the couple let themselves be guided by the Inside team. «They took care of everything, including the paperwork and administration. It was a real relief!», adds Sandrine.

Inside is also a « makeover » phase, even when the property is already superb! This was the case for Sandrine and Nicolas, who went to live elsewhere during the home staging. « SOn Inside&rsquo;s advice, we cleared the flat of our personal belongings in order to recover the original character of our decor. Then, their touch made it even more attractive », Sandrine explains. As Nicolas points out, the magic of the operation is to offer everyone the possibility of imagining themselves living in the place.

Inside&rsquo;s promise? To organise visits from potential buyers and sell in a weekend. « It&rsquo;s a nice marketing slogan, but I must admit that I didn&rsquo;t really believe in it», smiles Nicolas. However, Inside succeeded and the property was sold at a higher price (15 to 20%). « I invited myself to see it with my own eyes: dozens of selected visitors, coffee to welcome them, a positive atmosphere. In short, the perfect conditions to create a real craze,», he adds.

A win-win operation, celebrated with champagne, for which Sandrine reveals the keys&#8230; « It&rsquo;s a combination of factors, specific to Inside: home staging, unfailing attention to detail, enthusiasm, etc. In short a very special energy! In short, a very special energy! » Nicolas shares this view: « More than just making a place more beautiful, Inside prepares it for the next one. This is Cedric and Arnaud&rsquo;s strength, creating a fluid and positive human experience, based on trust and benevolence! » What else?

Testimony of Nicolas and Sandrine

Arnaud and Cédric are true champions of Belgian real estate. Their sales process is human and benevolent, in the deep respect of the parties. Their expertise allows them to put together a complete and attractive technical file quickly and their interpersonal skills make a real difference! My only regret is not to have more properties to sell with them 😂

This is the testimony of Sandrine et Nicolas

Testimony of Sandrine and Nicolas

While remaining a safe bet for investors, the Brussels real estate market is changing and evolving. The Covid-19 epidemic is obviously not foreign to certain phenomena observed in recent months. Examples:

In 2020, the volume of real estate sales in the Brussels Region fell by almost 5% compared to 2019. But the interest of buyers has not diminished, which has caused prices to rise sharply: +4.4% for houses and +8.1% for apartments over one year.
After this period of frenzy, the market seems to be slowly returning to more stability since September 2021. Supply and demand are beginning to rebalance, particularly because owners who had been waiting have decided to put their properties up for sale. As a result, prices are moving more reasonably and gradually.
<h2>A better quality of life</h2>
Confinements and telecommuting have led many people to stay at home more and to look at their homes differently. As a result, the criteria for choosing housing has changed, and certain trends are taking hold.
First of all, being at home has become paramount and this has strengthened the sales market to the detriment of rentals. Second, buyers now place a high value on more living space, outdoor space, office space, etc. As telecommuting becomes more common and people spend more time at home, quality of life is a major concern.
<h2>More and more digitalization</h2>
Health restrictions have pushed notaries and real estate agents to become more digital in order to continue their activities. Virtual visits have multiplied, various documents and procedures (including deeds) have been dematerialized or carried out remotely, etc.
Contrary to what one might think, this digitalization has not signed the end of human relationships, on the contrary! It facilitates procedures and exchanges while bringing more transparency and satisfaction. Digitalization is also a way to adapt to today&rsquo;s world and to the new expectations of customers. The pandemic has simply accelerated the transition&#8230;
<h2>Ixelles, Uccle and Saint-Gilles among the most popular communes</h2>
For several years now, Uccle and Ixelles have been among the most expensive and most sought-after communities in Belgium. Uccle is particularly attractive for its residential neighborhoods, its peace and quiet and its green spaces, while Ixelles is more urban but stands out for its services and its high quality of life.
Alongside these sure values, other corners of Brussels are in full emergence. This is the case of Saint-Gilles, which offers an attractive location near Ixelles and the center, beautiful buildings and dynamic neighborhoods. The appeal of Saint-Gilles is also beginning to spill over to its neighbors such as Forest.

Sources of the article:
<a href="https://www.notaire.be/nouveautes/barometre-des-notaires">https://www.notaire.be/nouveautes/barometre-des-notaires</a>
<a href="https://statbel.fgov.be/fr/themes/construction-logement">https://statbel.fgov.be/fr/themes/construction-logement</a>
<a href="https://www.lesoir.be/357157/article/2021-02-24/immobilier-bruxelles">https://www.lesoir.be/357157/article/2021-02-24/immobilier-bruxelles</a>

News on the Brussels real estate market

We contacted 5 agencies, including the big ones working in Brussels. None of them seemed comfortable with a company sale... except for Arnaud Badjou and Cedric Maes. The first impression was confirmed during the whole sale process: the sale was carried out without a hitch in less than 3 months!

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ABOUT

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