Episode 305: Sonja Townsend

Today's guest is the Owner and Creative Lead at London Property Staging.An interiors-obsessed property geek, she has bought, sold, developed and let properties in London and Australia and studied at the British Academy of Interior Design.Property staging is commonplace in North America and Australia, but it’s a much newer concept in the UK. This has been helped by the wave of reality TV shows such as Selling Sunsets, and she's excited to be a part of the growth here, in the UK.She's leveraging her 20+ year marketing and client services career to bring a professional, effective and client-focused staging solution to estate agents, property developers and investors in the London area. WHY YOU SHOULD STAGE PROPERTY?Very simply, to sell quickly and at the highest price possible.Staged properties can sell up to 8-10% more than the competition and spend 50% less time on the market.Average time on market: 99 days non-staged properties, 45 days staged propertiesThe first price decrease is always greater than the cost of home staging.People spend, on average, 7 seconds viewing a property online.Homebuyers invest more time in exploring staged homes, recognising the value they bring over their non-staged counterparts.Sources: Home Staging Association report 2023 and Rightmove.In this episode we discuss how home staging is still an underutilised industry in the UK, the data behind the importance of home staging, the psychology and behaviour of buyers, business generation and personal development.Make sure to check out this conversation as it will highlight how home staging can help you win more business at better fees and sell more houses at a higher price and in a quicker time.