Imagine – buyers see photos of your property and rush to book a viewing. They walk through the front door and immediately fall in love... Make your home irresistible with expert staging secrets from Louise Boulton-Lea, Head of Kelling Staging. Whether using your existing furniture or professional staging, Louise's techniques can help you create the kind of space that turns casual browsers into serious buyers.
Does décor matter?
Your home's décor might be worth thousands in your final sale price, even though buyers aren't purchasing your furniture. Eye-tracking research by Zoopla reveals that décor dominates what buyers notice during viewings, with furniture alone capturing 37% of their attention.
Many buyers make their "£13k-a-minute decision" in viewings that take under 20 minutes, and they're heavily influenced by styling touches. The study found their eyes were drawn to elements that create an immediate emotional connection with your space, even over practical considerations like the roof and boiler:
What Buyers Notice During Viewings
Note: Creating an appealing home doesn't require a single new piece of furniture. You can use the next sections of this article to maximise your existing furniture's potential through smart arrangement and styling – but the golden rule of property sales is simply to keep your home tidy without clutter.
For vacant properties, and especially for Prime London properties where professional staging can significantly impact sales, Foxtons Concierge can connect you with Prime London staging specialists like Kelling Staging, who use exceptional pieces to transform spaces.
Make it count
“A property needs to breathe its own personality and stand out from the norm.”
Louisa Boulton-Lea
Kelling Staging
Memorable impact is the secret to successful property staging. "When prospective buyers walk through the door, they want to remember a space, not forget in an instant. A property needs to breathe its own personality and stand out from the norm," explains Louisa. The key lies in selecting distinctive statement pieces that capture attention and set your property apart from all the others they'll be viewing that day.
"At Kelling Staging, we use striking pieces of furniture, whether that's a statement headboard, a characterful piece of artwork, a vibrant rug or a bold coloured cabinet, to create that all important wow factor. We take a bespoke approach to every property we dress, tailoring the needs and requirements to suit the individual property. No two spaces are the same, so why should the styling be?"
But creating impact is just the beginning – next, we’ll show you how strategic interior design can elevate even the most challenging spaces.
All dressed up and ready to show
Smart furniture placement can transform a dull corner into a compelling story for potential buyers. "Not only do we style properties to perfection with our unique and impactful furniture, we also demonstrate to buyers how best to work a space by using carefully selected pieces to create zones within a room. This allows buyers to understand and visualise the functionality element as well as the aesthetic side to staging," explains Louisa.
Problem solving is another big part of Louisa's job: "The right furnishing can also solve problems. If for example a bedroom ceiling height is low, we opt for cleverly designed headboards to create the illusion of height. If a corridor is narrow and dark, we use mirrors to help create the feeling of space and light. If a room is small, we carefully select furniture and accessories that work with the proportions of the room. It's all in Kelling detail."
When your property is ready to shine, the next step is ensuring it's presented to buyers in a way that brings these features to life.
What happens during the viewing
Did you know Foxtons have more sales agreed in London than any other agent?1 Our Negotiators are deft hands at conducting successful property viewings – here's how to help them showcase your home at its best:
• Keep it tidy. Clear away daily clutter like wash baskets, shampoo bottles and piles of shoes by the door, as they might distract from your home's best features.
• Provide keys as soon as you can, so we can tap into our extensive database of active buyers to set up viewings immediately.
• Be flexible. With 22% of our viewings conducted after hours, accommodating busy professionals will maximise your selling potential.
• Trust the experts. If you can step out when buyers come for viewings, you’ll give us their full attention – and we know just what to do with it. Our Negotiators go through industry-leading, rigorous training. We have more properties available in London than any other agent,2 so our Negotiators are highly experienced in conducting property viewings correctly.
What happens at the viewing?
Read our article.
1 Source: TwentyCI data, 2024 available data for SSTC at a brand level
2 Source: TwentyCI data snapshot 1 January 2025 at a brand level
Summary: key takeaways for your home
1. Buyers are looking at your décor - keep that in mind when preparing to sell.
2. Use the right accent furniture to make your property memorable.
3. Draw attention to the functionality and best features of your home with your décor.
4. Choose the right estate agent to conduct the viewings.
Now that you have the staging tips, get the strategy. Book a free valuation, and our experts will provide a detailed selling strategy for your home. They’ll also answer any questions you have on preparing your property for the photography and viewings.
Source: Louisa Boulton-Lea is Head of Kelling Staging, with 20 years’ experience working in the creative industry. This company stages and styles homes for rent and sale in the Prime Property market. True to the aesthetic of Kelling Design, exceptional work is done with a practiced eye and unique furniture to ensure each home they stage has powerful appeal, improving its memorability and desirability with buyers.
