The Importance of Staging an Office Amidst COVID-19
The year 2020 has brought a lot of change into our lives; the COVID-19 pandemic has shaped the way we interact socially and in our careers. For many, it has meant a shift from in-person office life to a work from home regiment. However, this virus has not changed the fact that many Americans are still actively searching for their dream homes. Something that is becoming increasingly more popular on many buyers’ checklists is a designated home office.
According to an article from Stanford, an estimated 42% of the U.S. labor force is now working from home full-time since the Coronavirus pandemic has swept across the United States. And a lot of major corporations are planning for more permanent work from home options beyond the pandemic.
With all the uncertainty of how long we will be living in this “new normal” that has come to be throughout COVID-19, we are all searching for ways to make life a little easier wherever we can. Our daily lives were turned upside down with this pandemic. For those fortunate workers who could keep their jobs and work remote, they had to come up with a plan pretty quickly. Suddenly, employees were picking up laptops and monitors from their office building, and saying goodbye to coworkers without really knowing when (or if) they would be returning back. With equipment in tow, many turned to their kitchen tables or set up a makeshift office area in their homes to create a space to conduct business.
Looking towards the future and the possibilities of remote working being a long-term idea, many buyers are searching for homes that have a designated home office for them to set up shop. We at iSearch Decor are highlighting these office spaces in our stagings. Whether it be a kitchen-area built-in desk or a true office room, we opt to stage and showcase them to appeal to more buyers.
Staging an office should always be functional and minimal. We incorporate a desk, desk chair, and lamp out of function. Then we add in minimal decorative accents that still tie into a work space: table clock, plants, books, and decorative storage boxes. Where the space permits, we also stage with an area rug and accent chairs to make the office cozy.
Oftentimes, an office room is smaller than the other bedrooms in the home; so in this small room especially, we need to showcase its size with staging. In an article on Realtor.com, psychologist Kristie Barnett says:
“An empty room gives buyers no point of reference for size,” Barnett says. “I have seen many buyers walk away from a vacant home because they falsely believe their own furniture will not fit in the master bedroom or that the living room will not provide enough seating for entertaining. Staging rooms with furniture helps establish the room’s size and helps a buyer visualize how they can arrange their own furniture.” (https://www.realtor.com/advice/sell/home-stagers-visual-tricks/)
These simple staging elements are really helpful to a potential buyer in a time like this. Creating a visual set up for them is just one less thing that they will have to worry about. Keeping the office space simple and streamlined puts those buyers at ease, knowing that they can have a calm area to conduct their work and keep their family safe.
0 comments