While residential property staging is familiar territory for most, staging a commercial space is something that many property owners have little experience in. Fortunately, many of the principles are the same but with a few tweaks worth noting. The most important considerations can be broken down like this:
- Tenant Type
- Paint Choice
- Cleanliness and Scent
- Furniture
- Artwork and Decoration
- Exterior
The Commercial Staging Essentials
The first thing I consider is the type of prospective tenant or new owner of the space and what is popular at the moment. Whether a space is optimal for industrial, office, mixed-use, event assistance, baking or any other particular enterprise, most tenants are looking for a clean, uncluttered feel that they can make their own.
A fresh coat of paint is key. I can’t overemphasize how often commercial properties sit on the market needlessly in spite of lots of great recent improvements and updates, all because the owner neglected a simple and cost-effective coat of paint. Most tenants are looking for a light and bright feel to make the space feel workable, livable and inviting. Fresh paint is also great to emphasize and or deemphasize various features of the space, and I recommend careful selection of color palettes to bring this out.
Even worse than neglecting paint is overlooking the cleanliness and smell of a space. Tenants will walk away from choices that aren’t clean, have an unpleasant odor or even those that have an overpowering odor that seems to be covering something up. I recommend a deep clean and odor remediation as an essential investment. For office space, subtle scents after cleaning can be used, like fresh flowers or even a laundry air freshener, but avoiding food-related scents is usually best.
The Finer Details of Commercial Property Staging
Furniture choice is paramount. It should be walkable, accessible for daily work or event assistance and absolutely uncluttered. Taste is particular to trends and the type of space, e.g., modern styles for office space or a wider range of acceptable styles for industrial or multifamily space.
Another factor in terms of taste is artwork. While this is a bigger issue in residential staging, care has to be taken to allow the tenant to truly see themselves in the property. I recommend the sort of artwork that would grace the cover of popular lifestyle magazines—tasteful, creative but uncontroversial. Keep it minimal but seek to inspire.
Don’t neglect the exterior. This mostly amounts to upkeep and updating, but factor in the appeal of the neighborhood and property values. Does a tenant want the property to look nicer than everything around it or stay in line with its surroundings?
If you’re looking to put a commercial property up for lease or sale, staging by Simply Joy Designs will cut down on the time it spends on the market and help you find the ideal tenant.