HOME STAGING IN BRISTOL
An insight by Fischer Design
Home Staging is growing all across the UK and we often refer to London as the fastest-growing and most popular portion of the industry – however, we cannot forget all other areas where the activity is well present and is helping homeowners and property developers sell their homes faster.

We spoke with Bristol-based Timea Fischer from Fischer Designs to get an insight on the market in the South West and the challenges faced when starting a new Interiors & Home Staging business.

Home Staging Association: You are the founder of Fischer Design – please tell us a bit more about you and your business.

Timea Fischer: My name is Timea Fischer, co- owner of Fischer Design: a new small family business based in Bristol.

I am a certified Home Staging professional and interior designer. Years ago, when I first heard about home staging from a friend, I immediately knew, this is what I would like to do! So I joined a course straight away, and became a home staging and styling professional. I loved every minute of the course, and was very happy and excited, when I finished it. But I was eager to know everything about the colours, textures, patterns, design styles … and all, so I decided to learn more, and signed up to an interior designer course at The Interior Designer Institute. I received my diploma this year.

My business partner is my husband, Gergo, he is a carpenter and joiner. He used to work in a joinery, making bespoke wooden furniture. He now works on building sites since 2014. He took part in many renovation projects, for example luxury boutique hotels, a leisure centre and an exclusive pub. We make an excellent team both in private life and business as well.

HSA: How has the market in Bristol welcomed you?

TF: Bristol is huge. There are some very rich areas in Bristol like Clifton in the city centre and the surrounding areas near Bristol.

We have spent a lot of time looking for our first house here, had a lots of viewing, and we have never been to a staged property. All houses were clean and tidy, and I am sure, the owners tried their best.

Some properties have a really quick turnaround (approximately a month), but 7 out of 10 are on the market for months (or a year) and they have to reduce their prices every month.

HSA: What services are the most popular within your company?

TF: As I am certified in both fields – interior design and home staging, and my husband has renovation experience, we can help our clients create their dream home or prepare their property for sale from the first idea to the final moment of the implementation. I would really like to mention our new service: the E design. A very useful online service in our busy world for those, who can spare no time or want to do their project themselves with just a little guidance.

HSA: Please tell us a bit more about these services.

TF: Home staging is a pretty amazing service, I think. When I started my first course, and talked about it to people around me: family / friends, I realized, nobody knew what it was. Home staging is preparing a private home for sale, to make a property appealing to the highest number of potential buyers. A home stager can help the homeowner highlight the home’s strengths. Home staging is magic, talks about illusion, makes your house look bigger, lighter, warmer, helps the potential buyers fall in love within seconds.

Interior designing is styling and decorating the client’s own home. The interior design should tell tales about the home owners: their personality, their dreams, feelings, their past and their future. A good interior designer is like a psychologist. Your designer needs to listen to you, needs to understand your lifestyle, your taste, your functional needs and should help you make your dreams come true, creating a functional, comfortable, harmonious, beautiful dream home for you.

E design is a very easy, fast and affordable service and it is available in both fields. The client sends us photos – as many as possible -, completes our questionnaire and we will provide them a home staging report or an interior design plan.

HSA: What are the most noticeable differences between each service?

TF: When people hear about home staging or interior design, what comes to their mind? Exactly the same things: furniture, accessories, colours, art work, rugs, plants, etc. And the people are right! Home staging and interior design are very similar in a way: the target is creating a beautiful, harmonious home. But in my mind, these two are the complete opposite of each other. Here are some of the differences:

– An interior designer works for a client, and creates a dream home for living in. The home stager prepares the house for the buyers, not for the owner! The stager would like to attract someone else: a buyer who will live in the property.

– Interior design is very personal, the homeowners can put their stamp on it. A house that suits their personal taste! The designer uses the owner’s personal memories, photos etc. Home staging is the opposite: all personal items should be removed to achieve a neutral space, so the potential buyers can imagine themselves living in that property.

– An interior designer can use very bold colours – depending on the owner’s taste -. The home stager always prefers neutral with elements of other colours.

– The “boss” is the client, and the designer follows their instructions. On the other hand, the home stager would make decision.

– If someone decorates their own house, the budget limit can be the sky, depending on their personal taste and style. A home stager will always try to keep the budget as low as possible and the cost to be an „investment”.

HSA: Why should someone hire an Interior Designer or a Home Stager?

TF: Hiring a professional is always a good idea. Why?

– Saving time – sourcing the perfect furniture for someone, who does not have experience or knowledge, takes ages… for a professional, only a few days

– Saving money – Most people think, hiring a professional is very expensive but it is not true. A professional can help you stick to your budget and saves you from making very expensive mistakes

– No headache, no stress –a professional solves all the problems and makes sure, all the jobs get done

– Perfect result – styling a room seems easy but it is not. Professionals spend a long time learning the principles of design and the design elements, mastering the secrets of the perfect result.

HSA: What’s your favourite case study in your career so far?

TF: I would like to share my very first home staging school project with you. I needed to complete this task in few hours and I didn’t have any money to spend on a “real project”. So I have decided to showcase my creativity through staging this home, without spending a penny. I believe it is very important. Me and my husband spent the last 6 months looking for our first house to buy and we have seen many properties and I realised, people really need help preparing their home for the market. But they are afraid of hiring a professional. The message is: we can do magic within a short period of time, without spending thousands, so be brave and ask for some help.

This project was only a “rearrangement” project. All accessories were available in the household. If there was a minimum £300 budget we could achieve an even better result. In that case, I would suggest the following:

– Although the colour of the walls and the carpet is excellent, the doors should be painted white.

– I would remove the family photos from the wall and would replace them with a large mirror.

– I would change the curtains: long white sheer curtain with a different block out curtain would be much nicer (in the living room and a bedroom as well)

– I would buy another coffee table: smaller, more elegant

– I would change the cushions and runner to a more elegant style and I would choose a more sophisticate colour instead of the fresh and vibe lime and stripes. I would use matching block out curtains and cushions.

– And the accessories: elegant floor light, with matching wall lights, attractive ornaments on the table. Lovely art work instead of the large photo in the bedroom.

So with a few hundred pounds budget it is really easy to create a “wow effect” that is worth every penny.

Want to contact Timea or learn more about Fischer Design? Please visit their website: www.fischerdesign.co.uk