With 2,400 Housebuilders collectively developing 205,000 new homes in 2022, it’s becoming harder for developments to stand out in the crowd. The last thing you need in a difficult market is your plots lying unsold, while the neighbouring development is erecting more ‘Sold’ signs by the day.
Today, buyers are used to ‘customising’ or configuring their purchases. Their new home should not be any different.
Creating a guided customer experience where the buyer can make choices around interior design, or fixtures and fittings can be the difference between winning or losing a sale.
Working with your supply partners to offer choice and configuration makes sense and could even help you improve your profitability by adding value to your deals.
The Most Important 7 Seconds for any Property Developer
Psychology tells us that a person forms a first impression in 7 seconds. This applies to new build houses too. When a potential buyer comes into your new home, what do they see? The staircase.
If the staircase looks rubbish, then they form an opinion of the entire house that corresponds with that impression. If the staircase is remarkable, then they think of the entire house as high quality. How do you create a remarkable first impression?
Create an Impression with Visual Contrast
Want to communicate quality without increasing cost?
The easiest way to communicate the value and the feel of the bespoke design is to utilise classic design principles. Namely, contrast. The contrast makes the design interesting. By contrasting stairs with the handrails, or the stairs with the spindles, your staircase communicates intentionality, taste, and attention to detail.
Ways to add contrast are through the use of light and dark colours. Or different types of materials. Your staircase supplier should be able to advise you on what contrasting materials work well.
Of course, contrast can be taken too far, and make the development feel disjointed. Glass should probably not be used in traditional homes, and similarly, some types of wooden staircases would feel out of place in contemporary, modern development.
Working with a staircase manufacturer who understands staircase design, and can advise you on design options, is key.
Feature Details
If you want to make sure your staircase helps you stand out, then you may consider feature details.
Modern design has been influenced by minimalism and high-volume manufacturing techniques. Most products are built for efficiency and utility rather than beauty and quality. But, we are seeing the return of feature details, applied tastefully, to staircases and other building products. The impression that this creates is of premium craftsmanship.
Curved Handrails
If your space allows for it, nothing adds a sense of luxury more than a curved handrail. It may not be the same as a Parisian opera house, or the sweeping staircase in Gone with the Wind, but it does conjure up a feeling of elegance and sophistication.
These additional design considerations can help your staircase, and your development, stand out.
Conclusion – A £140 Saving
The staircase is a very small part of the cost of the house but its impact on the sale price is outsized. It’s one of the smartest investments you can make because it plays such an important role in the first impression of the house. If you communicate quality, intentional design, and craftsmanship in the first 7 seconds of a house viewing you can add hundreds of thousands of pounds to your sale value.
At Multi-Turn, we offer staircase design consultancy to ensure every staircase is a success. We have spent years designing staircases that increase the value of developments. We start by finding out what staircase success means to you. We use your vision as our starting point. Then we consult and design to deliver a bespoke staircase that enables you to achieve staircase success.
To find out more about how we can help you maintain and enhance your profits, talk to one of our team on 01962 712299. Alternatively, send us your plans to sales@multiturn.co.uk for a no-obligation quote.