9 Simple Steps That Will Help You Sell or Rent Your Apartment for More (Before and After Photos)

Home staging

This is pre-sale preparation of an apartment, creating a universal interior that will match the average tastes and expectations of buyers.

Staging includes adding decor and accessories that draw attention and make the interior more interesting.

The concept of home staging was invented by Barb Schwarz, a realtor from the American countryside, in the 1970s. She was also the first person in the world to practice staging.

Staging is very popular in America and Europe. There are even special staging agencies that help private individuals and realtors with selling and renting apartments. In Russia, such services are not yet popular, but if you want to present your property in the best light, home staging will help create a favorable impression.

Decorator Eugenia Melnikova shared what other important steps can help prepare an apartment for both rental and sale.

Eugenia Melnikova is a decorator and interior stylist

Get rid of unnecessary items

When selling property, first get rid of all old, broken, and unnecessary items. A carpet with stains and broken appliances won't add warmth to the room, but instead create a negative impression. Keyless apartment

If the apartment is in good condition or has undergone a pre-sale renovation, it may be worth offering the apartment as a keyless unit with all furniture and appliances included.

This option has some demand, allowing the new owner to move in quickly. In such cases, it is especially important to put effort into the room's ambiance and atmosphere, as they can increase the speed of sale and property value.

Even if you plan to take everything with you after the sale, an aesthetically pleasing view of the apartment still positively affects the likelihood of its purchase.

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Photo after

Design: Mozharo Anna, photographer Gnesin Evgeny

Do a cleaning

Before starting to decorate the rooms, you must take care of their cleanliness. Do a deep clean yourself or hire professional cleaning companies. Wash the windows, plumbing fixtures, floors, all glossy and mirror surfaces. Let your home sparkle with cleanliness and freshness.

Nothing personal

You must remove all personal items: photos, magnets and other souvenirs from travels, awards and diplomas, religious or political iconography, posters with musicians, actors, cosmetics and personal hygiene items. All of this interferes with a potential buyer’s ability to imagine it as their own.

It is especially important to remove any hints of pets in the house — many potential buyers may have allergies or just dislike fur/odors.

Too empty

When getting rid of all unnecessary items and tidying up, don't fall into the opposite extreme — feeling too empty or unwelcoming. To avoid this effect, use decor to create atmosphere in the home.

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Design: Mozharo Anna, photographer Gnesin Evgeny

Use textiles

The best way to create a cozy atmosphere is with textiles.

• Well-chosen curtains can not only highlight the stylistic and color scheme of the interior but also visually alter window proportions or ceiling height. The safest option is to choose solid-colored curtains in wall color, 2–3 cm longer than the floor level, lying flat on the floor to create beautiful vertical folds.
• A bedspread in the bedroom will hide your bedding from potential buyers. To avoid the bed looking like a huge monochrome canvas, add decorative pillows and a contrasting-color blanket.
• Without a carpet, the living room looks unfinished and empty. The most needed area is near the sofa and chairs. In addition, a carpet helps zone space, especially useful when combining the living room with the kitchen or dining area.
• Use decorative pillows and throws in the living area to add color accents, various textures, and patterns. Looking at a cozy chair with a beautiful pillow and soft throw, a potential buyer can easily imagine how pleasant it would be to live in this home.
• For the same purpose, hanging a new curtain in the bathroom and placing a stack of soft white towels is not out of place.

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Design: Mozharo Anna, photographer Gnesin Evgeny

Use accessories

Decorative accessories fill empty spaces, add variety to the setting, and emphasize the style of the interior.

• Indispensable decor for open shelves and cabinets, as well as other horizontal surfaces (TV or bedside table, coffee or console table, fireplace, etc.). Create a unique composition using various items — vases, boxes, figurines, candleholders, etc.
• These items should be connected in some way (e.g., color or theme), but still differ within one composition (e.g., shape and size).
• Compositions should be proportional to the space they occupy. Therefore, overly small decor is useless — it only introduces visual noise.
• Use one of the ready-made decoration schemes from the internet if you don’t know where to start.
• For wall decor during apartment sale, it is not practical to use art, as its selection is highly individual. A great solution for bare walls is posters — they are cheap to make and easy to change. Paired with textiles, they can add color to neutral interiors and highlight the chosen style.
• For wall decoration, clocks or decorative panels can also be used. Pay attention to proportional sizing and stylistic unity.

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Design: Mozharo Anna, photographer Gnesin Evgeny

Place plants

Nothing refreshes an interior more than plants. However, not everyone is ready to have many of them in their home. Therefore, during the pre-sale period, leave only a few large and impactful plants in the apartment and be ready to take them with you if necessary.

Before interior photography or showing the apartment, fill vases with fresh flowers, as this creates a special mood.

But there is also a more durable solution that will continue to delight new owners — compositions of dried flowers. They look great in vases and don’t require care.

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Photo after

Design: Mozharo Anna, photographer Gnesin Evgeny

Professional photos

To attract potential buyers, you need to take high-quality interior photos.

Your task is to show the space and its full functionality.

Take both general shots (to understand the layout) and close-ups (to assess the current state of renovation and some design decisions).

Shoot in natural light, since artificial light distorts colors significantly.

Ensure the photos are sharp and verticals and horizontals are aligned properly.

Since there is a lot of specificity in photographing living spaces, I recommend hiring professional interior photographers. This will save time and deliver a quality result.