An interior designer wants to put an American concept on the map in Staffordshire to help people sell their homes quickly – and at a higher price.
Samantha Adamson set up her home staging and interior styling business Nest & Kin during lockdown last year after clocking up more than 25 years in the design and interiors industry.
Now she wants to make 'home staging' as big here as it is elsewhere in the world.
Home staging looks at presenting property to a professional standard to attract buyers or potential renters.
It's already heavily used in show homes and in property which is up for sale or rent in America and parts of Europe.
It has been steadily growing in the UK over the last decade, but now Stoke-on-Trent-based Samantha wants to boost it even more.
Samantha – who has previously worked in senior design roles for big-name companies including Royal Doulton, Next and Morrisons – said: "In these roles I designed and developed interiors collections, worked on key trends and was lucky enough to travel all over the world.
"I've had amazing experiences and worked with some incredible people, but I got to the point where I decided I wanted to use my design knowledge and experience to set up my own company, which is how Nest & Kin was born."
She added: "There are two sides to the business – the interior design side which I think most people would understand, and the home staging side which is perhaps less known here.
"Interior design is about creating a homeowner's personalised space, whereas home staging is about depersonalising a home and creating a lifestyle that will appeal to a wider audience of buyers, to help sell or rent it out.
"Typically home staging would include guidance on decluttering, refreshing decor, creating kerb appeal and maximising space before any photographs are taken.
"This is one of the busiest times of year for people looking online for their next home and poor images can be the difference between people wanting to a view a house and not.
"Home staging is proven to drive the price of a house by up to 10 per cent. I'm already working with a number of estate agents and property developers to help them with home staging, and I’d love to work with more."
Samantha has already teamed up with Stoke-on-Trent estate and letting agency Belvoir to help them stage homes.
Ramona Hirschi, managing director of Belvoir in Stoke-on-Trent and Biddulph, said:"Teaming up with someone as excellent as Samantha from Nest & Kin enables Belvoir Stoke to offer its customers something unique – a wow factor to their homes or photos to achieve a higher price and a quicker sale.
"We are proud to be innovative and bringing new things to our industry in Stoke-on-Trent."
