There is a growing awareness among today’s professionals regarding health and fitness, and the focus on staying physically fit is also compounded in media and the Internet. People are looking for various ways to stay fit and healthy despite their busy schedules and commitments. Gym memberships and home fitness equipment are even more popular with more individuals nowadays, and they are no longer just the territory of celebrities, athletes, or bodybuilding fanatics. As you get your home staging plans in order, a fitness-friendly living space is also a good idea.
If your identified target market for your property is a younger, more affluent clientele, it is very likely that they put a premium on personal health and fitness, and staging a home with simple and efficient fitness activities in mind would definitely appeal to your potential buyers. In fact, regardless of your target audience, a fitness-friendly home appeals to most contemporary home buyers, whether they are newly-married couples buying their first home, or parents with three children and busy careers, or perhaps just-retired buyers looking to stay healthy during their retirement years.
How do you stage a home that is fitness-friendly and appealing to health-conscious buyers?
Highlight outdoor spaces and activities. Fitness-conscious individuals like to be able to stay active whether it’s indoors or outdoors. If you have a backyard pool, or even a basketball ring or volleyball net, be sure to emphasize these to your clients. Also, health-conscious parents look for ways to share their interest with their kids, so they would especially like any swing sets or play areas you may have installed in your backyard.
Be creative with the home gym. If you happen to already have a home gym, you can include this space in your home staging plans. Instead of just the usual fitness equipment, look into adding some creativity to the space, such as a flat-screen TV for entertainment while working out, or a juice bar where healthy drinks can be made post-workout.
Lighting and ventilation are especially important for a home gym area; if yours has a view, don’t block it with oversized furniture items or heavy curtains.
Fitness equipment can be strategically positioned around the home. If you don’t have a home gym, you can consider placing various exercise equipment around different rooms instead. Dumbbells, weights or hand grips, for instance, can be placed in the bedroom. A hula hoop, exercise ball, or WII Fit would be great for the family den or living room. If you have a treadmill or elliptical machine, these machines are often quite big and need to have a spacious corner or area of the home.
Don’t forget the yoga corner. Yoga has also become a popular wellness practice, so don’t forget to set up a yoga mat and other meditation tools in an opportune corner or area in your home. You don’t necessarily have to transform a whole room into a meditation area; half of a bedroom, or the unused section of the den or attic would be alright. Just make sure it is an area with the right lighting and noise control.
